On August 20, 2016, Frank Ocean released his second studio album, Blonde. Blonde’s meaning has a similar meaning to Channel Orange, which is his heartbreak, loss, duality, and trauma. The album cover has a meaning, and Frank said that he was inspired by a picture of a blonde-haired child when he was composing the album, which again suggests that he was dealing with emotions surrounding youthfulness. The genre of Blonde is R&B, soul, and psychedelic pop. As for the features, there are no credited features from a glance. The track list has 17 songs, equating to 60 minutes and 8 seconds.
Nikes, is the intro song, and it’s a pretty good song overall with the vocals in the end being great. Nikes is a reflection on the power of money, materialism, and status in modern society.
Ivy following Nikes holds up really well with its vocals, production, and beat. Ivy is an emotive song about a relationship gone wrong.
Pink + White is the most streamed song off of Blonde. And it makes sense because of its catchy verses and chorus. Frank in this track talks about how his experiences and life choices have shaped who he is now.
Be yourself is a speech to lift our heads and give us a warning about drugs, alcohol, and marijuana. The speaker is a mother named Rosie Watson.
Solo is a solid track because of the chorus and its production behind this song. Solo is a song about navigating life and relationships on one’s own terms. And of course, making life choices by yourself, hence the name Solo.
Skyline To’s beat production is one of my favorites in Blonde because it has a mix of a heavenly feeling, but still mysterious feelings. And Frank does what he does best in this song, that being his verses and chorus being great. Frank summarizes the fast-paced and fleeting way of life.
Self Control is another popular song off of Blonde, and the fan’s opinion delivers since that this song is amazing with the vocals and specifically the second part being great with the samples and chorus. Self Control is of course about self control but also is about the idea of being able to keep your emotions and impulses in check.
Good Guy is great on this vibes because it sounds like you’re calling Frank in the first part. And later on in the audio clip, it becomes more of a love song about two people that connected despite their differences.
Nights is more of an upbeat song off of Blonde. And for it being different from the other songs, it still is pretty similar to the other songs while still being a solid track. I think the first part is great, but the second part is clearly way better. Frank Ocean sings about the struggles of everyday life and the feeling of never being fully satisfied.
Solo (Reprise) is sung, rather than Frank Ocean, by Andre 3000. And for a minute track, it is a nice song with it being short and sweet. And also has a slight Tyler The Creator feeling to it. Reprise is a raw and introspective track that explores themes of loneliness, authenticity, and disillusionment with the music industry.
Pretty Sweet is a great song with the vocals being amazing from start to finish. And the fast paced beat then switching back to a more slow paced beat. Pretty Sweet is about living life and embracing the present.
Facebook Story is a skit featuring Sebastian recounting his experience with a previous partner who became jealous and mistrustful because he did not accept her friend request on Facebook.
Close To You also being another short track, only being a minute song, is good with the vocals and changes of voice changers being different but great. Close To You is a song about love and longing.
White Ferrari is another popular track of Blonde, which makes sense because of the feel good feeling with the guitar, lyrics, and background vocals. White Ferrari reflects on a past relationship, both the good and bad times.
Seigfried is amazing at delivering the best vibes of Blonde with the beat, the violins, lyrics, and empty feelings in some parts of the song. Siegfried is a reflection on the power of dreams, life, and self-reflection.
GodSpeed has an amazing set of instruments being used in this song, but especially the organ at the start that makes it sound like a church song. Along with the background singer backs up my train of thought. GodSpeed is a song about being a supportive partner to someone you care about, no matter how hard times get.
Futura Free as an outro track fits very well since it sounds like the ending song of a movie. Especially with the lyrics talking about how he succeeded in the end. Futura Free is an introspective track that delves into his personal journey and journey to success.
Blonde is renowned for being a damn near perfect R&B album from the 2010’s, which still holds up today. But overall, all of the songs coming from Blonde are great or solid, none are horrible or straight bad.
