Introduction

The 2016 sophomore album from Frank Ocean, Blond, was released on August 20 of that year. Frank had started work on the album in 2013, under the name Boys Don’t Cry, and was slated to release the project in July of 2015. Being pushed all to the next year, he had a gutsy delay, but commercially, it worked out for him. Selling 275,000 copies in the first week, the success of Blond had just begun. It was ranked highly in many articles including Pitchfork naming it the best album of the 2010s and the Rolling Stone ranking it number 79 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Charting number one in nine different countries, the album received a platinum certification by 2018.

15. “Pretty Sweet”

Produced by: Om’Mas Keith, Malay, & Frank Ocean

There isn’t much to talk about for “Pretty Sweet.” Certainly, the most hectic sounding song; the production here is pretty miniscule at best. There wasn’t much of a thought process put into this song. It sounds like they added a bunch of sounds and instruments in the hope that it would sound good. And it doesn’t. Blond is full of greatly produced tracks, and this is the worst one from a production standpoint. Also, it stands as the worst sounding song from Frank’s vocals. He doesn’t sound great on this song. I personally like when Frank has a raw sound when he is singing, and I couldn’t even explain how he sounds here. There isn’t any meaning, just to top this off. This is the clear-cut worst song on the album, and it definitely shows there wasn’t much care put into it.

14. “Good Guy”

Produced by: Frank Ocean

This is more of an interlude than a song. The only thing setting it at 14 and not 15 is just how bad “Pretty Sweet” is. And that is that. The track talks about the meaningless date Frank found himself on a while back. There isn’t much on a production standpoint, as it is simply an interlude. His vocals are very different from the other tracks, and he sounds good, but that doesn’t do it justice. I can’t rank an interlude any higher, which was testament in my Starboy review, and therefore, “Good Guy” will sit at the near bottom.

13. “Close to You”

Produced by: Francis and the Lights, Frank Ocean, & Buddy Ross

“Close to You” is exactly depicting what you would think: a breakup. He gives the listener an insight into his sadness over sed breakup. Although the person doesn’t want to give him the time of day after, he isn’t completely devastated. While this song is a cover of Stevie Wonder’s song of the same name, the meaning behind the song was backed by Frank Ocean. Speaking of, his vocals were heavily edited here, diverting from the rawness of his normal vocals. While they sound good, they certainly aren’t the greatest of the project. The production took an interesting turn here, and I was all for it, but it’s just lackluster compared to the rest of Blond.

12. “Futura Free”

Produced by: Om’Mas Keith, Malay, Buddy Ross, & Frank Ocean

“Futura Free” is broken into two parts, split with a dead silent interlude. Upon first listen, you may think your Spotify has broken, but no, that is the song. I feel as if the song didn’t need to be two parts, as the second part is just an interview clip. While Frank ended Channel Orange in the same manner, it felt different here. The first half of the song talks about his humble beginnings and his humanity side of him, which is kind of overtaken by the ending. He references his life before the fame and the money aspect of his growth, where he didn’t have ample money when he was younger. This reflection shows a humble side that is slightly touched on in other tracks but is given a whole track to shine here.

Furthermore, the production here is good. I will say, the inclusion of the interview confused me at first, but it doesn’t sound awful. His integration of clips like this is great, and it shows the genius nature of the producers credited. The drums in the back sound terrific in the opening, which are eventually met with synthesizers and piano. His vocals aren’t the greatest here but are outshined by the production quality. All in all, I feel it is a very average track on this loaded project, so it comfortably slides in at a lower rank on Blond.

11. “Solo – Reprise”

Produced by: Jon Brion, Frank Ocean, & Mike Dean

Frequent Kanye producer, Jon Brion, comes together with the likes of Frank and Mike Dean to create a very simple, yet effective production style on “Solo – Reprise.” Sharing many similarities with the song of the same title further in the album, it is very sound. I like the piano and the continual stops of it, breaking up the simplicity at times. Feeling more like an interlude than anything, it is held back from a short runtime. Vocals being completely provided by Andre 3000, he does a wonderful job handling his voice here, as does he on his verse. His lyricism is fantastic, continually playing on a homophone of the title “so low.” All in all, it doesn’t live up to “Solo,” but it is a very well-rounded track that packs a little punch, with Andre 3000 bringing his all here.

10. “Skyline To”

Produced by: Tyler, the Creator, Om’Mas Keith, Malay, & Frank Ocean

Employing the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Frank, Om’Mas, and Malay, they do produce a very nice beat here. “Skyline To” simply suffers from the lack of standing out. The production is very solid, but that is about it; it doesn’t stand out. It is a very quiet and slow intro, which builds to a very calm feel created by an acoustic guitar. There was a lot of potential on this beat, but the execution was lackluster to say the least. Vocals can get a little flimsy at points, but overall, Frank does sound good. The inclusion of his background vocals are quite pointless and held the song back a little bit. Another song that feels more like an interlude than a track, there isn’t much meaning here, which is a cherry on top for a middle level song, especially on Blond.

