"Blonde" is the second studio album by Frank Ocean, released on August 20, 2016. This release followed the video album Endless, which came out the day before. Blonde was initially available as a timed exclusive on iTunes Store and Apple Music. The album features guest vocals from artists such as André 3000, Beyoncé, and Kim Burrell, and its production involved a range of notable collaborators including Malay, Om'Mas Keith, James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij.
Blonde was highly anticipated, having been announced as a concept album initially titled Boys Don't Cry, with a planned release date in July 2015. The album faced multiple delays and was finally completed and released after recording sessions in New York's Electric Lady Studios, London’s Abbey Road Studios, and Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios. The physical release of the album was accompanied by a magazine also named **Boys Don't Cry**.
The album is known for its abstract and experimental sound, incorporating elements of R&B, pop, soul, avant-garde, indie rock, electronica, psychedelia, and hip hop. Ocean's use of pitch-shifted vocals and lush arrangements influenced by Brian Wilson are notable features. The themes of the album explore Ocean's personal experiences with masculinity, emotion, heartbreak, and trauma.
Blonde received widespread acclaim for its introspective lyrics and progressive sound, challenging the norms of R&B and pop music. The album debuted at number one in several countries and sold 275,000 album-equivalent units in its first week in the US, including 232,000 pure sales. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was named the best of 2016 by Time, and in 2020, Pitchfork declared it the best album of the 2010s. Rolling Stone also ranked it at number 79 on their updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
