It has been nearly a decade since Frank Ocean released his last album, “Blonde,” which dropped on Aug. 20, 2016 — widely considered his magnum opus.
Since then, it has garnered the right amount of commercial and critical praise to be considered a modern classic. Rolling Stone has it placed at 79th on its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list and Pitchfork named it the best album of the 2010s; four separate songs on the album have over a billion streams on Spotify.
So, what makes “Blonde” so good? Why has it resonated with a whole generation of listeners and what does its success tell us about the state of pop today?
It’s hard to discuss “Blonde.” It is such an essential listen, at this point, that finding something new to be said about it can be daunting. It is one of those rare birds of an album that completely overtook its commercial and critical success and has now garnered the rare reputation of a modern classic that very few albums can claim to have.
It is the darling album of teenage boys discovering critically acclaimed albums on social media, and of hardcore music nerds who will ramble on about all the little details found in the album’s one hour runtime. Very few albums are so universally loved as “Blonde” is.
Part of that has to do with Frank Ocean’s mythos. Ocean is a true auteur and a reclusive one at that. It feels like whatever he drops immediately enters the must-listen-to canon and that’s partly due to his affinity to take years off between his releases.
But most of it has to do with the album itself. “Blonde” is as cohesive an album as you can get; the more you listen to it the better it gets. It’s crafted to be exactly an hour long and contains subtle narrative and character development through its track list, which makes it feel almost like a cinematic experience to listen to.
It is painstakingly detailed and contains a wide variety of musical influences and forms. From interludes, Stevie Wonder covers, orchestral swells, acoustic ballads and even classic contemporary R&B songs, “Blonde” has a lot to offer. But what connects all these songs together is a shared minimalist production that differentiates this album from Ocean’s previous, more maximalist albums.
Many critics have labeled “Blonde” as avant-soul, due to its atmospheric sound and stripped-back production with an emphasis on vocal performance. It is entirely devoid of any track resembling a hit single or chart-topper, yet it still took over the commercial market.
Look at a song like “Ivy,” which is made up of little more than two or three backing guitars and Ocean’s layered melodies and harmonies, but is considered a classic contemporary R&B song with over 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. Or “Siegfried,” which consists of an ambient guitar, bass and Ocean’s phenomenal vocals for most of its runtime. An orchestral swell in the middle of the song give it a grandiose feel, yet it’s a simple arrangement creating an atmospheric R&B song.
This stripped-back, atmospheric sound that has resonated so deeply with audiences and has given “Blonde” such a timeless sound. It is steeped in the vocal and production traditions of contemporary R&B and American greats such as Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who has a marked influence on Ocean’s harmonic choices, and Prince, whose influence is found all over the album. Yet, it maintains a unique sound, and that’s something that very few albums can claim to accomplish.
It is one of the main reasons why I think “Blonde” is as irresistible as it was ten years ago: nothing has quite matched its distinct quality since.
Floating on top of all these phenomenal production choices are Ocean’s lyrics, which tell a loosely connected story of heartbreak and the emotional fallout of a failed relationship.
Ocean is deeply vulnerable on this album, telling stories of passion and heartbreak that pull at the heartstrings like very few songs do, such as on the ethereal “White Ferrari” and the ballad-inspired “Self Control.” Other songs are more triumphant, like the penultimate track “Godspeed” and the cinematic “Nights,” a five-minute track with a phenomenal beat switch that is widely considered by many to be the defining track of the album.
Many of the songs reference Ocean’s bisexuality, which has also made this album a classic of the queer musical canon, on top of just being a modern classic.
It’s Ocean’s lyrics that act as the main bridge between the listener and the album’s content. Listeners who might not be so comfortable with such an avant-garde production style are still drawn to this album because he is such a talented artist.
Ocean pulls no punches with his experimentation, but his songs all still feel approachable given his pop writing background. It is one of the many reasons “Blonde” is still so celebrated today – it rides a fine line of both musical experimentation and a deeply enjoyable listening experience.
“Blonde” has influenced the sound of pop and contemporary R&B as very few albums have. That stripped-back, atmospheric R&B sound you hear from artists like Daniel Ceasar, Dijon and SZA, comes from “Blonde.” Ocean’s influence further spread to non-R&B artists like Mk.gee, with his minimalist production and focus on guitar and vocals, and Blood Orange, whose newest album holds a lot of introspective and ambient soundscapes similarities to “Blonde.”
If you are a college student reading this, or any young person in America, you are most likely familiar with “Blonde.” Few albums have entered the cultural zeitgeist with such permanence, and ten years later, it still has a firm grip on the sound of pop and contemporary R&B.
To celebrate a decade, take the time to sit down and listen to the album front to back. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Francisco Aguirre-Ghiso can be reached at [email protected].
