Four years after the release of the chart-topping album Channel ORANGE, Frank Ocean has finally made his comeback. Fans of Ocean’s calming R&B style have been anxiously awaiting the release of this new album for quite some time, effectively raising the standards that he had to meet with his music. It is clear from the positive reaction the album received that Ocean has met and exceeded these standards his fans and many critics held him to. The praise is well deserved, as Frank Ocean’s dedication to his music can be heard clearly in the quality of his new album Blonde.

   Many speculated that Ocean would take a slightly different route with this new album, branching off somewhat from the mellow tones of Channel ORANGE into something a bit more upbeat and fast paced. However, true to his style, Ocean keeps similar slow rhythms throughout his songs and is still able to make each sound unique.

   The album starts with the leading track and single, “Nikes,” which serves as a great introduction to the rest of the songs. Ocean’s vocal combinations of falsettos, rapping, and distorted autotune come together with a slow beat to form a velvety harmony unique to his style. Within the songs, he makes brief references to the injustice towards colored people in America, mentioning A$AP Yams and Trayvon Martin, but does so in a way that is not insensitive, only informative.

   It is a bold start to a bold album, which is full of raw emotion and personal messages he hoped to convey through his music. The track “Be Yourself” may be the most direct message on the album, similar to “Not Just Money” on Channel ORANGE. The entire track consists of a minute and twenty-six seconds of Ocean’s own mother giving a lecture through a voicemail message. She gives a powerful argument against the use of drugs and alcohol and encourages Ocean and the listener to stay true to themselves instead, saying, “Do not try to be someone else. Be yourself and know that that’s good enough.”

   It is apparent that Ocean spent those four years working hard to create an album full of heart and emotion, combining powerful messages and smooth melodies to create a memorable piece of art. Blonde lives up to the high levels of anticipation and is an all around enjoyable album that conveys Frank Ocean’s distinct style.