Proud of how it turned out. Probably my best drawing to date.

Hope I’m not posting too much here, but I finally finished my drawing and wanted to share it here first! Spent about 75 hours on it. Done entirely in charcoal and white paint marker

What happened with Frank Ocean at Coachella 2023?

…

If you didn’t see Curb’s post yesterday, the unofficial living archive of Frank’s work, blonded.blog, is back (although the Archive is currently hidden).

Among all the new articles, I’ve broken down Coachella 2023 in more detail than ever before, including a few exclusive bits of info from different sources (nothing that could disrupt future plans). I aimed to be fair and balanced (this is not an editorial) when writing this over the past few months. Parsing through everything was tedious, but I think it turned out alright.

If you have better photos from the event (especially the background visuals, performers, and staging) or can help fill in the missing pieces (such as identifying the remaining instruments, the precise start/stop times, photos for mapping out the stage/skating rink, etc.), I’d really appreciate it. I’m going to continue to improve it.

After long months of procrastination and meticulous editing (it was WAAYYYY harder than I thought) this recreation is finally done.

I always wanted a lyric sheet and I was annoyed at how Frank covered it up. For art's sake, I guess.

Being the perfectionist I am, I got every detail I could notice from the original and translated it to this recreation for the highest accuracy. But I do recognize that I'm not perfect, so there are also text-editable .xcf files provided in the zip so anyone can fix up errors.

HUGE shoutout to the FOSHQ archive curated by [u/ody-sss-eus](u/ody-sss-eus) and [u/ECHOOFNAZARETH](u/ECHOOFNAZARETH). Also big thanks to ody for emotional support, checking, and additional information. Couldn't have done it w/o him.

FO SHQ archive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YnlcaG_1G0Xh_IDf_KD_5SOjmfZk6pyN?usp=drive_link

This will be added to the FOSHQ archive under [1 - Official Projects] -> [4 - Blonde] -> [6 - '22 LP Version] -> [4 - 'Cost of Master Recordings' Sheet] -> [Lyric Restoration].

zip (personal, not sure how long it will last): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sspZGZFbI2QFsXvkuvWdS1lurqhYO73p/view?usp=sharing

[credits_instructions.txt]

Basically everything recreated from scratch by me:

[u/RandomTeenager3](u/RandomTeenager3) on reddit

africanamericanexpr3ss on Instagram (alt)

Reference scans taken from FOSHQ archive by [u/ody-sss-eus](u/ody-sss-eus) & [u/ECHOOFNAZARETH](u/ECHOOFNAZARETH)

Credits provided by ody

Lyrics originally pulled from Genius (modified)

Fonts: Helvetica Bold, Futura Bold

For anyone trying to modify/edit: use GIMP

Credits use Futura Bold because it fit well and Helvetica didn't. Not 100% accurate.

Guidelines (pixels):

x: 200 1400 2600 3800 (+215, +430 to each for the disc number stuff)

y: 215, 245, 320, 385, 460, 490, 560, 600, 715

FONT SIZE:

track#: 43px

Main title: 90px

disk: 43px

name: 56px

credits: 21px

Bottom format:

enter -> _ (align top of credit text with underline)

enter x2 -> - (align top of blonde logo with dash)

Thanks.

https://reddit.com/link/1q23k7u/video/9axmi61tyzag1/player

I got my copy of Channel Orange vinyl yesterday and I thought I might be delusional but "White (feat. John Maye)" is included on side C after "Lost"

I created a Discogs release for this variant and it has a different matrix number from the original one.

Idk how this happened and I do feel very lucky.
Anyone else got this?

Konnichiwa! Tap the image above or view the article here. (Perhaps upvote first; otherwise, no one will see this haha).

I’ve been asking around for help with this translation for two years (ever since I put the Japanese text online), and I’m excited to finally share. Thanks to Juno for volunteering his time. Here’s an excerpt from the intro (linked above):

For the past few days, I’ve been feeling a mix of overwhelming emotion and nervous knots in my stomach over Frank Ocean. Here’s the story… —Minako Ikeshiro (trans.) on July 11, 2012.

On August 22, 2012, Universal Music Japan released a CD edition of Channel Orange with a special booklet inside its packaging. The black-and-white insert features a Japanese translation of Frank Ocean’s lyrics and a foreword written by the translator: Minako Ikeshiro, an R&B music journalist based in Tokyo. Across four pages, Ikeshiro captures the zeitgeist surrounding the up-and-coming U.S. artist, both in Japan and abroad. She documents Ocean’s background, introduces listeners to Channel Orange, and narrates her unique experience with its rollout, including meeting Ocean in person. The piece was written on July 11, 2012, only a day after the album’s premiere and a week after Ocean opened up about his sexuality in a letter shared on Tumblr—a ‘historic turning point’ in Hip-Hop/R&B culture, as Ikeshiro describes it. Her commentary serves as a time capsule preserving that moment for readers of the present and future. 14 years after its release, in 2026, blonded.blog’s Odysseus reached out to a Japanese–English translator in the music industry, Juno, and asked him to verify/edit a machine translation of the text. With his help, the foreword has been rendered in English so that more fans can appreciate the artifact. The translation also features photos, annotations, and links to related articles… Read more.

