Frank Ocean has cryptically indicated that he will forgo releasing singles in the lead up to his highly-anticipated new album.
Frank Ocean has provided an all-too-rare update on the potential of new music. The reclusive musician — who’s last album, Blonde, arrived six years ago — released a new range of merchandise overnight, with some cryptic clues about new material seemingly littered throughout. Included on the promotional poster of the merch drop was an account of a “fictitious Recording Artist”, who very much reads as a quasi-version of Ocean himself.
Recounting the artist’s (aka Ocean’s) potential album in 2019, the poster explains his preference for “the singles distribution model as opposed to the long-form album model.” At the time, Ocean believed that the release of singles prior to a full album was “more suited to modern consumption habits”. This model explains Ocean’s string of 2019 singles, which included the standalone tracks DHL, In My Room and Dear April, among others.
While that release template seemed to indicate that a full-length project was imminent at the time, Ocean’s poster goes on to explain how he has since reverted back to favouring “more durational bodies of work.” The revelation seemingly confirms that for his next album, Ocean will forgo singles and instead release the project in-full, the same method he used for Blonde. The poster goes on to discuss the nightclub events hosted by Ocean in 2019.
Frank Ocean hints at a new album on the back sides of the posters sold in his latest merch drop 👀
“The Recording Artist has since changed his mind about the singles model, and is again interested in more durational bodies of work.” pic.twitter.com/QMIFB4DTiX
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) January 17, 2023
According to the passage, Ocean’s PrEP+ club nights — which seemed to form part of an album rollout at the time — was intended to expand beyond its debut location in New York City, before the pandemic cut them short. The revelations mark the latest development in Ocean’s much-discussed forthcoming album, and follow his appearance on the lineup of Coachella’s upcoming 2023 edition.
Frank Ocean just cleared his IG profile 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ja1r7Apq76
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) September 26, 2022
Aside from his headlining slot at Coachella, all fans have to go off in terms of a Blonde follow-up is Ocean’s decision to wipe his Instagram clean last September, and reports that he shopped off his album to potential labels months later. For more intel on everything we know about Ocean’s ever-buzzy third studio album, head here.
