The tone is muted and introspective, full of spectral guitar and lacking not just hefty beats but any kind of percussion at all. Identifiable bangers of the kind Ocean has rattled off either for others or himself – most consistently on his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia Ultra – are conspicuous by their absence. Whatever you may think about Blonde, it’s undeniably one of the most baffling, contrary and intriguing records put out by a major pop star – not just this year, but any year. If you felt disoriented before you’d even pressed play, then that wasn’t the half of it. It came with sleeve artwork on which the title is spelled differently (Blond), a physical edition with a slightly altered tracklist and, if you ventured to one of the four pop-up shops in London, Chicago, LA and New York on the night of its release, a glossy magazine called Boys Don’t Cry (Blonde’s working title) that featured, among other things, a poem by Kanye West about a McDonald’s cheeseburger forming a band with a milkshake. And guess what? That wasn’t what people were expecting either.

Over a rush of sweeping strings and warbling keyboard, Ocean bemoans how he's 'not brave' and can't relate to others, before mulling the possibility of settling down with the one he loves.Less than 48 hours after Endless dropped, Ocean’s long-delayed second studio album finally did arrive, in the form of Blonde. Seigfried is a particular triumph, as Ocean evokes the mythical Nordic warrior of the same name (although different spelling). If you're not already in tears by this point, the aching one-two punch of Seigfried and Godspeed should do you in at the album's climax. The influence of both Bon Iver and James Blake, who are featured, becomes obvious in the song's stunning second half, marked by pitched-up vocals and vivid imagery about a past lover. Wondering why The Beatles are mentioned in Blonde's star-studded credits? It's because Ocean references the Fab Four's Here, There and Everywhere in this soulful, slow-burning ballad.

Frank ocean albums 2016