Frank Ocean, a man of great talent, and often great mystery, has been pretty busy this year. He’s thrown parties, he’s released music, he’s teased even more music, he’s even written some blogs. With everything else that has been going on (there’s been so much), it is fair that maybe, even as an ultra devoted fan, you missed out on some Frank Ocean updates. No worries! Here’s absolutely everything that is going on with Frank Ocean.
He’s released new music
Following his release of “DHL” last month, Ocean dropped “In My Room” in early November. It came just a few weeks after his Prep+ party where he teased a number of new track— the first he’s released since 2017. He hasn’t released a full-length project since 2016’s Blonded, but that all might change soon. Based on Mike D’s interview with Matt Wilkinson on his Beats 1 show, Ocean is collaborating with French electronic duo Justice on a project, which Mike D said he’s only sheardnippets of.
"I heard a couple sneak previews of some stuff that Justice were working on for next year that was very, really really good," Mike D shared. "Pedro was there and he played us a couple of things. There’s a track that’s going to be coming down next year, Frank Ocean and Justice that’s pretty — what’s a good anglo term — wicked!"
In addition to this rumored collab, he also released an Arca remix of his track “Little Demon” on the most recent episode of blonded Radio. The remix features an appearance from Skepta — though that version of the song hasn’t been released anywhere.
He’s been throwing parties!
Ocean began a series of parties called Prep+ in October, in an attempt to raise awareness about the HIV prevention drug and pay homage to previous generations of LGBTQ+ nightlife. The first party drew controversy — it was reportedly not as much a celebration of LGBTQ+ nightlife culture as it was an industry insider party. A lot of reviewers said the party was too white and too straight.
Ocean responded to these critiques in a Tumblr post (his favorite medium), writing that “I’m an artist, it’s core to my job to imagine realities that don’t necessarily exist and it’s a joy to.” He also clarified that the drug company that produces Prep+, Gilead Sciences, has no role in funding the party.
Later versions of his PrEP+ parties, including a Halloween party, drew much less criticism and seemed to adhere to Ocean’s goal of having “a night of lights and music inspired by an era of clubbing” that he loved.
He’s rumored to be playing Coachella.
This is the most speculative of all rumors, based more on pure hope than any tangible evidence. But Ocean hasn’t performed in quite a while, and with Coachella reportedly “95% booked” most people are hoping that Ocean is among them.
According to the r/Coachella subreddit, Ocean and Travis Scott are both booked to be at 2020 Coachella. So far, the only confirmed act is the newly reunited Rage Against the Machine. There’s also been speculation that Ocean will go on a tour in 2020.
With the coupling of the music releases — both remixes and songs — and his parties, the rumors of a tour and a Coachella performance seem more possible than they have in the past few years. But considering Ocean has a long history of keeping his fans eagerly awaiting his move (“Where’s the album Frank?” might have been the most popular tweet of 2016) it is probably better to keep your hopes guarded about Ocean’s next steps.
