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As any critic of Kanye West’s last album will tell you, art that is rushed is messy, and often not in a good way. Instead, he dared them to be alienated by his approach. Ocean had ventured long past the point of stoking the anticipation of his audience. In July 2016, Ocean updated his website to include a library due-date slip with various dates etched out.

Finally, in April 2015, Ocean posted a picture on his Tumblr with the cryptic message “I got two versions.” The album was supposedly titled Boys Don’t Cry and was set to be released in July.

There was a live performance of new music in Munich, Germany and a picture of Ocean in the studio with the video director Nabil. Over the years, enigmatic clues leaked out here and there, often confusing matters more than clarifying them (there was even a rumor, sparked by Ocean himself, that he might not ever make another album). Unsurprisingly, Ocean decided to forgo conventional methods of promotion for Blonde. Posts on his Tumblr have addressed topics from his sexuality to his thoughts on the Orlando shootings. When Ocean does reveal bits and pieces of himself for public consumption, the effect is often illuminating. In the age of social media, Ocean went the Andre 3000 route, disappearing for long stretches of time from the public eye and refusing to conform to external pressures from anybody, especially his fans. Much has been written about how Frank Ocean has dealt with his public celebrity. But the business strategy and rollout of Blonde? Well, there’s nothing subtle about it. Blonde’s stylistic minimalism and the depth of its content have been thoroughly praised by the critical press. Even as Ocean loses a truly compelling strain of thought, you can’t help but anticipate whatever comes next. Ideas are entertained acutely for a moment and quickly abandoned. Lost in his own world, Ocean is suspended in isolation. The album adopts a multilayered approach and it takes several listens to fully unpack its meaning. The music of Frank Ocean’s Blonde is subtle and poignant.