Ocean wave seems ‘Endless’
Frank Ocean releases much-anticipated new work in the form of an 18-track visual album.
After weeks of teases, Frank Ocean releases the music to his new album. Yet the wait isn’t quite over.
After weeks of rumors, new Frank Ocean music has arrived.
Late Thursday night the enigmatic R&B crooner released “Endless,” an 18-track visual album streaming exclusively on Apple Music.
“Endless” adds to the growing trend of upending the traditional album release model that has buoyed recent releases from Kanye West, Beyoncé, Drake and Rihanna.
The 45-minute visual album — it’s an extended version of the video that originally debuted as a livestream event — is reportedly a precursor to “Boys Don’t Cry,” the singer’s much-speculated-about follow-up to his Grammy-winning 2012 debut, “Channel Orange.”
“Boys Don’t Cry” is expected to be released later this weekend on Apple, according to a New York Times report.
A representative for Apple didn’t return request for comment, and reps for Ocean declined to provide additional information about the singer’s plans.
Earlier this month, without warning, Ocean rolled out a mysterious livestream video. But the Internet tease didn’t give away much of anything. Fans speculated that the album’s release was imminent, considering the video — titled “Endless” — contained the Apple Music logo watermarked in the corner of the video.
Upon the debut of the livestream, it was reported by major news outlets that the album would be issued on Aug. 5 alongside a video through an exclusive deal with Apple Music. A printed publication called “Boys Don’t Cry” was also said to be distributed at Apple stores. The reported release date came and went.
After being dormant, the livestream returned to life. Ocean reappeared, continuing work on the structure he began building weeks ago. This time, however, there was music — a full album, in fact.
Shot by Francisco Soriano and directed by the singer, the black-and-white art film depicts Ocean (actually multiple versions of himself ) working to build a spiral staircase in the middle of a room. Ocean is also credited as executive producer and creative director of the film.
“Endless” begins with a flickering electronic number, “Device Control,” pulled from German visual artist Wolfgang Tillmans.
Tillmans, whose voice opens and closes the album, revealed on his Instagram account that the track will appear on his own EP, also titled “Device Control,” and that he shared the track with Ocean just three weeks ago.
“Endless,” the visual, unfolds as three Oceans work to complete a carpentry project. At one point in the film two are cutting wood while the third aimlessly looks at his cellphone. As for the music, it’s an experimental trip inside Ocean’s mind.
Contemplative and freeflowing, some tracks feel like avant-garde demos while others feel like fully fleshed out records. There are ambient interludes and jam sessions that don’t even last a minute.
Ocean raps on “U-N-IT-Y,” while R&B songstress Jazmine Sullivan brings warmth to a number of tracks, including “Hublots,” where she takes the lead. There are flashes of acoustic-driven soul, techno, trap and icy electronics.
For the album, the singer collaborated with Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Arca, Alex G, Troy Noka and Sampha.
In April 2015, Ocean announced that he’d completed the album, to be called “Boys Don’t Cry,” and his reps confirmed that the album and an accompanying publication would arrive in July 2015.
A year later, the singer updated his website with an image of a library due-date card stamped with a number of dates — including July 2016.