How Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ mastered the art of a perfectly paced and structured studio album – Music Essay
Introduction
Widely regarded as Frank Ocean’s Magnum Opus, Blonde is the American singer/songwriter’s second studio album, and his first project after leaving his label, Def Jam, after fulfilling his contract’s duties with them. Blonde was named Pitchfork Media’s “Album of the Decade” and has been widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of music to ever be released. Till today, almost 5 years after it’s release, Blonde is a fan favourite. it’s melodramatic and youthful descriptions, it’s depiction of millennial angst and existentialism and the pure emotion it exudes have made it regular rotation for music listeners.
While a discussion in the album’s themes, musical potencies and overall emotional gain to the listener would prove to be fruitful and honestly exhilarating, the focus of this essay is to discuss the album’s structure, how every track and the parts within it are arranged, and how the album is perfectly paced, allowing for multiple waves of highs and lows within it’s one-hour runtime.
This essay will be divided into three parts.
The first, discussing tracks 1–8 “From Nikes to Good Guy”
The second, discussing track 9: “Nights” and it’s two halves, delving into this song’s significance as the stark differentiation between the first and second halves of the whole album.
The third, discussing tracks 10–17: “From Solo (Reprise) to Futura Free”
Part I: From Nikes to Good Guy
The album opens with Nikes, the first half of the song shows Ocean using a high-pitched and auto tuned voice (used across this album to depict the idea of adolescent youth). The drums are minimal, consistent and compliment the airy background synths. This is the first of many songs that features instrumental shifts to signify a change in pace. What opens at a consistent, medium pace, ascends upwards, the auto tune drops out and Ocean half-raps with no drums to support it.
There is a clear higher energy for the fleeting moments where Frank talks about meaning something to an imagined character. The original instrumental Returns and quickly fades away into the next song.
The second track, Ivy, continues the idea of Frank talking to a “you” character. The themes of a fresh romantic love are apparent not only through the lyrics but also through the upbeat yet medium paced guitar chord progression. The last part of the song feels like a whirlwind; picking you up and dropping you in the same instant, with the refrains of Frank being willing to “drive all night” for this supposed lover.
Following that is the song Pink + White, which carries forward and elevates the energy of the previous two tracks. The lyrics “it’s all downhill from here” speak not only to the millennial hopelessness that this album exudes, but also the energy of the following songs.
These first three tracks serve as an opening trifecta of sorts. They’re heavily nostalgic, musically minimal and give Frank’s singing voice the spotlight. This is contrasted by the next three songs.
Be Yourself is the first non-song track. This is a voice note from Ocean’s mother, a speech on the importance of being yourself and knowing that it’s enough. His mother advises him against the vices of Marijuana, Cocaine and Alcohol, talking about their affects and how none of them bring any positives.
This is laced with irony. Because the opening lyrics of track 5, Solo, find Frank Describing himself as being “gone off tabs”. The lyrics depict Frank’s various experiences with drugs, and a friend to share them with. His performance in the verses is almost spoken word like. Frank’s razor-sharp storytelling finds us watching front seat as his life falls apart, “it’s just me, and no you”. Ocean finds himself completely isolated for most of this song, hence the title. Understandably, the energy of this track is understated, sluggish and almost dejected. Things do not pick up in the next song.
Skyline To is equally lethargic, with choruses that are vocally impressive but still sleepy. This track feels like a direct continuation of the previous one, similar themes of being left behind, of one’s life falling apart due to one’s own actions. Ocean does not try to mask these moments of burnout with pretty instrumentals and layered vocals.
These two songs, and the skit before it are low, unmoving, raw and honest, and show no sense of regret. Average album listeners have a habit of skipping the tracks that contain no musical moments, therefore going from Pink + White to Solo and Skyline to is a severe tonal shift, a mood killer, almost. But what these two songs lack in energy, they make up for by pushing the album’s narrative and themes further. Be Yourself was advice from his mother for Frank as a college student. At the time of Blonde’s release, Frank was 28 and well out of his college years, therefore the nostalgia behind placing a mother’s warning against vices from so long ago is transparent.
The penultimate track of the first half, Self Control digs back into the nostalgia, dialling up the sultriness and bringing us back to the “you” character that Ocean previously addressed. The song opens with the high pitched vocals we heard on Nikes and guitar chords reminiscent of Ivy. While certainly more upbeat, Self Control’s yearning and fear of missing out cuts far deeper than any song to come before it. The last leg features Young Lean (Swedish rapper and member of Drain Gang) repeating the chorus in a far calmer voice. This, combined with the sudden rising of Frank’s vocals, like a full tide; “I know you gotta leave / take down some summer time”, gives us a hint of Frank’s acceptance and ability to finally let go.
Good Guy is the final song in the first half of this album; “Here’s to the gay bar you took me to”. The contrast between this interlude and the track before us give us a taste of what to expect on the very next track. Frank’s bisexuality becomes a theme that shows itself on this second half of the album. The song is mellow, brief and features skit vocals in it’s final moments, “Jasmine fucking wrecked my heart” is simply an emotional association with the upcoming songs.
