The wait for Frank Ocean’s latest album is finally over.
Following the release of his visual album Endless and his single Nikes, Ocean has followed up by dropping his second album, Blonde.
The 17-track album was released on Saturday exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes, and fans went wild.
Blonde — which is the follow-up to Ocean’s Grammy-winning 2012 debut LP, Channel Orange — features an impressive collection of collaborators including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Pharrell, Andre 3000, Tyler The Creator, James Blake and Rick Rubin.
READ MORE: Frank Ocean releases surprise visual album ‘Endless’
Hours before the new LP became available, Ocean released a video Nikes.
WATCH BELOW: WARNING: Explicit language
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJVrMp9BNHo/
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The album’s release also featured a print publication called Boys Don’t Cry, which was given to fans who visited pop-up stores in Los Angeles, New York, London and Chicago. The magazine contained a CD copy of Blonde.
At 360 pages, Boys Don’t Cry contains interviews with Ocean’s mother and rapper Lil B, alongside larger glossy pictures taken by Ocean.
Among the written portions are a multi-scene screenplay penned by Ocean and a “hopes and dreams” section where many young men answer questions like, “What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever witnessed?”
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The magazine, which some fans are already selling on eBay for $1,000, also features poems and essays by several artists, including West. He contributes a poem about McDonald’s: “I know them french fries have a plan/The cheeseburgers and the shakes formed a band.”
https://twitter.com/speriod/status/767194167881633793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The 28-year-old took to Tumblr after the album’s release and thanked his fans — in his trademark all-caps — for their support and love.
“I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE MAKING ALL OF THIS,” the Thinkin’ Bout You singer wrote on Saturday night. “THANK YOU ALL. ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU WHO NEVER LET ME FORGET I HAD TO FINISH. WHICH IS BASICALLY EVERY ONE OF Y’ALL. HAHA. LOVE YOU.”
Fans have been anxiously awaiting Ocean’s return for years, and the singer has been working on Blonde since January 2013.
Twitter was saturated with Ocean fans’ excitement over the weekend.
https://twitter.com/speriod/status/767132064776937473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
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By Sunday morning, Blonde topped Apple Music charts.
You can stream and purchase Ocean’s new music by visiting Apple Music here.
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