By GRANT KRUSZEWSKI
staff writer

1,500 days separate the release of Frank Ocean’s last project and his newly released album “Blonde,” which was delivered on Aug. 20. The album is only available exclusively on Apple Music for a short period of time.
Ocean has deceived us for the past few years, building up a ridiculous amount of hype to what some have expected to be one the best albums to cross between the genres of pop and R&B.
When I first heard the album I didn’t know what to think. It had a very unique sound.
Originally, I felt like I was distracted by the fact that the album had actually released and Ocean was finally done playing “games,” but then I realized that it was one of the best albums released in the past two years.
Sophomore physician assistant major Liam Cunningham said, “People are more concerned with the fact that he finally released an album, and haven’t really appreciated the art of the album. It is a work of art.”
After listening to the album multiple times, I then realized that Ocean masterfully combined modern day pop and R&B in one album.
Some may not realize how difficult this is, due to the fact that the genres are almost polar opposites of each other.
In the album “Blonde,” Ocean took that traditional R&B sound and brought it to the speed of general pop music for a very different and uplifting sound unlike any other.
I fell in love with this album after I listened to it a few times.
When I listen to the album I can feel and hear the amount of work that Ocean put into this album. “Blonde” has everything that many great albums have.
These features include a long track list, individualistic song names, emotional music that touches the listener and beats that make the listener feel the music.
The beats that Ocean uses on this album fit perfectly with his style and contribute to the natural sound of the album.
Many great artists worked on this album, but the three most mainstream contributors were Pharrell Williams, Beyoncé and, believe it or not, The Beatles.
Music legend Pharrell helped produce the track “Pink + White” alongside Tyler the Creator.
Hip-hop icon Beyoncé left her mark on the album by singing background on the same track, “Pink + White.”
In addition, Ocean sampled the Beatles’ decade old track “Here, There and Everywhere” in the song “White Ferrari.”
Overall, I believe that this album is a great work of art.
The only controversy about the album is the question of whether the average listener will feel that it was worth the wait.
Should it really have taken Frank Ocean over four years to release this project? Is there really four years’ worth of quality on this album? How will it be viewed in the future history of how musical projects are released?
Some may need to listen for themselves to decide. If you haven’t already, start that Apple Music free trial and listen to the album today.
GRANT KRUSZEWSKI
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