Among them is Kevin Abstract (of BROCKHAMPTON), Tierra Whack, Jean Dawson, SZA, Steve Lacy, Jean Deaux, Mereba, Daniel Caesar, and last and most importantly, Choker. However, I’ve found that several musicians have taken more inspiration than others from the Frank Ocean aesthetic and not to a fault. Is Frank Ocean’s signature sound truly unique to him or rather is it a glimpse into the genesis and future of a genre?Īrtists today are not shy whatsoever about citing Ocean as an influence some practically wearing his influence as a badge of honour. However, I feel Frank Ocean’s most fascinating contribution to the soundtrack of the 2010’s has still gone unsung: the influence that Blonde & its companion album Endless had on those who will one day be considered Ocean’s peers by the subtle birth of a post-modern R&B sound, which I’ll dub ‘Post-R&B’. Across his work, Ocean put us back in touch with the beauty of our sensitivities, put feelings we didn’t think were capable of description over breathtaking soundscapes, and gave us music so rawly personal that listening felt borderline voyeuristic. With the 20’s now upon us, Ocean’s name graced several music publications’ best-of-the-decade lists in 2019, most notably Pitchfork naming Ocean’s 2016 release Blonde as their album of the decade. Née Christopher Edwin Breaux, Ocean unquestionably dominated the past nine years in popular music while almost always remaining perched in a mystique he spent the same nine years cultivating. You may have to select a menu option or click a button.Αs the decade comes to a close, it’s safe to say that any music enthusiast having dipped their toes in the lush and powerful river that is hip hop and R&B has at least heard the now iconic name Frank Ocean.