Most people would probably abandon the task of creating and releasing a new album after over four years of silence, especially with an array of inner and outer struggles occurring. Fortunately, the same cannot be said for 28-year-old Frank Ocean. This R&B singer, songwriter and rapper proved to his fans that his new album, “Blond,” was definitely worth the wait since 2012’s “Channel Orange.”

The artist maintains the same psychedelic, idiosyncratic music style we all know and love. His album features popular tracks such as “Pink + White” and “Nike,”  and is spelled in two different ways. Ocean himself titles his album “Blond.” Blond meaning the hair color of a man, whereas Apple music refers to the record as “Blonde,”meaning the hair color of a woman. The alternate names are reportedly a metaphor for Ocean exploring his bisexuality in the work. The hidden meaning of the album title is complex and meaningful. However, the lyrics are also extremely heartfelt and deep-rooted in Ocean’s own life.

For example, in the track “Ivy,” Ocean brings his intimate experiences into his music by gloomily beginning the song with describing one of his recent heart-wrenching breakups. “If I could see through walls, I could see you’re faking,” he sighs. “If you could see my thoughts, you would see our faces,” he continues. Throughout the remainder of the song, Ocean passionately sings with those amazing high-pitched vocals we have been longing for since “Thinkin Bout You.”

Although most people love Ocean’s representation of his personal life in his music, in some pieces there are clips of talking that people may skip through. In “Facebook Story” and “Be Yourself” these voice clips are inserted and utilized in order to deliver opinionated messages to the audience. Although these messages are definitely worth hearing, it’d be nice to see Ocean convert them into singing or shorter excerpts so more people will take the time to listen.

Overall, “Blond,” although long-awaited, was no disappointment. Ocean’s melancholy but light tone, display of personal experiences through his lyrics and beautiful high-pitched vocals have yet again asserted his dominance in the R&B field of music. It’s not a surprise that this album gets a rating of an A and also proves to listeners that Ocean is back and better than ever.