By: Morgan Mueller
Infamously out of the public eye, yet adored by fans and celebrities alike, Frank Ocean has become one of the most innovative names in music in the past decade. Despite his huge fan base, he is one of the most characteristically off-the-grid musicians of our generation, with a certain commitment to privacy. Ocean’s music is a vulnerable look into his most personal experiences and countless listeners intimately connect with his lyrics. However, there are a plethora of reasons why he has gone M.I.A and continuous debates by passionate fans regarding his possible return.
Frank Ocean, born Christopher Edwin Breaux, is a 36 year old singer, songwriter, producer, and rapper. The Louisiana native originally signed by the name Lonny Breaux ended up coining the name “Frank Ocean” in 2015, born from a combination of Frank Sinatra and the 1960 film Ocean’s 11. Ocean’s pseudonym also derives from his need for anonymity while he worked on an independent project outside of his contractual obligation to his old record label, Def Jam Recordings. Ocean was no stranger to anonymity, having previously composed for other huge names in music including Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. However, Ocean’s personal projects started with Odd Future collaborations, his self-released mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra in 2011, his debut LP channel ORANGE in 2012, the Def Jam album Endless in 2016, his independently released album Blonde (alternatively titled Blond) in 2016, his limited-edition print magazine Boys Don’t Cry in 2016, and finally, his Apple Music radio show Blonded Radio from 2017 to 2021. His widespread success with streams and Billboard Top Album sales chart solidified Ocean as a trailblazer in his alternative genre of experimental/psychedelic R&B avant-soul. Since his rise to popularity, fans have been living off of scraps of various singles in the past 7 years and mounds of unreleased music, but still, no new album.
A plethora of media publications and individual music fanatics have attempted to examine Ocean’s cultural impact, underlying lyrical messages, and his nomadic lifestyle. From GQ, Rolling Stone, and NPR Music interviews to the incredible Spotify Original Podcast Dissect by Cole Cuchna, everyone desperately seeks a deeper understanding of his infrequent interactions with the press. Even a variety of academic articles examine the gripping themes of Ocean’s music, including his exploration of Black queer masculinity, representations of gender, as well as his departure from traditional concepts of identity. His layered subject matter is undeniably reflected in his unique production techniques collaging synthesizers, pitch-shifts, and vintage instruments.
The complexities of Ocean’s creations relate to one of the more popular notions about why he has disappeared: Frank Ocean is a perfectionist. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic halted production in nearly all art realms, and Ocean’s projects were no exception. Since he is an artist constantly reworking what he eventually releases, maybe nothing has been good enough (in his eyes) to release. He revealed he created 50 different versions of “White Ferrari” off of his 2016 album Blonde. At his disastrous Coachella headlining performance, he played an alternate version of “White Ferrari” said to be his younger brother’s favorite version. This was especially emotional, as Ocean’s younger brother Ryan tragically passed away in August of 2020. The two shared a very close relationship, and his brother was involved in Ocean’s artistic ventures, having been featured in an interview for Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry magazine, as well appearing in the outro of “Futura Free” off of Blonde. Ocean addressed his fans’ feral desire for new music at his Coachella appearance, explaining “I’m not here because of a new album–not that there’s not a new album– just not right now. These last couple of years of our lives changed so much…but I know [my brother] would have been so excited to have been here with us,” going on to dedicate his song “Pink + White” to his late brother. After hearing such a raw, ambiguous sentiment, it’s difficult to complain or feel upset at Ocean’s lack of music. We’re reminded that Frank Ocean, although seemingly larger-than-life, is human at the end of the day. Grief can be paralyzing and no one should begrudge Ocean for taking as much time as he needs. While I would personally be ecstatic to witness the return of Frank Ocean, his existing discography is still an incredible, genuine collection of songs. I’m confident Ocean will publish his creative endeavors when he feels ready to, while we enjoy his already existing legacy.
