Frank Ocean continues to make streaming history even without dropping an album in the last seven years.
According to Frank Ocean Updates, a fan account on X/Twitter, the elusive singer surpassed 14 billion streams on Spotify earlier this week, which makes him the most-streamed independent artist ever.
Fans hopped into the replies to salute Frank and predicted that he could return next year with a new album.
“Frank is dropping next year since it’s a leap year too think ab it he dropped 2012, 2016, wouldve dropped in 2020 but tragedy happened, 2024 is a leap year too like,” they wrote.
Frank Ocean hasn’t released any new material since 2020 but was back in the studio earlier this month where he appeared to be enjoying himself while previewing some new heat.
The first clip shared found Ocean messing around in the studio with Olaolu Slawn’s son, Beau, before transitioning to the Blonde singer head-bobbing and flexing his muscles to his latest creation featuring him harmonizing over a slice of warm production.
The 36-year-old also made the Blonde vinyl available for purchase through his website. The vinyl record, which comes with a foldout for the lyrics and a separate album posted, will cost fans $65.
As the hope for a new album on the horizon from the former Odd Future member remains strong, the song preview came about a month after Frank gave fans a glimpse into another unreleased track in November.
“Playin’ way more laid back than I did when I was my younger self/ You would vent to me ’bout assumptions but they were educated guesses/ That’s why I keep spinning your block, tryna see all your sides, and your heart’s been tangled in barbed wires/ You can hand it to me, I can handle it,” he sings over sparse, spacey synthesizers.
No song title was revealed, but the snippet is 60 seconds long while the full version appears to clock in at almost four minutes.
Frank Ocean’s last album Blonde was released in 2016, while his most recent material arrived in 2020 in the form of the singles “Dear April” and “Cayendo.”
An unreleased song called “These Days” leaked online earlier this year after reportedly being purchased by a leaker for $6,200. Frank acknowledged its existence by sharing the correct lyrics in an Instagram comment.
More gay shit
Lazy, overrated cokehead who hates his fans.
Nice try but still not a rapper. Fuck off.
I still have never heard a song from this guy. I never heard a co-worker say have you heard that new Frank Ocean song ? I never heard a radio DJ on any urban station say were gonna play some Frank Ocean. I never heard any rapper I like say Im gonna do a collab with Frank Ocean. Who is this guy ?
A lot of Frank’s music is probably just a little too avant-garde or unorthodox to be played excessively on urban stations, but in my world he’s huge. EVERY 18-25 year old I knew was listening to Blonde when it came out when I was in college. He may not be for you, but you should hear one song and for you I’d recommend “super rich kids” from his first album, has a good kinda old school beat
Not one rapper you’re a fan of?
So you’re not a fan of Andre 3000, Jay Z, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Earl Sweatshirt, the Migos, Playboi Carti, or Beyoncé? Some hip hop fan you are lmao