Frank Ocean’s ‘DHL’ fails to achieve uniqueness
Courtesy of Complex
Frank Ocean has once again made a mark on the music world. But is it for the better? Having released a total of two studio-made albums, one mixtape and 18 singles, the singer went on a two-year hiatus during which he was neither seen nor heard about on social media.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, the singer surprised his fans on his radio show, “blonded RADIO,” by releasing his latest single, “DHL,” along with two other songs that are not available on streaming platforms. But what does this mean for Ocean’s career? Should we expect an album in the near future?
In 2012, Frank Ocean released a statement on Tumblr discussing his sexuality. Written a year prior, Ocean talked about a past male lover he had when he was 19. This was him coming out to the world, but he did not label himself as gay or bisexual. After releasing his second studio album, “Blond,” in 2016, speculations about Ocean’s sexuality started to arise.
The song “Good Guy” made his fans question his sexual orientation. Ocean sings about being set up on a blind date and it not working out as he expected. Within the song, Ocean says, “Here’s to the gay bar you took me to.” That four-second lyric sparked a question: “Is Frank Ocean bisexual or gay?”
Ocean dropped three songs, “DHL,” “Dear April” and “Cayendo,” without any warning on his Beats 1 radio show. They were also played at the opening of his series of exclusive, queer-friendly club nights, PrEP+.
As it was the first solo music he released in over two years, Ocean’s fans went crazy. The track “DHL” is available on all streaming platforms and “Dear April” is only available as a vinyl on his website, Blonded.co, while “Cayendo” is not available at all. As Ocean’s first streamable music in over two years, “DHL” is unlike any of his previous work.
Frank Ocean gives us a relaxed and chill vibe with the release of “DHL.” Talking about the simple things in his life, Ocean raps about the rideshare app Uber, Starbucks, famous motorcycle company Kawasaki, wearing puffer jackets during Paris Fashion Week and the packages he receives, hence the name “DHL.”
Ocean, infamous for putting out music that has been created years before the release, teases that this may have been the case for this project, too: “New files sittin’ on my drive / Nothin’ new, yeah,” he says. He raps about shipping company DHL, but what is the importance of a shipping company within his new song? Maybe he just likes receiving packages?
Listening to Ocean’s latest song was confusing. The famous Frank Ocean, known for his unique music style, is turning into every other musician out there. Aside from the music, the lyrics do have a deeper meaning, but the song just doesn’t feel like Ocean. With the random release of “DHL,” uniqueness was expected and not delivered.
Though this song might not slap, by working with award-winning artists like Kanye West, Paul McCartney and Pharrell Williams throughout his career, Frank Ocean has definitely made his mark in the world of music.
