Blond
by Frank Ocean

From DeusExMackia TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/11/2016 21:38 | #176724 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Blonde is brilliant. That might even be the extent to which I can give my thoughts on this album. That is all. It is just a brilliant album.

Ocean takes us on an emotional, dreamy adventure into his own world, and introduces us to a new class of music. The sound of Blonde is experimental without being too experimental, a sonorous and vivid sound scape that molds around his distinctive voice, the focal point of the album.

That soundscape is also carefully built by the songs as the album progresses. Little details, like the odd line or sound, construct the feeling of Blonde with supreme delicacy. And it pays off; interlude tracks like 'Be Yourself' and 'Facebook Story' help to set you up for the real stand-out tracks like 'Solo' and 'Nights'. Once you manage to crack into the mindset of Blonde, this album will make sense, and you'll see the level of quality and genius on show here.

Some have complained that it's too slow and that there isn't enough distinction here - they're missing the point. This album is a journey, and it's able to flow from track to track with sublime ease. This is an incredibly easy album to listen to, yet it has a deep complexity that I haven't witnessed for a long time.

It also obliges you to listen to it multiple times. And you absolutely should - you'll be able to see its strongest points for what they are: some of the best music of this decade, perhaps even ever.

I have no doubt that Blonde is going to be a companion to me for many years to come. It amazes me how much music can captivate you, but it seems to be Frank Ocean's main talent. Despite it being his second full release, he is flaunting talent that we haven't seen in a long time.

And even with how brilliant Blonde is, I still think there's so much more to come. Watch this space; it's only going to get more amazing from here.


92/100

Long from now, this will be known as one of the best albums of all time

Blonde is maybe the most emotional album I've ever heard. No other album hits me harder in my feelings than this one. Frank Ocean created an album where we can get lost in his most intimate world. His distinctive songwriting, singing style, vibe, the minimal production, and tons of emotion (obviously sad, nostalgic, etc) makes Blonde a world of its own. You need to listen to it entirely to experience it all.

I find it hard to describe all the things that this album provoke on me. Everytime I hear it, it just destroys me, but at the same time, makes me happy because of the amazing piece of art that Frank Ocean created. At the same time, it's a very original album in almost every way.

Self Control always makes me cry and hits me hard, I always get lost in a sea of feelings with Siegfried, White Ferrari, Nikes, Godspeed or Ivy, other songs make me feel good like Pink + White, Solo, Skyline To or Futura Free and other songs are simply amazing, like Nights.

This thing never ceases to amaze me. I really feel this is Frank Ocean's masterpiece and a benchmark in contemporary music. Blonde has marked me in a significant way, and im sure im not the only one feeling the same

I went into this album without listening to his previous effort, Channel Orange. I didn't know what to expect going in, and I have to admit, the first listen left me... confused. I didn't know what to think. I thought "is this really the album everyone was hyping about?" However, I gave the album another few listens, and it all really began to click. What seems like a disorganized tracklist at first unveils itself as carefully organized. Each listen I hear something new in each track. This isn't just any singer-songwriter album. While Ocean's vocals are soothing and beautiful, the music isn't focused on just his voice. The instrumentation is subtle, complex, and unique. Between the lush groove of "Pink + White", the psychedelic and silky instrumentation of "Skyline To", the minimalist guitars and effects-induced vocals on "Ivy" and "Self Control", and the shockingly unique beat-shifts on "Nights" and "Pretty Sweet", or even the subtle electronic textures and strings arranged by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood on "Siegfried", this album is heavily detailed and takes many unexpected twists and turns. It is not full of "bangers"; it is intimate, and requires careful, focused listening.

As someone who went in not expecting anything too special, this album is more than special. It is simply a minimalist and intimate avant-garde pop/r&b masterpiece. Please do not overlook this album. This seriously might be one of the best albums of this century, so far. As a huge Radiohead fan, I want to say A Moon Shaped Pool is my favorite album this year, but... damn, this just might overtake it. And to think there's still room for new great music this year as well (Bon Iver, Danny Brown, and more).

Do yourself a favor and find a peaceful place in nature, and sit down, relax, and play this record with some good earbuds. Sitting along the rocky shore of Lake Michigan while listening to Blond was an experience I'll never forget.

tl;dr: this album is truly something special

Never heard an album like it before. Legendary. Historic. Deep. Emotional. New. Genius. Versatile. Future. Progressive
Lives up to the hype and then some. I give it a 12/10. It's flawless, his voice, the way the album is put together. I never want the album to end. Working on my fifth listen and it gets better and better with time. Remarkable accomplishment in music history. This album changes everything. The new bar has beeb set for compelling one of a kind elite quality art music. Thank u frank for ur miracle of a masterpiece. Pure beauty and perfection