Blonde (Frank Ocean) Review

Medium: https://medium.com/@popataavi

Introduction:

Blonde by Frank Ocean, released in 2016, remains one of the most powerful and emotionally resonant albums of the 21st century. Nearly a decade later, it continues to captivate listeners with its raw vulnerability, genre-defying sound, and deeply personal storytelling. For me, it’s not just a favourite — it’s the most played album in my entire music catalogue, and for good reason. Blonde is an emotional journey that flows between longing, self-reflection, and fleeting joy, capturing the essence of what made Frank Ocean such a prolific voice in modern music.

Songwriting and Lyrics:

The songwriting on Blonde is deeply introspective and personal. He showcases this vulnerability throughout several star tracks such as ‘Ivy’ and ‘Self Control’. Frank has an incredible ability of expressing heartbreak through music so personal and touching.

Production:

The production on this album is very unique and very much compliments Frank’s voice. It creates a surreal atmosphere by steering away from percussion for most of the album. Not using these common instruments, in my opinion is interesting but I feel like it works for this album in particular.

Album Flow:

The album is very well structured and the tracks flow seamlessly across the length of the album. The only problem I have is Solo (Reprise) as the song itself is good but I feel like it does not fit the energy of the overall album.

Impact:

Blonde is a very special album for it can be heard in several other unique pieces such as Igor by Tyler, the Creator, Ctrl by SZA and Freudian by Daniel Caeser. The album can be heard in several different genres, showing its influence on modern music. The album addresses several important topics throughout, dealing with sexuality and your identity. This helped push the bounds of music as we once knew it and brought awareness amongst the music industry.

Replay Value:

Like I said earlier, this album is my played of all time, showing how several tracks can be listened to over and over again, without getting tired of them. Songs such as ‘Pink + White’ and ‘Nights’ can easily get over one hundred streams without burning out the song.

Songs Ranked:

1. Nights

2. Self Control

3. Ivy

4. Pink + White

5. Godspeed

6. Solo

7. White Ferrari

8. Good Guy

9. Seigfried

10. Nikes

11. Solo (Reprise)

12. Futura Free

13. Skyline To

14. Close To You

15. Pretty Sweet

Overall Score:

Songwriting / Lyricism: 19/20

Production: 18/20

Album Flow: 15/15

Impact / Influence: 19/20

Replay Value: 15/15

Personal Enjoyment: 10/10

Overall Score: 96/100

Final Thoughts:

This album is one I love and I feel like is almost flawless in many ways. I love how different and futuristic parts of the album sound.

What are your thoughts on Blonde? Agree or disagree with my rankings? Let me know — and if there is album you want me to review next, drop it below!