Frank Ocean is one of the most elusive artists of this generation, if not all-time, but it appears he may have an album in the works. The 35-year-old addressed his desire to work on a full-length in a statement this past week.
The “Thinkin Bout You” artist recently provided details on his latest Blonded merch sale and added a poster with a long write-up. In it, he referred to himself as “The Recording Artist” and addressed his 2019 singles “DHL” and “In My Room,” plus the 2020 releases “Dear April” and “Cayendo.” Even more so, he explained how his perspective on putting out singles versus an album has changed over time.
“The Recording Artist attempts to explain to the major music label the singles distribution model as opposed to the long-form album model,” the Long Beach, Calif. artist wrote. “The Recording Artist believes the latter to be outdated, and that releasing singles is more suited to modern consumption habits where people curate their own playlists which are then shared within private circles. The meeting does not appear to be productive.”
“The Recording Artist” intended to host live events centered around these individual releases before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and forced everyone indoors. With a change of circumstance, came a change of perspective. “The Recording Artist has since changed his mind about the singles model, and is again interested in more durational bodies of work.”
This ought to be good news for Frank Ocean fans, as the Grammy winner has not released a full-length project since 2016’s surprise album Blonde. With a headlining set at the upcoming Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival, it is possible a new album could be coming sooner than one thinks. One thing fans have come to learn is that he moves to the beat of his own drum, but any allusion to an album is more comforting than the usual silence.