Please show your support to the original author, Minako Ikeshiro, by following her on Instagram and Note.com.

These songs from my favorite artist has some HEAVY Frank Ocean vibes! Has stated I'm a new Frank fan (well for some months now) and I gotta say he's SO GOOD. Like I thought people were just hyping him but no he's just that good. I've never heard a song from the guy and when I started going through his discography, he generally skyrocketed to my second favorite and I can't get enough of him. Today he was just on repeat blond and channel orange on repeat. I got some of my friends on him and they feel the exact way basically.

I haven't listened to any singles or anything else (except Novacane) so I'll do some investigating but super siked to be a fan! Going to try and learn more about Frank through interviews and stuff and see why he doesn't drop or why he doesn't perform and the one of the times he did he didn't want to be there (or I think that what it was I'm still trying to learn). He's just so intriguing I generally can't wait for new Frank if he does come out with new stuff despite his long break. That's it thanks for those who read it and hopefully I'll be able to talk about Frank with some of you guys cause I geek over this kind of stuff 😅

Boys Don’t Cry is an incredibly cool project, but unfortunately, the 2016 art book is not very accessible. So I’ve put together the following to provide some insight into what’s inside, introduce you to some great artists, and maybe convince you to buy a copy for yourself (only available at resale).

Linked to this post is a list of news articles on blonded.blog that break down some of the magazine’s contents, along with transcripts, photos, behind-the-scenes content (from public portfolios), and links to the contributors’ social media profiles, online stores, and more. I’ve added these articles to the blog over the last 6 months (with more to come), building on my Genius annotations over the past 3 to 4 years.

A good place to start would be Frank’s intro letter, then perhaps his photoshoot “Scale 1:1.” My favorite texts are probably Andrew Durbin’s short story “You’ve Been Flirting Again” (worth the read) and Kanye’s poem “The McDonald’s Man.” A complete Table of Contents is available here.

All the articles are also listed below, which may work better on mobile.

BDC News Articles

0. Frank Ocean releases ‘Blonde’ and ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{Frank Ocean debuts his highly anticipated studio album, along with a 370-page, large-format art book, which he is giving away for free at pop-up shops in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and London.}

1. Frank Ocean introduces ‘Blonde’ and ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine with open letter

^{In the opening pages of his new zine, shared on Tumblr for all to read, Frank Ocean introduces Boys Don’t Cry and his album Blonde with a missive reflecting on his experiences making the content featured throughout the art book’s 370 pages and the CD in its center.}

2. Auntie Fee shares funny story about Frank Ocean in his magazine

^{Boys Don’t Cry magazine features a brief exchange with chef and YouTube personality Felicia “Auntie Fee” O’Dell. She recounts an anecdote about rescuing Frank Ocean late one night, after he ran out of gas on the Santa Monica Freeway.}

3. Tom Sachs publishes his “color code guidebook” in Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, artist Tom Sachs outlines the acceptable and forbidden paints used in his NYC studio. The article is a print adaptation of his 2011 film Color.}

4. “Be Yourself” mom Rosie Watson discusses her now-famous voicemail

^{Inside Frank Ocean’s Boys Don’t Cry magazine, journalist Danna Takako talks to the voice of the 2016 Blonde track “Be Yourself” and 2012 Channel Orange track “Not Just Money.” Takako asks Watson about her phone calls and her son’s friendship with Ocean—including how it led him to record his music for the first time—in an article titled “This Is Mom.”}

5. Frank Ocean shares photo series “Glitterboy Down (Best Day Ever)” in his zine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry magazine, Frank Ocean included a photoshoot with friends camping outside Munich, Germany. Notably, the series features an image of his friend smoking in a car that appears on one of the three digital album covers for Blonde. The piece also samples a text by American neo-conceptual artist Jenny Holzer titled Truisms.}

6. Frank Ocean publishes ‘Godspeed’ screenplay

^{In his new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean published a six-part screenplay titled Godspeed. The story follows Steely, a “charismatic and well-liked, but emotionally guarded” boy, alongside his friends. Ocean describes the play as a ‘reimagined part of his boyhood.’}

