Why Frank Ocean Doesn't Release Music Anymore

The reasoning behind Frank Ocean's absence from the music sphere is full of twists and turns. 

When naming artists that effortlessly transcend genres, deliver thought-provoking lyrics, and are enigmas in the industry, the first person on the list must be Ocean. Before treating music listeners to his moody records and hypnotic vocals, the "Pyramids" singer wrote songs for other artists like Justin Beiber and John Legend. However, after the release of his critically acclaimed mixtape "Nostalgia, Ultra," Ocean's career took off at the speed of light, spawning three critically acclaimed albums and two Grammy wins. His uniquely crafted songs have also been credited for popularizing the alternative R&B genre, inspiring new crops of artists after him, like "Mean Girls" star Reneé Rapp. 

"His level of artistry is so unmatched," she explained to Elite Daily. "He's almost like a freak of nature –– just perfect and beautifully tormented." However, after the release of his universally acclaimed 2016 album "Blonde," Ocean took a noticeable step back from the industry, except for the odd single or collaborations here and there. With it being over seven years since the "Nike" singer released an album and three years since his last singles, "Dear April" and "Cayendo," we took a deeper look at why he hasn't returned to music.

Following the release of his 2016 album "Blonde," Frank Ocean refrained from releasing music, much to fans' disappointment. While the "Close To You" singer has yet to drop a follow-up record, he has shifted his creative focus to the fashion world. In August 2021, Ocean announced his luxury jewelry and accessories brand, Homer, during an interview with the Financial Times. When speaking on the inspiration for his new fashion endeavor, the "Sierra Leone" singer credited his mother and godfather for sparking his initial interest. "My mother was into jewelry, but in a low-key Princess Diana kind of way. My godfather was into guns, but he was also into cars, and he bought luxury lifestyle magazines," he told the publication.

In an additional statement to his Instagram story at the time, Ocean described Homer as a project that kept his imagination turning. "All of my work now is dedicated to my family. Everything, My hope is to make things that last, that are hard to destroy, set it in stone," he wrote. "This is three years in the making and there is so so much I'm excited to share with you all." In the years following Homer's debut, the beloved talent's brand has continued to make waves in the fashion industry due to its unique pieces and popular Prada collaboration. It also turned heads in 2022 when $25k men's "manhood" rings, made with diamonds and gold, were included in its list of available products.

Since his debut, Frank Ocean has worked hard to keep his personal life from the public eye. But one aspect that he didn't mind sharing with fans was his close relationship with his brother, Ryan Breaux. In a 2011 Tumblr post, he gushed about their connection, writing, "The kid on my back, that's my brother Ryan. He thinks he's Prince Harry. The lady behind us is our mom," he wrote. "She's beautiful, like Nefertiti. My brother thinks I can fly." Ryan also shared tidbits about his close relationship with Ocean in 2016, praising his work ethic for "Blonde." "He's probably been sleeping all day. That man worked crazy hours every day on these projects. It's crazy," he wrote on X. "Mans was in the studio 16 hours a day making everything perfect."

Unfortunately, Ryan tragically passed away in August 2020 after being involved in a car crash in Thousand Oaks. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the late 18-year-old passed away from blunt-force head injuries. While Ocean refrained from commenting on Ryan's tragic passing at the time, he later explored his grief with his December 2021 track "Iceman." In a post to his Instagram Story, Ocean opened up about the record's creative process and working with motivational speaker Wim "Iceman" Hof. "We spoke for a while about his work, the purpose of grief, and how going into the cold water changed his life," he wrote. "It reminded me of conversations in the studio with players I know."

It's no secret that Frank Ocean has taken a step back from actively making music. However, his absence from the music industry may be due to his dipping into the film industry. Back in June 2022, Discussing Film revealed that the beloved talent was set to write and direct his first feature film in partnership with distribution companies A24 and 2AM. While Ocean and the indie movie distributors refrained from releasing official statements, an insider revealed to HypeBeast that the film was internally referred to as "Philly" and New Mexico was a potential filming location for the project. As of this writing, there have been no new updates about the project.

Ocean's forthcoming feature isn't the first time his name has been synonymous with the film sphere. Back in 2020, The New York Times journalist Kyle Buchanan revealed that "Call Me By Your Name" director Luca Guadagnino was working on a music video project with the "Good Guy" singer. "I spoke to Luca Guadagnino about his upcoming HBO show, and he told me he'd recently worked with Frank Ocean on a secret project," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twiter. "'We were collaborating on a music video that never happened. I use the Times to launch an appeal to Frank: Frank, let's do that video. Come on.'" Ocean also wrote the forward in the screenplay book for the Academy Award-winning film "Moonlight," per bonded.blog.

While Frank Ocean has yet to release a follow-up to his critically acclaimed album "Blonde," he did make a semi-music comeback when he headlined the popular music festival Coachella. A journey three years in the making, the "Novacane" artist was first confirmed for the event in 2020. However, his appearance was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2023, he finally hit the Coachella stage, much to fans' excitement. Unfortunately for Ocean, it was far from successful or smooth. While he delivered exceptional live vocals for some of his tracks like "Novacane" and "White Ferrari," he refrained from facing the audience or was absent from the stage entirely due to the awkward stage setup.

Ocean was also forced to end his set early. "Guys, I'm being told it's curfew, so that's the end of the show," he told the crowd. Not to mention, he was over an hour late. Following his controversial performance, Ocean dropped out of headlining week two due to an injury. A source told Rolling Stone that his chaotic performance was not the intended goal and was changed at the last minute due to his injury. While his show wasn't a particular hit with fans, Ocean did tease that new music was coming. "I want to talk about why I'm here because it's not because of a new album, not that there's not a new album," he informed the crowd.

Even though Frank Ocean's absence has left a hole in the hearts of fans worldwide, he's still hard at work on new music. In November 2023, the "Chanel" artist previewed his new material on his Instagram story. In the now-deleted video, reshared by X user Frank Ocean Daily, the beloved talent is heard singing about a past relationship, featuring lyrics like "playing way more laidback than I did when I was my younger self" and "That's why I keep spinning ya block, tryna see all your sides."

Before sharing the hypnotic clip, Ocean seemingly teased his new music era with the release of his Blonded merch in January 2023. One of the pieces offered to fans was two posters that explored Ocean's music journey since 2019 via a story about a Record Label Chairman and a Recording Artist. "The Recording Artist attempts to explain to the major music label the singles distribution model as opposed to the long-form album model," the poster reads, per blonded.blog. "The Recording Artist believes the latter to be outdated, and that releasing singles is more suited to modern consumption habits." Towards the end of the story, the Recording Artist changes his mind about the singles model, admitting that he's ready to explore long-form albums again. It didn't take long for fans to draw up their own conclusions, with many theorizing that Ocean is working on his next album. "The drought is coming to an end," one X user wrote. Only time will tell.