REVIEW: Frank Ocean packs simplicity and intimacy into his latest releases

Following last year’s release of singles “In My Room” and “DHL,” Frank Ocean returns with another taste from his rumored upcoming project. Frank has utilized pictures and symbols as a means of representing each song, with the first two shown in last year’s drops.

The two singles, which dropped late last year on streaming platforms, started this trend, featuring the same 17 silhouettes on the bottom of the singles’ covers accompanied by an actual picture from which the silhouettes seemed to be based.  

His latest, “Dear April” and “Cayendo,” which dropped Friday, fit into this mold by each featuring a new symbol stemming from the original 17. Yet, Frank chooses to leave out the actual photographs, likely due to the fact that these tracks are labeled “acoustic” and are not the final mixes for the upcoming album. 

A remix of “Cayendo” was previously teased around the same time as “DHL” on Frank’s Apple Music radio station, “blonded”, in October of last year. This Sango remix of the song carries more energy since it was flipped for the club scene, specifically Frank’s PrEP+ nightlife events in New York City. 

The new acoustic version falls in line with a more familiar sound from Frank, one that can be more associated with his 2016 record “Blonde.” It is slow and dreamy with Frank’s lyrics interchanging between Spanish and English. “Cayendo” is a stripped-down track, featuring what only sounds like a guitar and Frank’s vocals working together to create sounds that echo endlessly. 

Keeping in tune with the “Blonde” era aesthetic, “Cayendo” is very intimate and its lack of much instrumentation allows his voice to be the focal point of the track. In tandem with the washed guitar, the two create a state of isolation fitting for how many of us may be feeling in these times. 

The lyrics of “Cayendo” demonstrate how Frank has accepted an unfavorable truth about someone yet he still feels like he is falling for them. They’re succinct yet paint a bigger picture of the power of love and how strong it can be, especially when not reciprocated. Although his earlier singles were rhythmic and structured, “Cayendo” does an impressive job of tapping into simplistic, emotional storytelling.

His second single which dropped over the weekend, “Dear April,” also carries this “acoustic” label on it yet isn’t as stripped down as “Cayendo.” The same washed, dreamy guitar carries the instrumental with additional keys and synths backing it up. “Dear April” is also reminiscent of the “Blonde” era for Frank, which is interesting to note given how different the singles from last year were. While this almost signature ambient soundscape exists in all four singles, the difference in the rhythm of the tracks could suggest a past and present contrast similar to how “Blonde” is presented as two halves — with the split coming in on the beat switch for the song “Nights.” 

“Dear April” is a melancholy track with another undemanding yet effective instrumental flowing underneath Frank’s voice. The theme of love is still present; he sings of a relationship that has ended but mentally lingers. It reminds of a lyric from Frank’s song “Ivy,” in which he sings, “We’ll never be those kids again,” signifying his acceptance of reality. The line “What we had won’t be the same thing now” from the new single resonates with this theme and potentially for this “side” of the album if the duality motif from “Blonde” continues.

Both tracks are reminders of how simplistic Frank’s artistry can be while still delivering great depth through lyrics and production. It’s exciting to see where the rest of this new record will lead, especially since the non-acoustic versions of these new singles are yet to be heard. 

Frank has kept fans somewhat in the dark with very little music coming after “Blonde,” similar to his behavior post-“Channel Orange,” with only a handful of singles like “Chanel,” “Biking” and “Lens” dropping in 2017. 

With “DHL,” “In My Room,” “Cayendo” and “Dear April,” along with the vinyls he has been selling on his website, we can assume more Frank Ocean music is imminent. But that also means another possible period of disappearance could follow after…