9. “Godspeed”

Produced by: Om’Mas Keith, Malay, James Blake, & Frank Ocean

I can already feel people going to comment or message us about the ranking of “Godspeed,” but I ask that you hear me out. Yes, this is controversial, but this song lacks in certain aspects. The one highlight of the track is how fantastic Frank sounds here. He brings very raw and emotionally packed vocals here, yes, but the song lacks in production in comparison to the rest of Blond. It does have a majestic feel, which a majority of the songs do, but the production is almost too simple. There isn’t much meat from the same producers as the greatest tracks on the album. I do like the inclusion of the organ, which was used scarcely, but that’s about it for the production.

This song, however, is packed with many great lines from Frank. He talks about how he misses his teenage years in the first verse, and then connects that to losing his claim on a person he loves. That is about it though. It is just Frank talking about leaving a lover but doing so in a respectful manner. “Godspeed” is used to give one good fortune, so it is a fitting title in that regard. I do feel, however, that this begins the upper echelon of songs on the project.

8. “Nikes”

Produced by: Malay, Om’Mas Keith, & Frank Ocean

The first track on the album is going to sit at eight, and comfortably at that. The seven songs ahead of it are much better, and the songs below are much worse. There is a fine line between this song and that songs that surround it; however, I see the argument for this and “Godspeed.” The production here is fantastic, opening with a very mysterious feel. This feel builds to a calm nature throughout, even when Frank progresses into harsher vocals in the second verse. The synths used bring a drum feel, which really counter his vocals wonderfully. Speaking of, Frank sounds great, even with the high-pitched vocals, and he brings the song together through this, which he does often on Blond.

The song has a deeper meaning than most as well, touching on the trappings of materialism and the simplistic nature of relationships in contemporary society. Connecting the desires of Nike to a material mindset, he tries to connect to the average listener and frown upon the need for these shoes. Furthermore, he talks about how in society there is no need for a deep connection, as many people just focus on the intimate, more meaningless moments of a relationship. All in all, Frank packs the song with meaning, and his emotion delivery really hits home for me.

7. “Solo”

Produced by: James Blake & Frank Ocean

My most uncertainty lies in the song “Solo.” I don’t really know how much this song will be liked by me in the future days, but as of now, I feel like it fits perfectly in the middle. Another song which utilizes the organ sound, I really enjoyed the production here. It was a little simple but did the job to me. I liked the choir sound in the background, which was actually just Frank’s vocals being stretched out. Speaking of his vocals, as per usual in Blond, he sounds fantastic, bringing a raw feel. The chorus is where Frank truly excelled sounding great, and this song features the best of Frank’s vocals up to this point on the track list.

The song is meant to touch on the feeling of isolation and loneliness. It also touches on the aspects of this isolation, including self-love. While it is clear, Frank feels “solo” throughout the song, which is evidence to why he feels the desire to use drugs. Much of the song talks about his coping mechanisms, however, it also touches on the benefits of being single, being he doesn’t worry about nearly as many things. The song had one direction and hit on it, making for a very complete song.

6. “Seigfried”

Produced by: Malay & Frank Ocean

“Seigfried” is a song that has grown on me each time I listen to it. I compare the opening to a song from a coffee shop, which is what the instrumental seems to be. It is a very calm beat, with a little switch up from whistling or repetition. In the bridge, the highlight of the song is the string inclusion, which brings this majestic song to the next level. Throughout the song, there are little switches in the beat that aren’t major, however, add that next little detail that progresses the song very smoothly. Frank adds to the majestic feeling by ringing words out. He brings many different styles on vocals here, even rapping in the fourth verse, but he sounds amazing throughout.

Blond touches slightly on the human aspect of Frank, and this song does just that. He mentions his desire to achieve the American Dream. By doing so, he sings the line “I’d rather live outside,” which is one of the best sounding lines I have ever heard in all of music. Each verse connects to a different aspect of Frank’s life, showing no clear structure, but connecting the whole song together through little nooks and crannies. While the structure is a little confusing, the song is absolutely phenomenal, and Frank succeeds in creating a masterpiece of a song.

