beiber also posted publicly in 2023 at how inspired he was by the set

Let's get into mannnn

Where to even begin. Absolutely an epoch and a cornerstone of music in the 21st century, one of the "must-listens" for anyone venturing in what music has been about the last 2 and half decades. Following up a debut as strong as Channel Orange seemed almost impossible and the wait between that and his re-emergence mounted on the pressure and most importantly expectation of Blonde (and Endless). Expectation is so key here because even hovering around the OF crew + CO + a few tours there were still so many blanks left to be filled by fans.

"We'll let you guys prophesize, we gone see the future first..."

2 albums, 2+ hours of incredible music and a magazine that details fragments of the laborious effort that was/still is Endless / Blonde / BDC .

Blonde is incredibly interior, circumscribed but not insular. One of the most clarifying a***ogies I've tried using to describe Blonde's universality is that it is almost like the musical equivalent of staring into a mirror from the point of view of another mirror. You, the listener, the observer, the first mirror, can construct an image through the second mirror, the album, which reflects back an endless set of realities with layers of meaning and significance. From your POV you can pluck perspectives and intentions at one glance and from a shift in your perspective see the entire thing in a different way. I've found this personally true as I've lived and grown with this album over the last 10 years; this thing has morphed a lot for me since. Between the first track and the last track Blonde can appeal to the common listener, definitely at least one line or verse of absolute truth for everyone. The writing on here is unreal man. Not prescriptive whatsoever, free flowing nonconformist. I'm always reminded of one of his more memorable quote from an interview with the BBC at the time of NU where he says melody is easy, lyrics are not or something like that. Its tempting to describe this as autofiction; for sure is autobiographical no doubt about that. But some songs remove rather than add detail in typical autofiction fashion. Generalization, addition in some parts, subtraction (unintentional ambiguity) in other parts but the whole thing is still entirely Frank. More of a focus on emotions over fact. Anyways point is the writing is so simple but on second inspection it's actually incredibly complex which is hallmark of any high order writing achievement especially for something where he is trying to tell us about himself + how he felt at a point in time. The Gay Times interview where he got asked about Good Guy and the actual bar he was talking about in the song is a really good example of going from macro to micro. But also explicit moments like back half of Nights were it could only have been lived by Frank and the conversely again on White Ferrari w the generalization of a trip on an unnamed road to a general destination with tensions on highwire. IMO Seigfried is one of the absolute highest highs of this album writing wise and also the example of what I'm trying to get at; moves btwn biographical material -> social biography and back again throughout, very impressive track. It took me probably the longest of all the tracks to "get". Also think it's interesting writing something as memoiristic as this in your 20s, very young lol.

"In the dark...!"

Jazmine Sullivan (!!!), Amber Coffman, Kohh, Jon Brion (!), Alex G, Yung Lean, Buddy Ross, Chassol, Vegyn, Beyonce, Arca, so many others. The samples and influences for this album is its own separate discussion imo. Interpolations of lines with great weight + depth they feel like full standalone covers.

This is not my life
It's just a fond farewell to a friend
It's just a fond farewell to a friend....

Been alluded to by so many of above collaborators + more through accounts of his time in the studio but Frank Ocean is an artist in the purest sense. Through his music there is a relentless obsessive determination to transcribe feeling which is evident from what he delivered with Endless / Blonde. Everything executed on the album has been mapped out billions of times over (split of the 17 tracks exactly down the middle of Blonde with the "crash" halfway through Nights is the most quantifiable evidence of this besides the time btwn releases. If I had to guess I feel like the writing comes quick for him its the reflecting that erodes the time in studio sessions and time in-between releases. NYTs profile for the release where he said he had 50 versions of White Ferrari and found no peace in any of them at the time (crine) for example. Appreciate his self awareness of his process as well.

"I was in all them hours in it 10K, tokin' mid strokes..."

Showered this with so many superlatives loool but this is one of the best ever imo imo imo

"You could change this track now, could've changed this b**** a long time ago"

Also: think the Tillmans portrait for the cover is like one of the portrait of the last 10 years in pop culture can't think of many other stronger image

WEEK 01: NIKES

(C. Breaux)
Production: Frank Ocean, Malay Ho and Om'mas Keith
Arrangement: Frank Ocean, Malay Ho and Om'mas Keith
Mellotron: Malay
Drum Programming: Malay Ho and Om'mas Keith
Additional Programming: Frank Ocean
Additional Vocals: Amber Coffman

Writer's block is a b****

This went so hard man

Miss this dude putting out music

Lock Frank in a studio for one month

Got the craziest surge of nostalgia ® seeing this tweet and realizing how much sentiment has changed around Chance since. But really:

Amber Coffman (female vox at the end of the track) on working w Frank:

You were on the Frank Ocean album Blonde on opening track, “Nikes” last year?
Yeah.
How did that happen? That was one of my favorites.
Oh man. I love that record, and was just beyond honored to be a part of it at all. I love him so much. Yeah, I obviously listened to Frank Ocean a lot leading up to making the record too. We were introduced through Wes—Diplo—initially, a few years ago. I guess he had my number, and would just hit me up from time to time when he came to town to work on his record, and he would just be here in L.A., and I would go in and put down a part. Went in a couple different times, so I’ve just absolutely loved his music so much. It was really fun to do that.
You got to be on the first track of that album that everyone was waiting so long to hear!
Yeah! I had no idea it was going to be the first track. It was a surprise to me, too. It was super exciting.

bkmag.com/2017/05/22/amber-coffman-dirty-projectors-city-of-no-reply-frank-ocean

i really do feel like this world is missing his perspective, but maybe he is just as dumbfounded as we are at s***

genuinely kill yourself scum

Vimeo embeds not working, my bad

We'll let you guys prophesy...

I remember listening to this first track with my old homie coming back from the LA pop up shop. We were both like what the f*** is this lmfao. Never heard anything like it. Chipmunk vocals and the abstract lyrics. It was just a weird ass track in 2016. then when that second half hit, the whole song made sense. Bro started crying when Frank was like "I'm not him but I'll mean something to you". I'm not gonna lie It took me a couple days for this song to hit for me.

Now it's one of my fav intros to an album. It's like that saying "a great marksman hits the bullseye, a master hits something no one has seen"

I literally called right there that niggas were gone hate this and then think it's a classic a month later cause it was so new, Even underground wise. It was a refreshing blend of sounds. I was right on the money.

Major subversive play to pitch it up, set the tone for rest of the album / post-CO Frank, was a big like for me off rip but remember it being soo divisive at the time.

it's really bout to be 10 years man playing it right now asking myself HOW

WOOOOO F***ING BUZZINNNN WOOOOOOOOO

Remember the "album sucks cause there's no drums!" For like 2 months lmfao.

He don't care for me...

...but he cares for me.

Good to see you around Mayday!

Hope you drop in for this retrospective + share whatever

Also: Frank in winged-tipped eyeliner in-front of these: INSTANTLY ICONIC

yo what was the best quality this was ever released in? that vimeo 1080p link right?