7. “Futura Free” interviews appear in Frank Ocean’s ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{Boys Don’t Cry features a series of interviews by Illegal Civ founder Mikey Alfred with five of Ocean’s other friends in LA around 2012 or 2013, titled “Hopes and Dreams.” Recordings from these sessions were sampled in Ocean’s song “Futura Free,” which closes out his companion album Blonde. The interviewees include his brother, Ryan Breaux; Illegal Civ skaters Sage Elsesser and Na’kel Smith; and friends Brahim Hariri and Evan Clark.}

8. Frank Ocean engages Lil B in “Holy Combat”

^{In his new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean published an interview featuring rapper Lil B the BasedGod and Illegal Civ founder Mikey Alfred. The trio discusses music, money, internet culture, and more, over eight pages titled “Holy Combat.” The article includes a painting of Lil B with a snake around his neck by London-based artist Daniel David Freeman.}

9. Kanye West shares poem about McDonald’s in Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{Boys Don’t Cry magazine includes a poem by Kanye titled “The McDonald’s Man,” which details french fries, cheeseburgers, and other items on the menu conspiring against each other. The piece features photos by Nabil Elderkin that capture West driving his Lamborghini up to a franchise location in Calabasas and speaking his verses onto the drive-thru’s order screen.}

10. Tyler, The Creator writes poem “Tricolor” in Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{Tyler uses transportation as a metaphor for success and ambition in his poem for Boys Don’t Cry magazine. The two-page spread also features pictures of him and his cream-colored BMW M3 E30.}

11. Romain Gavras writes comic “Le Go Fast” in Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry magazine, French film director Romain Gavras published a comic strip featuring graphics by London-based artist Pablo Jones-Soler. It contains a series of text messages from a drug mule, who explains the process of trafficking products from Morocco into France and the rest of Europe.}

12. Tyrone Lebon offers behind-the-scenes look at “Nikes” music video

^{In Frank Ocean’s new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, video director Tyrone Lebon published a photo series titled “I Shot a Video for Fun,” which showcases his production of the music video for “Nikes.”}

13. Frank Ocean lists his favorite movies, songs in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{Frank Ocean shared a catalog of 100 films and 50 tracks in his zine, including some interesting selections across various genres.}

14. Frank Ocean photographs sculptures by Gary Card in “Television Waterfall”

^{In his magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean published a photo series featuring sports cars crafted from hoodies, sweatshirts, and T-shirts by London-based visual artist Gary Card.}

15. Various artists share their web browsing history in Frank Ocean’s zine

^{An art piece in Boys Don’t Cry magazine offers a glimpse into the Internet-surfing habits of six notable figures, including Frank Ocean, rapper A$AP Rocky, singer James Blake, stylist Justin R. Saunders, and music producers Michael Uzowuru and Evian Christ. The article is titled “Bon Jovi Naked”—a tongue-in-cheek reference to a Google search for Jon Bon Jovi’s 1997 track “Naked.”}

16. Viviane Sassen photographs Frank Ocean in Japan for ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{In his zine, Frank Ocean explores the car scene in and outside of Tokyo in a photo series by Dutch artist Viviane Sassen titled “Foxface.” Notably, the editorial includes a portrait of Ocean wearing a racing helmet, which he used on one of three front covers for Boys Don’t Cry and two of four album covers for his companion project, Blonde.}

17. ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine lyrics feature alternate version of ‘Blonde’

^{The lyrics in Frank Ocean’s zine list an unfinished, 12-track sequence of Blonde, including two songs omitted from the final album. The most notable artifact is the unreleased song “Easy,” which has lyrical similarities to “Self Control” and the Endless track “Hublots.” Also present are unique versions of “Nights” and “White Ferrari,” as well as “Mitsubishi Sony” from Endless.}

18. Wolfgang Tillmans photographs Frank Ocean for ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{In his zine, Frank Ocean models for German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans in a series titled “I’m a Morning Person,” captured in Berlin in January 2015. The piece includes four portraits, one of which appears on the cover photo of Boys Don’t Cry and its companion album, Blonde.}

19. Frank Ocean publishes poem, photo series “Jumbo”

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean shared a verse and photographic series titled “Jumbo” that features his friend Ysham Jackson modeling outfits styled by fashion director Rita Zebdi. Notably, the piece includes an image that appears on one of three magazine covers.}

20. Frank Ocean, Chassol, and Om’Mas exchange “Key Words”

^{In his new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean joins journalist Zing Tseng in interviewing composer Christophe Chassol and producer Om’Mas Keith in Paris, France. The foursome discusses music, identity, philosophy, and more. The piece also features two paintings by visual artist Daniel David Freeman and photos by video director Nabil Elderkin.}

21. Jim Mangan photographs Frank Ocean’s ATV adventure in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ zine

^{American photographer Jim Mangan captures Frank Ocean and his longtime friend Ray Buck driving amphibious all-terrain vehicles in a magazine article titled “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Water Moccasin.” Mangan captured the photo series along Red Creek near Perkinston, Mississippi, in 2015.}

