The tracks deal with concepts including falling in and out of love, depression, loneliness, and recovery. Regardless of why Frank named the album as he did, he takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions. On Tumblr, Frank said that he was inspired by a picture of a blonde-haired child when he was composing the album, which again suggests that he was dealing with emotions surrounding youthfulness. Certain songs, as we explore throughout, relate to specific coming-of-age events that have shaped Frank’s life.Īnother interpretation of the name of the album is that blondes are typically carefree, and some of the songs on the album speak to Frank’s youthful carelessness. Other fans have drawn parallels between blonde hair and youth, suggesting that the album is Frank’s way of looking back on his formative years and sharing lessons. This would certainly account for the different spellings of the same word. This has led fans to speculate whether the different spellings are representative of Frank’s sexual experiences with both men and women and the themes of masculinity and femininity in his life. Image credit: Andy Holmes / Meaning Behind ‘Blonde’Īlthough titled Blonde, the title appears on the cover as Blond. In fact, its contrast with Channel Orange is clear for all to see and is much more insular than many of us thought possible.Įverything about the album has people talking, and the mere naming of the album has sparked much discussion among Frank’s fans. When Frank re-emerged on the music scene in 2016 with Blonde, it was completely different to anything we had seen before.
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And remember, this was at a time when Kendrick Lamar released To Pimp a Butterfly, which eloquently and sensationally relates some of the horrors of present-day America. In the midst of the mass hysteria surrounding police brutality in Ferguson, Orlando, and other pockets across the United States, we bearly heard a peep out of Frank.
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As a musician, Frank is used to the headlines, and his absence from the limelight prompted his fans to question what was going on with him. In the years preceding the album’s release, Frank was quiet. Many people believe that Frank Ocean, an outstanding storyteller, became the story itself when Blonde was released. In fact, few albums have resulted in as many questions and as much intrigue following their release. Image credit: Mark C Austin / īlonde is one of the most emotive and provocative albums released in the past decade.