Ocean’s widely acclaimed debut album, “Channel Orange”, was released in 2012.
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On Thursday night, Ocean dropped a visual album titled “Endless”, a 45-minute project complete with 18 tracks. Here’s a look at the artists (and others) who helped Frank Ocean craft Endless, the album you’ll either be blasting in your headphones for the next 24 hours, or will be trying to avoid for the next 24 hours. It’s rumored that more music is coming our way, so Boys Don’t Cry might still be in the works.
The wait for a new Frank Ocean album is over – sort of. To Tillmans’ surprise, the track not only ended up being the intro to Endless, but was also used-in full-as the ending.
What’s this I hear about another album coming out?
Ocean announced the title for his follow-up album – Boys Don’t Cry – three years ago, but Rolling Stone reported on Thursday night that the “Thinkin Bout You” singer has scrapped the name in favor of a new title.
Unfortunately, the industry is growing into a world where the hype built around the album has more influence on the listener rather than the actual album itself (re: Kanye West’s sloppy release of Pablo), and although Ocean is undoubtedly an incredible musician and poet, let’s face it: his career for the last few years has been strategically sustained via hype rather than actual substance. If Ocean’s previous actions are any indication, it might be best not to get too excited. After sitting there for forty-five minutes, watching nothing groundbreaking, we ask ourselves, are visual albums losing their meaning?
Quite the opposite. Ocean’s movie, shot entirely in black and white by conceptual artist Francisco Soriano, is devoid of any sort of narrative. It mostly shows Ocean (sometimes alone, sometimes accompanied by two other Ocean clones) working on a craft project in an empty warehouse-taking turns using a power saw, spray painting wood, or washing supplies. As he begins to ascend the steps, a flash of purple briefly appears on-screen. It’s being reported that the singer will be dropping a part two of the album this weekend.
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How many songs are featured? His sole Endless credit is on “Rushes To”. There’s even a new cover of the Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, famously covered by Aaliyah.
