Following the October 28 release of Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPY, I only had one question: Were people really surprised that Frank Ocean wasn’t on the album?

Various comments on social media highlighted shocked and disappointed fans who speculated that her vocals might be hidden on songs such as “Judge Judy.” In correlation with a phenomenon that some have described as “mind-blowing Frank Ocean”, it’s clear that people can’t wait to hear even one snippet from the R&B singer.

Ocean left the music grid in early 2020, following the release of his singles “Dear April” and “Cayendo”. In the eight years since the release of his critically acclaimed album Blond, fans are (not so) patiently waiting for his follow-up project – so much so that fake missing Ocean posters recently went viral.

I completely understand the anticipation for his next project. His first album, ORANGE channelis one of my all-time favorites, showcasing Ocean’s incredible vocals, introspective lyrics, and unprecedented versatility. He stands out in the R&B scene as forward-thinking and vulnerable, even within a genre famous for emotion.

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I fear, however, that Ocean has made it clear that he no longer appreciates the music that propelled his career – as evidenced by his performance at Coachella in 2023.

Ocean performed an hour late with a bizarre set featuring “ice skaters” walking in circles. While fans praised his vocal performance, uncomfortable silences and an inexplicable 15-minute DJ set convinced concertgoers that Ocean wasn’t enjoying the experience.

There have been many explanations for the baffling performance, from a melting ice rink on stage at the last minute to an alleged ankle injury Ocean suffered earlier in the week. But one thing became clear: Ocean performed his first concert in almost six years. at one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and it was a disappointment.

I couldn’t help but view this as a diversion from music, with the artist already exploring different business avenues.

He launched Homer, his luxury jewelry brand, in late 2021 and is set to direct an upcoming film with A24 – a popular independent film company.

An unfortunate side effect of the music industry is that in an age where music is available in just a few clicks, artists are under increasing pressure to release large amounts of content at an alarming rate. Any deviation in this schedule may leave angry fans wondering about the album’s next release.

The current “hype culture” around album releases does not help solve this problem. Fans will create an idealized version of what they think the album should sound like in their heads, and any deviation will result in intense backlash.

Looking back on Lil Uzi Vert’s 2023 album Pink ribbon – which fans have touted for three years – the work immediately fell out of place as soon as it failed to live up to expectations.

These feelings will create a toxic cycle in which Ocean’s fans yearn for him to release new music, only to inevitably receive intense backlash if it deviates in any way from preconceived expectations.

Unfortunately, many fans unwittingly view the Ocean as a commodity whose production is more important than its humanity. This sounds eerily similar to how Def Jam, Ocean’s former label, treated him, expecting Ocean to continue releasing albums while placing little to no capital on his personality outside of music.

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Ocean’s fan base touts his $20 million Def Jam snobbery as folklore, so I find it ironic that they now display many of the same behaviors.

Many people mistakenly believe that quantity makes a good artist, but think back to Lauryn Hill and her singular studio album, The Bad Education of Lauryn Hill – a work so beloved that it cemented her as a musical legend even if it never received a sequel. Ocean can chart a similar path, and it’s a testament to his legacy that he’s still talked about regularly eight years after his last album.

It’s essential to not have expectations at this point in Ocean’s career, and while new music from him would be great, it’s not a necessity. Ocean’s two incredible albums and two other multimedia projects — Infinity and nostalgia, Ultra – are worth sinking your teeth into if you miss it. If he retired today, I would be more than satisfied with the work he has done.

In 2021, Ocean recorded a spoken word passage featured on Tyler, The Creator’s “LEMONHEAD”. He talks briefly about the modern art he owns, but ends by saying how satisfied he is with his life. For me, this has more impact than any news about a potential upcoming album.

“I love life. Mine, like my life,” Ocean said in the passage.