Blonde is the highly anticipated sophomore record from New Orleans based R&B artist Frank Ocean. The sixty minute LP is a culmination of the artist’s innermost thoughts and memories; usually involving run-ins with sex, drug abuse, and peer pressure. The production is minimalist, as many tracks feature no more than one instrument and very little percussion, which contributes strongly to the themes of solitude and introspection.

I found that the album is supposed to represent the story of defining moments that guided Ocean toward adulthood. Songs like “Pink + White” and “Ivy” see the artist singing about past relationships and alluding to the devastation brought about by Hurricane Katrina. “Solo,” which is my favorite song on Blonde, has perhaps the most artistic depth. He sings about loneliness and overindulgence and is accompanied only by a jazz organ, so the listener can reflect more upon the track’s theme of isolation. “Nikes” is a very ambitious song to make the lead single because it features heavily distorted vocals and experimental production, but overall was a solid promotional choice because it is a good summarization of the album’s abstract sound.

After listening to the work several times, I can say Blonde is an incredible piece of art. The songs don’t feel as jam packed and refined as was common with his debut effort, Channel ORANGE. It’s clear Ocean placed the goal of mass appeal on the back burner and instead paid more attention to artistic expression. Every unique, vibrant moment on Blonde feels fresh and inspired. Though not completely solid the entire way through, I can say that Blonde was worth the wait and ultimately lived up to its massive hype.

Favorites: “Solo” “Self Control” “Pink + White” and “Godspeed”

Score : 8.5/10