By: SYDNEY YALULLO
At only 33 years old, Frank Ocean is rumored by fans to be retiring from music. He has not said anything about the situation, which leads fans to make crazy speculations. Let’s take a look at why fans think this:
Christopher Breaux AKA Frank Ocean is an American R&B singer, who is claimed to be one of the most influential artists of the decade. He has released 2 albums, a visual album, a mixtape, and many singles including 2 songs entitled “Cayendo” and “Dear April” that were released on March 25, 2020.
Ocean won a Grammy for his debut album “Channel Orange” at the 55th Grammy Awards, says the Grammy’s website. He has even been a ghostwriter for some of the most popular musicians of the decade including Beyonce and Justin Bieber.
Frank Ocean’s career thus far has been full of incredible accomplishments that are very well deserved. Recently though, fans have been speculating that he might never release again, and this idea is discouraging to many.
One reason people think this because he recently deleted all of his instagram posts. Frank has always been the type to stay out of the media, but when all of his posts suddenly disappeared, fans were alarmed. Some people believe that he did this because he was rebranding for a new project, but others believe this is because he is waving goodbye to the music industry.
Another reason why some fans believe he is retiring is because this year he tragically lost his little brother in a car accident. Ryan Breaux passed sadly on August 2, 2020. This obviously took a toll on Ocean as his brother was a very close person in his life. Most people thought that obviously, he wouldn’t release anything for a while due to grieving, but others think that he will end his career because of this.
The Paw interviewed a Frank Ocean fan at BHS, Cailyn Carey. When asked about what she thinks is happening with Ocean, she stated “I think he’s just taking a break because of everything that’s going on in his personal life”. A break is much needed for him, and fans may be taking that out of proportion.
The final reason that is making fans believe Ocean is retiring is because he recently cancelled the release of a new song and vinyl that was supposed to be released in 2020. On his website “Blonded.co”, a vinyl was available for preorder last February, but that offer was retracted and all of the people who ordered it were refunded. The email sent to people who purchased the vinyl stated “Due to the events this year, Frank will no longer be releasing the song you purchased on vinyl. We will be refunding your purchase of this item and any additional items in your order will begin shipping next week”
So the question now is, how do fans feel about this possible retirement?
Cailyn Carey says, “I obviously don’t want him to retire. In some of my loneliest times, Frank has been there for me. His music has comforted me and given me motivation to keep going on.”
As Carey mentions, Frank’s music impacts people in incredible ways. Even if he does end up retiring, we should be happy that he has released so many breathtaking songs for us to enjoy. Carey also stated, “I think that it is important to respect his privacy, especially if one is truly a fan. If this is the end of his music career, it is very sad, but I am so appreciative for all the great songs we will be able to listen to forever.” What she said is important to realize. We need to appreciate the music he has released, and admire his talent whether he releases or not.
Nothing about him retiring is confirmed though, all that is confirmed is that he will not be releasing the song he had available to preorder in 2020. Fans have come to these speculations and made various social media posts regarding the subject. Hopefully whatever Frank is doing, he is safe and putting himself first.
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