Next month it will be a decade since musician Blonde creator Frank Ocean released his sophomore album Blonde.
The former member of the Odd Future collective generated headlines in the lead-up to the album when he publicly acknowledged that he had experienced same-sex attraction and love, which many commentators described as a groundbreaking declaration in the often hyper-masculine world of hip-hop at the time.
The album received widespread acclaim upon its release, and TIME magazine named it one of the best records of the year. Ocean went on to release a string of non-album singles in the following years. His most recent release was 2020’s double A-side single Dear April / Cayendo. However, in the last six years there has been no new solo music from the artist, nor any guest appearances on other artists’ tracks.
In 2023, he received a songwriting credit on Drake’s Virginia Beach, which sampled the unreleased Ocean song Wiseman. Ocean performed a punk-rock version of the track when he played the Coachella Festival later that year. It was his first live appearance since 2017. Critics and professional photographers were barred from the performance, and many attendees and online commentators described the show as disappointing.
He later withdrew from the festival’s second weekend, citing a leg injury. Since then, Ocean has maintained a relatively low public profile in music.
In January 2025, it was announced that Ocean, a self-described cinephile, was moving into filmmaking and had been scouting locations in Mexico for his directorial debut. English actor David Jonsson, who appears in the TV series Industry, was attached as the lead actor in the unnamed project, but no further details have been announced.
Ocean has now appeared in the latest edition of i-D magazine, interviewing his friend, photographer Tyrell Hampton, who is preparing to release a new book, Last Call: Vol. 1. Hampton has spent years documenting party scenes in New York, Paris and other cities.
Whether the world will see more music from Frank Ocean or a feature film next remains a mystery.
There is, however, plenty of new music this week from his former Odd Future collaborators. Syd has released her third album, Beard, while Steve Lacy has shared his second record, Oh Yeah?
Check out our reviews of the two albums in this week’s Spin It column.
