“DHL”

“DHL,” Frank Ocean’s first new original song since 2017, finds him unwound and relaxed, reveling in his life’s simple pleasures as he raps about new packages, Kawasaki bikes, Starbucks, and wearing puffer jackets to Paris Fashion Week. Ocean has proven himself a formidable and efficient rapper with minimal effort, from early Odd Future guest spots like “Oldie” and “Sunday” to more recent standout verses, like his chic appearance on the A$AP Mob posse cut “Raf” or the Endless freestyle “U-N-I-T-Y.” His verses on “DHL” are similar flex raps, though they’re less clever and more cryptic than what’s come before. But his writing remains focused, even as his raps unhinge themselves.

Co-produced by Ocean alongside EDM heavyweight Boys Noize, longtime Kanye engineer Noah Goldstein, and Daniel Aged of the chill R&B duo best known as Inc., the track is warped and woozy, distorting Frank’s vocals until they smear across fading synths. The raps become almost chant-like after a while. He brags about the gliss on the cyst on his wrist and being able to linger in studios without worrying about session fees. This is about as cavalier as he’s ever sounded, and it suits him.

The further “DHL” inches along, the more misshapen it becomes. It doesn’t really get going until deep into its extended second verse. Ocean loosens up, adopting mumble rap flows that sound like they’re executed mid-milly rock. “Independent jugg, sellin’ records out the trunk/I’m already rich as fuck so the product’s in the front/Got my partner in the front, been my BF for a month/But we been fuckin’ from the jump,” he brags in the closing seconds. Coming on the heels of his queer club night PrEP+, previews of two new tracks to be released on vinyl, and the return of blonded RADIO, this song ushers in the official start to Frank Ocean season after a brief period of inactivity. Unceremonious yet swaggering, on “DHL,” he sounds like he’s just warming up.