Frank Ocean Debuts New Music on Web Stream: Live Blog
Tonight, Frank Ocean returned to the mysterious web stream that he launched two weeks ago, sharing new music as he assembled a set of wooden boxes into a staircase. The reclusive singer-songwriter debuted new music during the stream, including new versions of songs that had been played on the stream in weeks prior, this time featuring Ocean’s voice. Find our live blog of the music and visuals from the stream so far below. Update (8/18 11:59 p.m. EST): Frank Ocean has released a new visual album, Endless, featuring much of the new music that was shared during his web stream.
10:49 p.m. EST: Ballad-esque song, sparse save for Ocean’s vocals and an acoustic guitar.
10:52 p.m.: This sounds to be a studio version of Ocean’s cover of “At Your Best (You Are Love),” famously covered by Aaliyah and originally by the Isley Brothers.
10:55 p.m.: Track features Ocean rapping, including the line “I’m in London tonight/And it’s all overpriced.”
11:00 p.m.: Stacks of Auto-Tuned vocals, and what sounds like reversed vocals as well.
11:01 p.m.: More bars from Ocean, over a mellow, minimalistic beat. This song played earlier in the stream.
11:07 p.m.: Ocean appears to be tightening up his staircase. Meanwhile, the music has looped back to the song that was played at 10:49 p.m.
11:12 p.m.: Digitally distorted hi-hats and pitched-up vocal samples interplay over a languid beat.
11:13 p.m.: A more up-tempo song, featuring what sounds like the lyrics “Freestyle on me” in the lyric. The verses feature Frank rapping, and a large part of the song’s production hinges on an acoustic guitar. The latter half of the song opens up to background vocals and glimmering synth pads before those pads transition into a more broken-down B-section with another rap verse from Ocean.
11:18 p.m.: Opens with Bon Iver-esque vocoder work, before turning into a trap beat that lingers for some measure before an enormous key change, accompanied by a choral section of Beach Boys-style vocal harmonies.
11:21 p.m.: Electric guitar plays behind a soulful vocal performance from Ocean, as well as contributing backing part from an unidentified female voice. Ocean is also nearing completion on his staircase, placing the last step at the top.
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