Metacritic named it the third most critically acclaimed album of the year by music publications.
Among other publications, Time named it the best album of 2016. It earned first week sales of 275,000 with album-equivalent units in the US, with 232,000 being pure sales, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Supported by its lead single " Nikes", the album debuted at number one in several countries, including the United States. Critics also complimented the album for challenging the conventions of R&B and pop music.
The album's themes surrounds Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by sexual experiences, heartbreak, loss and trauma.īlonde received widespread acclaim, with critics praising Ocean's introspective lyrics and the album's unconventional and progressive sounds. The Beach Boys' de facto leader Brian Wilson is recognized as a strong influence on the album's lush arrangements and layered vocal harmonies, while the guitar and keyboard rhythms on the album are considered as languid and minimal. Ocean also notably makes use of pitch shifted vocals. Its physical release was accompanied by a magazine entitled Boys Don't Cry.īlonde features an abstract and experimental sound in comparison to Ocean's previous releases, encompassing styles such as R&B, pop, soul, indie rock, electronica, psychedelia, and hip hop. Beginning in 2013 and ending in 2016, recording for the album took place at New York's Electric Lady Studios and, after a period of writer's block, in London at Abbey Road Studios and in Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios. Initially known as Boys Don't Cry and teased for a July 2015 release, the album suffered several delays and was the subject of widespread media anticipation leading up to its release. In 2013, Ocean confirmed that his follow up to Channel Orange would be another concept album. Production was handled by Ocean himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers, including Malay and Om'Mas Keith, who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange, as well as James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij, among others. The album features guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé, and Kim Burrell, among others. It was released on August 20, 2016, as a timed exclusive on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and followed the August 19 release of Ocean's video album Endless. Blonde (alternatively titled blond) is the second studio album by American singer Frank Ocean.
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