Part II: Nights
It is fascinating to note that track 9: Nights serves as a perfect middle half to this album. The song is flanked by minute long interludes (8: Good Guy and 10: Solo – Reprise) on both sides. The song itself is split down the middle by what is considered one of the best instrumental shifts in music history. Many consider this to be Frank’s best song, and to those familiar with his work, the idea that his songs contain multiple passages is not a new concept. But much like this album with structure and pacing, Frank simply perfected the art.
The first half of nights is energetic, hopeful, establishing a sense of humanity in the “you” character. “You” has people dependent on them, and “can’t make everybody equal”. The struggles of Solo (vices causing one’s world to collapse) and Skyline To (being left behind) are exemplified here but far more confidently. The first half of this song shows Frank “working through your worst nights”.
But as the listener begins to recover from the first half of the album and feel uplifted again, the second crash is almost glamorous. With a stunning guitar breakdown, we’re shoved into the second half. The second instrumental is trap inspired, bare, airy and brings us back to burnout. This part is autobiographical, mellow and quickly moves from rapping to an almost cry-like second verse putting more gorgeous vocals up front. The end feels like hitting the brakes a little too hard.
Part III: From Solo (Reprise) to Futura Free
Solo (Reprise) is a cut apart from everything else on this album. It almost feels like a short aside or interlude. Ocean passes the mic to legendary rapper Andre Benjamin. He discusses his disappointment in the disingenuous act of “ghostwriting”, where rappers these days don’t write their own verses. His verse is off the wall and rapid fire.
Pretty Sweet picks up the rising tide that Self Control began, the vocals are upward, angelic and orchestral. The drums pick up more rapidly each second and it all comes to a rapid halt after some children’s chorus vocals. The song is short, but it snaps while it lasts, like a final burst of the energy before the album reaches it’s strangest, lowest and darkest.
Facebook Story is a weird non-song, the second on this album. Like Be Yourself, the track is anecdotal, talking about a friend of Frank’s who was dumped by his girlfriend because he wouldn’t be friends with her on Facebook. This brings the energy of the album to another, but far more natural low.
Close to You features sleepy vocals, low yet experimental drums. Frank finds himself at a crossroads, he has no idea what ride this relationship will take him in.
White Ferrari is another multi-phasic track, bringing up the crossroads he mentioned on the previous track, while he feels this relationship taking a toll on him, he “cares for you still, and I will, forever”. The vocals are clear as night, and then transform to another guitar chord ballad, this feels like its being sung by a campfire. After a few glitch effects, the song transitions into it’s lowest. The vocals are subdued and there’s barely any instrumental, and the song ends on a lack of closure.
Track 15: Siegfried, feels the same as the previous two in theme and mood. However, the tone is far more decisive. Ocean knows he isn’t brave. While the vocals are stronger, the dejection is far more apparent. “Maybe I should move, settle down.” This song feels burnt out, like the second half of Nights. The second half features more spoken word delivery, the sense of giving up, being at the end of the line, in the dark. It feels like the end.
Close To You, White Ferrari and Siegfried feel like the exact same narration. Never reaching a tangible conclusion, but simply and expression. These tracks are united in their vocal strength, themes and bare bones instrumentation. They perform on the same wavelength. A conclusion of the album’s melancholy, an unsatisfying ending before the actual finale.
Godspeed, as the penultimate track of the entire album, feels like a stylistic slow climb upward. Frank assures “you” that he’ll always be there for them. While instrumentally and vocally similar to the previous three songs, Godspeed gives us hope.
Which brings us to the album’s swan song. Futura Free is a grandiose finale. Featuring rising pianos, cocky vocal performances from Ocean and the feeling that a storm is brewing with the background vocals and synthesisers. “Don’t let em find Tupac”. As the instrumental begins to shift, Ocean tells us he hasn’t had a job since 2009, the year he became famous as singer and Odd Future member (“Tyler [the creator] slept on my sofa”). The beat that follows is industrial, but short, leading us to the four minute section of the album that most people skip. The last part is an interview featuring Frank’s younger brother Ryan Breaux. While it gives character to the album by simply existing, the album is musically over by the four minute point of Futura Free. It closes on a high note. While not hopeful, it views nostalgia as something to move past, to let go of. The energy is higher, along with the willingness to move on.
Conclusion
The largest non-musical factor that makes Blonde a classic is the way every narrative, emotional focus and theme is paced, structured and presented. While musical enjoyability outweighs any other factor, it is this stark attention to detail that makes a good collection of songs a timeless masterpiece. Blonde begins with nostalgia, proceeds to fall apart and break down, there are the occasional highs that are shattered by reality. But finally, we learn to let go.
Blonde delivers this message brilliantly by allowing every moment within it to be fully cherished and appreciated. Frank’s sense of timing feels fuelled by the fact that every experience on this album is something he has personally etched into the world. This is musical storytelling at it’s most intimate.
This album has been more than music for listeners everywhere in the world. It has served as an anchor, a facilitator of emotion, a promise that while things aren’t guaranteed to get better, they’re bound to change eventually.
