“Mind over matter is magic, I do magic.” A rawness edges Frank Oceans voice during this particular line of ‘Godspeed’, the second-to-last track adorning his highly anticipated sophomore album Blond… and magic it truly is. Arriving just days after the ominous lead up to a surprise visual album Endless — an entire different project containing new original content from Mr Ocean — apparent reparations for his lengthy four-year m.i.a-status came by the bundle, with Frank even creating a synonymous magazine for the album entitled Boys Don’t Cry.
We learn a lot more about Frank on Blond and are granted access into his world more than ever previous. The record provides listeners with a much more personal introspective after so long of his enigmatic elusivity becoming a shadow of character. On ‘Nikes’, Frank ponders how Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, looks just like he does, and on ‘Seigfried’ he pleads, “I’d do anything for you / in the dark”, an internal battle with sexuality more intimate than ‘Bad Religion’. Frank has a unique softness and fragility I’ve never seen in another male R&B artist but his vulnerability always renders him more power than weakness.
Each of the 17 tracks hold something entirely new and intrigue your sense of genre as well as artist. Hidden features hail a plethora of industry superstars, from Andre 3000 spitting sharp tongued ‘Solo (Reprise)’ and Beyonce sitting back on those angelic background harmonies, painting dreamscape ‘Pink + White’. You must keep your ears pricked at all times when listening to Blond, because it’s as puzzle-pieced and you-blink-you-miss-it as Inception, every meticulous detail in place for a calculated reason; whether you’re quick enough to pick it up or not is down to you.
On final track ‘Futura Free’, Frank is adamant the listener finishes their journey leaving with the knowledge of their worth, proclaiming: “They payin’ me mama, I should be payin’ them, I should be be payin’ y’all honest to god.” I think it’s safe to say Frank had us closer in mind than most thought as their faith in the man dwindled during his four-year absence, but with Endless and Blond Frank absolutely confirms that with great patience comes great rewards, and that magic can never be rushed.
Words: Laura McInnes
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