5. “White Ferrari”

Produced by: Om’Mas Keith, Jon Brion, Frank Ocean, & The Influence

“White Ferrari” is certainly one of the most popular tracks from the album, and rightfully so. Starting at production, the beat was wonderfully crafted. Slowly increasing to a climax, and then dropping back down, the beat was built for what the song was intended to be. Frank wonderfully sings alongside this instrumental, wrapping his vocals right around the sound created by the producers. The song is Frank Ocean consistently comparing his lover to his White Ferrari, being a car in which he is with every day and of whom he cares about dearly. White Ferrari also symbolizes the purity and innocence of the relationship, which is something Frank touches on throughout the track, as well as Blond as a whole.

4. “Ivy”

Produced by: Om’Mas Keith, Frank Ocean, & Rostam

The beginning of Blond is jam packed with great songs, and “Ivy” is no exception. The production on this track is again very simple, yet very effective. It has a more upbeat, yet peaceful feel to it, which is done throughout the project. The peaceful nature can also be attributed to the interesting guitar feature that puts it over the edge. Frank’s vocals also sound great here, bringing again his pure and rawness to the stage. He sounds quiet at times, matching the instrumental perfectly. You can tell his emotions were on play throughout the track, and that helps push the song into the top five. Interestingly enough, this song was debuted at BMW Welt in Munich, Germany in June 2013.

Starting at the beginning of the track, Frank starts to talk about his failed relationship and the shocking halt that was put in it. He also mentions the things early on Frank would use to do as a kid with this person. Furthermore, he sings about growing up away from this person and the quick healing process the parties had. The song not only sounds good, but it is packed with a bigger meaning than what is taken at face value and is certainly a very intricate track included on the project.

3. “Pink + White”

Produced by: Frank Ocean & Pharrell Williams

“Pink + White” was labeled as a staple in Frank’s discography, and it is another song worthy of the hype. Starting at the production, with the help of Pharrell, Frank masterfully creates an unmatched vibe. Arguably the best produced song of the album, the instrumental has different elements that tie it together. Feeling very nature based, there was a diversity aspect brought here, which is highlighted by the piano and drums early on. Bringing on the string section for verse two, Frank switches from his raw vocals into a slight deviation from it. The outro also employs the voice of the star-studded Beyonce, which just rounds the track out.

The song details Frank’s memories of his youth, recalling one of his closer friends who has since passed away. Blond certainly does have a personal aspect throughout, but between this and “Nights,” these tracks feature the most connection to Frank. He continually mentions the lesson this person taught him, especially in the first verse, such as not always having a way to control what happens in life. The second verse talks about the events following his forced relocation following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. While the listener is led to infer that the person Frank is singing about passed in this event, it is never explicitly stated. All in all, having an emotional backing, the song sounds very emotion driven, and sounds terrific doing so.

2. “Self Control”

Produced by: Malay, Jon Brion, Frank Ocean, & The Influence

While “Self Control” doesn’t have much intricacy to it, it certainly makes use of the simplicity in the best way possible. The instrumental is headed by an acoustic guitar, which perfectly matches the soft touch Frank brings to his singing. The way he carries his voice to emphasize certain words in this song is the best on Blond. The chorus features vocals provided from Yung Lean and Austin Feinstein, both of which perfectly match the vibe of the song. The track itself talks about a relationship that is slowly deteriorating, constantly hinting that the reason of the failure is that the other person is too immature. All in all, this is Frank Ocean losing all his self-control and beautifully creating one of the most jaw-dropping songs ever. This is truly a masterpiece of a track, but not as much as number one.

1. “Nights”

Produced by: Frank Ocean, Vergyn, Michael Uzowuru, & Buddy Ross

“Nights” is far and away the best Frank Ocean ever released, with its only contention coming from “Pyramids.” The song is split into two sections; the first highlighting the highs and lows of his previous relationship, and the second talking about what happened after his relocation from New Orleans to Houston. He feels that the person he is seeing is constantly busy and needed by everyone, which was one of the faults. The second fault being the lack of communication. The second part of the song is Frank reminiscing on his days in New Orleans and his reliance on a person in Houston, of whom he relied on until he got back on his feet. The title refers to the night messing every day up, while every day patches the nights. This all connects back to Frank’s hard nights he faced.

Looking at the sound, the song does not lack at all. Upon my first ever time listening to this song, I was astonished by both parts of the song. There is no point in either side in which I felt the production was lazy or didn’t sound good. Being helped by strong synthesizers in the second part to the drums and other tactics in the first, the production is top notch here. Frank does his thing as well, sounding great as always. The second half of the song, Frank has a deeper vocal style, which matches the mellow rock feel from the beat. All in all, “Self Control” has the most strengths in every category, solidifying it as the best track on Blond.

Final Notes

Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just my opinion. With that being said, I would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs. Finally, go give Blond a listen for yourself, as I highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys an R&B and pop mix, especially one of the best albums from the 2010s.