Could Frank Ocean be making his musical return soon?
Since his emergence onto the alternative R&B music scene, Frank Ocean’s creative output has been tantalisingly sporadic; he provided fans with a steady drip of musical singles in the aftermath of the release of his cult classic Blonde in 2016 but more recently, following the loss of his brother, Ryan Breaux in 2020, has chosen to retreat from the public eye. This tragedy indefinitely postponed his third studio album, which reportedly was heavily influenced by the Detroit and Chicago 90’s club scenes, with collaborations in the works from DJ and producer Sango and French electronic band Justice, amongst other star-studded producers. This, however, was not to be and the album was allegedly shelved as Frank began a long hiatus, retaining his enigmatic persona.
Nevertheless, last summer, things were certainly heating up for Frank creatively with the announcement of his new luxury jeweller, HOMER. The company revealed a number of pieces, all brightly coloured and coming in inspiring designs. The colour palette used was rather reminiscent of that used for his queer club night, PrEP+, named after the HIV prevention drug of the same name. The brand, whose flagship store is located in Chinatown, New York, looks to offer a cultural cachet to Frank, entering into the world of fashion with a unique aesthetic that is supported by the somewhat exclusive image he has created. That’s not all, however. Days after announcing HOMER’s creation, Frank took to Instagram to reveal that a multi-faceted HOMER x Prada collaboration had arrived, with three subtly branded items: an anorak, a belt bag and a backpack, with more to come in the next few months.
The most exciting prospect for fans of the contemporary pop, R&B, and hip-hop fusionist, however, is the likelihood of a new album from Frank to be released in the next few months. Nearing the end of 2021, there were rumours that the star was ‘shopping’ his new album to music executives and heads of labels, playing the songs to them in meetings. This is because despite being an independent artist following his release from Def Jam in 2016, he has had a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music since early 2019. This would imply that this next chapter of Frank’s is near completion. Moreover, we even caught a glimpse of his new musical direction with the return of Apple Music’s ‘blonded Radio’ on Christmas Day, which previewed ‘Come On World, You Can’t Go!’, a mellow, almost nine-minute freestyle from Frank over a beautiful piano tune. This skeletal song structure was reminiscent of the two singles released in the follow-up to his PReP+ events, ‘Cayendo’ and ‘Dear April’.
This, of course, is all the more significant when considering that Frank was confirmed as a headliner for Coachella music festival in April 2023, by none other than its organiser Paul Tollett. Even with the wait, a Frank Ocean performance remains a rare commodity. He performed at Coachella once before, in 2012, and delivered an especially memorable set in 2017 at the FYF Festival that showcased his sophomore studio album live, from start to finish. Suppose we are to believe that history repeats itself – in that case, there looks to be a good chance that Frank follows suit this time around too, performing his yet-to-be-released 3rd studio instalment in his catalogue, which is sure to be as masterful as his previous projects.
