Why Frank Ocean’s Blonde Makes Us Cry
graphic by thanh thai
What’s up JERKs? Anyone been feeling a little sad lately? Well grab that pint of ice cream and get cozy with some blankets because we’re about to dive deep into our bags. Now most of us know THAT feeling. You’re on your bed listening to some music and next thing you know, you’re on track #7 of Frank Ocean’s Blonde with tears streaming down your face. You might be thinking “Why does Frank Ocean make me cry so much?” Seriously, can anyone sit through this album without at least some feeling of sadness? If yes, then maybe you should go get your heart checked out.
Frank Ocean’s Blonde topped charts with its original release in 2016, and has remained one of the most influential albums of our generation ever since. Frank Ocean teased this album back in 2012 and spent 4 years pouring his soul to create the musical embodiment of his vulnerability as a human. What is it about this album that creates such a perfect sense of what it means to be beautifully in love yet so heartbroken at the same time? Let’s dive in.
The album starts off with the song “Nikes,” in which Frank discusses the prospects of finding love while famous. The track starts off with:
“These bitches want Nikes
They looking for a check
Tell ‘em it ain’t likely”
As a newly established music icon, Frank has to deal with people who want him just for his money. But, Frank wants love and doesn’t care to mess with people who don’t like him for him. Obviously, this isn’t very relatable to us broke college students, but still a fire track.
In the next track, “Ivy,” Frank sings about losing a lover through a bitter breakup, and reflects on the mistakes he made in this failed relationship. Back in 2012, before the release of Frank’s debut album Channel Orange, he released a letter on his Tumblr detailing the first time he felt love. This is also the letter in which Frank reveals that his first love was a man. A recurring theme on this album is failed relationships, which makes us think, perhaps THIS particular first love relationship is what has Frank so heartbroken. During another track titled “Close To You,” his heartbreaking relationship comes up again. Using a Stevie Wonder sample and harmonic layering, Frank Ocean creates a beautifully heartbreaking sensory experience about the pain knowing you’re about to lose the one you love.
A highlight of the album is “Pink + White,” one of the most sonically pleasing Frank songs. From its swinging orchestral line to its soft acoustic guitar switch halfway through, this song creates an atmosphere unlike any other. Not to even mention the subtle Beyoncé vocals on this track (which are angelic). The song is about youth and appreciating people from your past. “Pink + White” appeals to the nostalgia of our childhood, the sadness we feel when we think about how happy we were, and how there’s no possible way to reach that youthful joy again.
On the interlude tracks “Be Yourself” and “Facebook Story,” Frank appeals to two ways that modern society can make us feel lonely. “Be Yourself” features a mother pleading with her son over voicemail to not do drugs in college and to stay true to what he believes in. The voicemail is used to symbolize the isolation that one can get from only being able to communicate through modern technology. In “Facebook Story,” a man tells the story of how he was dumped by his longtime girlfriend because he didn’t accept her friend request once she got on Facebook. He talks about how there shouldn’t be a need for her to be on his Facebook because he sees her every day and has valuable face-to-face connections. Simply put, Frank is highlighting how technology can ruin our relationships.
In “Nights,” Frank Ocean creates one of the most musically unique soundscapes in recent history. The song starts off with a guitar driven rap about the tedious grind of a 9 to 5 job.
However, halfway through the song, it transitions into a cosmic beat switch that could possibly make you levitate. From rapid guitar notes to dreamy synths and a drum beat, “Nights” divides itself into two different songs as well as splitting the album into two halves, since the beat switch is exactly halfway through the album. Props to Frank for that one.
In “Solo” and “Self Control,” Frank sings about the loneliness he feels in his life. While “Solo” is more about his personal struggle with human disconnect, “Self Control” is about losing a lover and having an empty void to fill. He also sings about his perpetual loneliness on the song “White Ferrari”. This song is about a long car ride in which Frank reflects on how much he misses a past lover, singing:
“I care for you still and I will Forever,
That was my part of the deal”
He knows that he can never go back to his past love, but the feelings he once felt never left. If you’ve ever lost someone you loved, then you know this feeling. If love is real then it never fades, your feelings will always be there. Sometimes this can be painful and sometimes this can be beautiful, that’s up for you to decide!
As humans, we all get lonely. It’s in most of our DNA to crave attention and love. Affection makes us happy and content in our lives. Through Frank’s music, we are allowed a glimpse into a raw state of emotion. This relates to our own lives and therefore we find meaning in the music and lyrics of a heartbroken man. People who have been left broken-hearted can connect their own experiences to his songs. Even if someone has never experienced love, they are still able to relate to the idea of heartbreak and loneliness.
Part of the magic of this album is a personal interpretation. We are only giving one understanding of Frank’s messages and motifs on Blonde. We encourage all Jerk readers to come up with their own interpretations after listening. Art is most powerful when it speaks to the individual, so prepare yourselves for the emotional journey that is Blonde.