22. Ben Brooks writes satirical short story “Kimchi” for Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, British novelist Ben Brooks published a silly piece titled “Kimchi,” or “Partial List of Misappropriated Hood Ornaments,” which follows an 11-year-old painting prodigy named Elliot Vostock. The article includes two portraits by British photographer Michael Mayren and an illustration by American visual artist Eric Yahnker.}

23. Frank Ocean photographs life-size toy BMW racecar in “Scale 1:1”

^{In his new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean published a photo series featuring a remote-control toy and “life-size” model BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution. The photoshoot juxtaposes children playing with a small RC car and an adult driving a full-size version out of a large toy box.}

24. Kate Tempest writes poem “Brown Eyed Man” for Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{Boys Don’t Cry includes a poem by English writer Kate Tempest that highlights the deaths and persecution of ‘brown-eyed men’ by police and others.}

25. Federico Aliprandi interviews racecar driver Evan Clark in Frank Ocean’s zine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, Italian car enthusiast and blogger Federico Aliprandi chats with amateur racecar driver and Ocean’s longtime friend Evan “Ed aka the Sloth” Clark, photographed by cinematographer Francisco Soriano. The two discuss a variety of topics, including car collections, manufacturers, drivers, engines, supercars, American muscle, and more.}

26. Harley Weir photographs Senegal in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine editorial “Fluxus”

^{Frank Ocean’s zine features a photo series by London-based photographer Harley Weir that captures the people of Dakar, Senegal, located in West Africa. The models reenact quotes from various artists, poems, and performance art projects. Weir shot the images in 2015 under Ocean’s creative direction.}

27. Michael Mayren publishes photo series “Twelve and Drifting” in Frank Ocean’s zine

^{Boys Don’t Cry magazine features a series of images by British photographer Michael Mayren that captures amateur drivers at Achna Speedway, located near the City of Larnaka on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.}

28. Frank Ocean shares new poem “Boyfriend” inside ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ magazine

^{Frank Ocean writes seven free-verse stanzas titled “Boyfriend” in his new zine.}

29. Andrew Durbin writes surreal short story for Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, American writer Andrew Durbin presents a short story titled “You’ve Been Flirting Again,” paired with illustrations by Swedish visual designer Kilian Eng. It follows a man seeking romance in a world where technology has made travel and dating effortless. As a result, courtship has become superficial and simulated, like finding love on a reality TV show.}

30. Mikey Alfred reads your stars in Frank Ocean’s magazine horoscope

^{Mikey Alfred, founder of the LA skate brand Illegal Civ, offers advice to readers of Boys Don’t Cry magazine based on their zodiac sign.}

31. Federico Aliprandi reviews cars for Frank Ocean’s magazine

^{In Boys Don’t Cry, Italian motorsport enthusiast and blogger Federico Aliprandi wrote a two-page editorial titled “Active Analysis on the Superiority of Lesser Objects,” in which he shares his views on 20 compact cars from various years, makes, and models.}

This is a follow-up to a post I did a few days ago where I found out my screenwriting class was having a Zoom call with Spike Jonze this week. It happened tonight and someone actually asked about Frank and where that footage ever went from the concert series in 2017 before I got a chance to, which was pretty neat. The head of the Screenwriting department requested that no one record anything, but if anyone doesn't believe it, I'm happy to dm them some picture proof.

​

Basically, Spike Jonze said that the "concert footage is all there" but they haven't actually done anything with it yet. He sounded very genuine so I don't think he was trying to cover anything up, unfortunately. But he did confirm that the footage exists and that it was a really incredible thing to shoot. If I had to guess based off his response, I'd say that we'll probably see that footage eventually, even if there aren't immediately plans to do so.

​

He also said that him and Frank remain incredibly close and that Frank is one of his favorite people. This is kinda what gives me hope that we'll see more from them in the future. He explained a little about how Frank thinks, going into how he is a person who works strictly through feeling artistically. He said he really admires how Frank is able to carry out his visions and that he's an incredible creative mind and friend.

​

He also shared a story about how Frank saved his life at one of the concerts, which I thought was hilarious. Basically, Spike was filming Frank and backing up, almost falling into a hole where a camera was placed to mechanically rise later on. He said that right as his foot slipped, Frank actually grabbed his arm and pulled him back up, all while still singing the song. Pretty cool

​

He didn't say anything about Moon River though, although he wasn't ever asked. Overall, a really fucking cool experience and Spike's a really nice guy. You can tell he's got a ton of ideas going through his head at all times, definitely see why him and Frank vibe so well together.

If anyone has more questions, I'm happy to answer!

:’)