The genre of R&B, or rhythm and blues, has been well-loved for quite some time. It has featured both men and women with many talents, showcasing meaningful lyrics on beautiful beats. R&B has often served as a medium between jazz, soul, and hip-hop. However, one man took this already fascinating section of music and paired it with raw emotion better than anyone ever. Packing relatable stories with the most ear-soothing symphonies, Frank Ocean has taken the music industry by storm time and time again, but especially with Blonde.

Released in 2016, Ocean’s second complete project holds 17 beautiful tracks, adding up to a perfect one-hour track. Much hype surrounded the forthcoming of a new Frank Ocean production, with his first album, Channel Orange, being put out four years prior. The work was composed of electronic and psychedelic feels, with the songs mainly focusing on topics surrounding the Western world’s obsession with sensations and life of luxury. When Blonde was released, it took quite a while to switch themes.

The recurring story of Blonde is young love, heartbreak, the ensuing stages of grief, and the memories of loved ones. The tracks follow multiple different relationships, not focusing on one partner but the overall complex story of love. 

Frank exhibits almost every type of love that can be thought up; he demonstrates unrequited love, then platonic love, and very well shows the harshness of lost love. Regardless of the listener’s backstory, they can find a track to relate to their story. If not, they can hop on a ride with Frank to see the tumultuous turns that relationships can feature. A big question can be posed: how much can someone be broken?

The journey starts with “Nikes”. Frank begins with a different voice than his own, a pitched-up child-like voice, hinting at a youthful perspective in the story. Young and dumb, Frank meets a girl who arrives with his cousin at the party. The pair get to talking, and it goes better than it had been for her and his cousin. However, this pairing may be challenging; the narrator seems to be falling quite hard on this already-claimed girl. Experimenting with animatronic sounds, the altered voice, and then a hard-hitting verse in normal tones, “Nikes” is an excellent introduction to what will become Blonde’s masterpiece.

Only one track later, the audience is hit with a sad heater: “Ivy.” We’re told how this relationship (unclear if the same girl from “Nikes”) started “from nothing,” and how Frank was honestly surprised the girl loved him. The relationship is painted as a youthful endeavor with little care in the world, and how Frank misses it looking back. At some point, a lousy turn is taken, but Frank still holds out for peace and maybe even a second chance. An emotional song with a glistening guitar performance in the background, the track concludes with a sound seemingly imitating the smashing of a guitar. It is not going well for young Ocean, and then you’re thrown into track three.

AND BOOM. Back to happiness, “Pink + White” shines with memories and whimsical tunes. However, upon dissecting Ocean’s words, we can see he is reminiscing about an old friend who taught him much about the world, but most importantly, love. This spiritual love of his was swept away from the young man’s life when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Ocean was a student at the University of New Orleans at the time, a 19-year-old, and the hurricane forced him to move to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The track mentions the natural disaster, and the lyrics point towards fond memories ripped away, showing Ocean lost one of his greatest loves to Katrina, even if spiritual; this demonstrates the great love Ocean has already experienced at a young age. Through the years since Blonde’s release, “Pink + White” has seen a boom in popularity, becoming Ocean’s most streamed song with about 1.5 billion streams on Spotify alone. Beyonce is featured with some beautiful lyrics, and the track has braved the test of time even with its sad background, as the beat is just too fascinating to ignore.

As the album progresses, Ocean’s tracks dance between joyous, reminiscing, and tragic. Feeling the rollercoaster that is love, Ocean’s beat switches and tone-changes through songs like “Nights” and “Self Control” gravitate the listener into the raw emotions exuberated. 

 It all comes to a head in the work’s penultimate track: “Godspeed.” Frank has seemingly realized that his love for this person is over, and he’s allowing it to float away. However, he recognizes that he’ll always care and be there for them, even outside a romantic relationship. The song can mirror and apply to any human connection in life, causing the music to resonate with the listeners and stick around way after the album concludes.