About “Blonde ”

Blonde is the second studio album by the enigmatic Frank Ocean. The album was released on August 20, 2016, following a four-year hiatus after the release of channel ORANGE. The album was released both physically, in magazines given away in pop-up stores around the country, and digitally on iTunes. The magazine, titled Boys Don’t Cry, is a companion piece to Blonde and features various types of content including poetry and interviews from Frank himself. The magazine also features an alternate version of Blonde.

On August 20, 2016 the lead single “Nikes”, was released with an accompanying music video exclusively on Apple Music.

Upon its release, the album was met with critical acclaim. Blonde debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 276,000 album-equivalent units. In The Guardian’s review of the album reviewer Tim Jonze called Blonde, “one of the most intriguing and contrary records ever made.” It is considered to be one of the greatest R&B/pop albums of all time.

In July of 2018, almost two years after the album’s release, Blonde went on to achieve RIAA platinum status.

One aspect of the album that has been subject to much discussion is the title. Specifically, the reason why the title is spelled differently on the album cover. Fans have speculated that the use of “blond” on the album cover and “blonde” on the album listing is a reference to Frank’s bisexuality and the themes of duality between masculinity and femininity in his life; with “blond” being the masculine form, and “blonde” being the feminine.

The word “blonde” itself holds two interpretations. The first is that children normally have blonde hair that darkens to brown as they get older. Blonde can therefore be seen as a reflection of Frank’s younger years, detailing his innocence and purity and loss thereof, making the album play out as more autobiographical than any of his previous works. Songs such as “Pink + White” and “Ivy” recall Ocean’s coming-of-age through the use of vocal pitching. The second interpretation is the symbolism of blonde hair; blondes are considered to be thoughtless and carefree. In a Tumblr post on the album, Frank stated that he drew inspiration from a picture of a blonde child in the back of a car. Her “clear and calm” eyes echo the album’s theme of immortality and youthful carelessness. The closing track “Futura Free” is about the freedom of being able to move forward, a celebration of Frank’s newfound independence.

The album’s concept explores heavily on falling in and out of love; themes of self-love and hate, failed relationships, family, drugs, and depression can be found throughout. These themes intertwine to create a complex and nuanced project, which stands as Ocean’s most vulnerable. In contrast to Frank’s previous albums, Blonde takes on a more minimalist approach with influences such as Elliott Smith, Pharrell Williams, David Bowie and James Blake to name a few. The album has an eclectic and atmospheric feel, with drifting guitars and beatless melodies accompanying dense and powerful lyricism. The Observer characterized the album as “cerebral, non-macho, boundary-free R&B.”