Blonde
by Frank Ocean
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 1322 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,213 out of 1322
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 1322
  3. Negative: 79 out of 1322

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  1. Jammy
    May 7, 2017
    5
    Having put off listening to Blond until the hype died down, I'm disappointed by this mixed bag of tracks. There are some highlights courtesy of Pink + White and Nights, and Frank's vocals are undoubtedly beautiful. But for every solid song, there are a handful of duds.
    Throughout Blond there are moments crying out to be capitalised upon, flickers of genius that Frank and company let slip    Having put off listening to Blond until the hype died down, I'm disappointed by this mixed bag of tracks. There are some highlights courtesy of Pink + White and Nights, and Frank's vocals are undoubtedly beautiful. But for every solid song, there are a handful of duds.
    Throughout Blond there are moments crying out to be capitalised upon, flickers of genius that Frank and company let slip through their fingers in favour of meandering into something new, like a kid with ADHD uncomfortable with letting a moment linger long enough to be memorable or moving. Unintentionally hilarious chipmunk vocals, odd production choices and needless interludes pepper the album, too. Nobody wants to be the ghost at the feast, but a few delicious morsels on top of a bland salad doesn't make a feast.
    Although Frank is a talented r'n'b crooner with far more depth than many of his peers (see: The Weeknd), Blond is a weak album. However, his potential to create something truly special remains.
    Score: 5/10 [Average]    … Expand
  2. andressolis
    Oct 26, 2016
    6
    Too much praise for just "another album" on the market. His sounds in Blonde aren't as unique as the concept of "channelORANGE". Having such a good debut album raises the bar for a much better sophomore one. He gave us an album that was expected, but didn't amuse on being alternative or different.
  3. alanstrang
    Apr 23, 2021
    6
    A decent R&B album. I am having difficulties understanding how it could be considered one of the best (according to Pitchfork the best) albums of the 2010s.
  4. Gasphunter
    Aug 31, 2016
    4
    There is something I am not getting here. This is music? Where are songs like Novocain or Swim Good??This feels like a long boring monologue. SOLO yo! 4 points for what I am not getting.
  5. chidime
    Aug 24, 2016
    6
    First three songs on the album are reallly good. Especially Pink+White. After those three the album starts to drag and drag, giving me the impression that there isnt much more to it. Then, bamm, the drum break on Pretty Sweet comes and hits me smack on the face. That was a lesson in epicness. It drags on for a little bit and then picks up with about the last 3/4 songs. All-in-all, whatFirst three songs on the album are reallly good. Especially Pink+White. After those three the album starts to drag and drag, giving me the impression that there isnt much more to it. Then, bamm, the drum break on Pretty Sweet comes and hits me smack on the face. That was a lesson in epicness. It drags on for a little bit and then picks up with about the last 3/4 songs. All-in-all, what this album desperately needs is some drums. It shines best when there are some sort of drums/instrumentation. I don't think I'll be listening to this a second time in it's entirety, as that's a bit painful to me, but some songs do shine.
    Best: Pink+White, Pretty Sweet (just for that drum break), Nikes
    Worst: Solo Reprise, others range from tolerable to ok.
    6/10    … Expand
  6. joethealien
    Oct 6, 2017
    6
    Frank Ocean released his iconic debut album, Channel Orange, in summer 2012, and it became a pop classic very quickly with it's collection of superb and innovative alt-R&B bangers and power ballads. Frank had already proven his potential with the way in advance, timeless single Thinkin Bout You, which will be on wedding and coffeeshop playlists for years to come (I mean this in the mostFrank Ocean released his iconic debut album, Channel Orange, in summer 2012, and it became a pop classic very quickly with it's collection of superb and innovative alt-R&B bangers and power ballads. Frank had already proven his potential with the way in advance, timeless single Thinkin Bout You, which will be on wedding and coffeeshop playlists for years to come (I mean this in the most complimentary way I promise), as well of course as the moving Beyoncé ballad I Miss You. I remember just about half of my senior year class singing Forrest Gump passionately to the sky in the final days of our high school careers.

    to be blunt, Frank hits an unfortunate sophomore slump with Blonde. there are remnants of his deep emotional warmth in tracks such as the Beyoncé assisted Pink + White, the surf-rock inspired Ivy and the sweet and simple Skyline To. what I don't understand is that all of Ocean's most splendidly penned songs have been located on others' records. Bey's Superpower, Kanye's New Slaves to name a few. Blonde unfortunately doesn't continue the mark of excellence placed onto American pop culture that Channel Orange graciously gifted us. instead Frank's voice and songwriting quickly becomes grating and tiring with the unsettling squeals of Self Control and the obnoxious Pretty Sweet, which goes nowhere melodically. by no means is Frank Ocean a bad songwriter, in fact I still believe he has massive potential, but Blonde does little in terms of advancing him in the pop music zeitgeist.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best Album of 2016
10
#10 Most Discussed Album of 2016
14
#14 Most Shared Album of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. The Wire
    Nov 8, 2016
    80
    The sum is Ocean’s most thorough reading of his world to date. [Oct 2016, p.65]
  2. Magnet
    Oct 18, 2016
    90
    This is an album of mostly beatless soul whose heart nevertheless pumps vividly and loudly throughout its 17 tracks. [No. 136, p.61]
  3. American Songwriter
    Oct 5, 2016
    80
    This is music that fascinates on first listen but requires multiple spins for its complexities and idiosyncrasies to take hold.
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