Why Everyone Wants Blonde on Vinyl

Summary

The script narrates Frank Ocean's strategic release of his album 'Blonde', which was developed over four years amid high anticipation. It discusses his struggle with his record label, Def Jam, and his ingenious plan to fulfill his contract with a decoy album 'Endless', allowing 'Blonde' to be released independently. The album's subsequent critical acclaim and the scarcity of its vinyl, which was released in limited quantities and sparked a frenzy among fans, are also highlighted.

Takeaways

• 🎵 Frank Ocean's album 'Blonde' was highly anticipated after the success of 'Channel Orange' and took over four years to develop.
• 🚀 Frank Ocean worked with top artists like Andre 3000 and Kendrick Lamar during the creation of 'Blonde'.
• 🤔 Frank Ocean was trapped in a bad record deal with Def Jam and devised a plan to escape it while also protecting his best work.
• 🔄 He created a decoy album 'Endless' to fulfill his contract with Def Jam, allowing him to release 'Blonde' independently.
• 📈 'Blonde' was released to critical acclaim, debuting at number one in the United States and being named one of the best albums of the 2010s.
• 🌙 The album's themes and lyrics are personal and relatable, with songs that are both grandiose and grounded.
• 💤 The album had a significant impact on the personal life of the script's narrator, helping them with their sleep schedule.
• 📀 The vinyl release of 'Blonde' was extremely limited, causing a frenzy among fans and high prices on the resale market.
• 😩 Fans were left disappointed for years as the vinyl was not reissued, leading to a sense of scarcity and frustration.
• 🎉 In 2022, Frank Ocean reissued the 'Blonde' vinyl on Black Friday, and again in 2023, making it more accessible to fans.
• 🔗 The limited nature of the vinyl release was criticized as artificial scarcity, highlighting the need for artists to be more considerate with their merchandise availability.

Q & A

How long did it take for Frank Ocean to develop 'Blonde'?

It took Frank Ocean over four years to develop 'Blonde'.

What was the anticipation for Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' like?

The anticipation for 'Blonde' was extremely high, as fans were eagerly waiting to see what Frank would do after 'Channel Orange'.

Who are some of the artists Frank Ocean collaborated with during the creation of 'Blonde'?

Frank Ocean collaborated with artists such as Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and even sampled the Beatles on the track 'White Ferrari'.

Why did Frank Ocean create a decoy album instead of directly releasing 'Blonde'?

Frank Ocean created a decoy album to fulfill his contract with Def Jam Records without giving them his magnum opus, 'Blonde'.

What was the name of the decoy album Frank Ocean released?

The decoy album was named 'Endless' and was released on August 19th, 2016.

How did Frank Ocean's strategy with 'Endless' affect the anticipation for 'Blonde'?

The release of 'Endless' as a decoy kept the hype going for 'Blonde', making the anticipation even higher.

What was the impact of 'Blonde' on its release?

'Blonde' debuted at number one in the United States and received critical acclaim, with some even naming it the best album of the 2010s.

Why did Frank Ocean not immediately release a vinyl version of 'Blonde'?

Frank Ocean held off on vinyl production for 'Blonde' until everything had gone according to plan with his strategy to finesse his label.

What was the scarcity situation like for the 'Blonde' vinyl?

The 'Blonde' vinyl had one of the most limited releases for an album, leading to a high demand and very limited availability.

How did the scarcity of the 'Blonde' vinyl affect fans?

The scarcity led to a phenomenon known as 'Blonde Mania', where fans were left disappointed and empty-handed, with the vinyl becoming nearly impossible to find at a reasonable price.

When did Frank Ocean finally release more 'Blonde' vinyls?

Frank Ocean released more 'Blonde' vinyls in a Black Friday drop at the end of 2022, followed by another drop in December 2023.

What was the public's reaction to the limited availability of the 'Blonde' vinyl?

The public reaction was a mix of frustration and disappointment, with many fans feeling left out and having to resort to paying exorbitant prices from scalpers.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' and the Art of Strategic Release

The paragraph discusses the anticipation and development of Frank Ocean's album 'Blonde', which took over four years to release following the success of 'Channel Orange'. It highlights Ocean's travels and collaborations with top artists like Andre 3000 and Kendrick Lamar. The artist's struggle with his record label, Def Jam, and his strategic plan to release 'Endless' as a decoy to fulfill his contractual obligations while saving 'Blonde' for after, is detailed. The paragraph also covers the high anticipation and the eventual release of 'Blonde', which debuted at number one and was critically acclaimed. Additionally, it touches on the personal impact of the album and the desire for a vinyl release, which was not immediately available.

05:02

💽 The Vinyl Famine: 'Blonde' and Its Limited Edition Mayhem

This paragraph delves into the frenzy and scarcity surrounding the vinyl release of Frank Ocean's 'Blonde'. It describes how the vinyl was available for a mere 24 hours on Black Friday, leading to a limited number of fans obtaining it and causing a significant price surge in the resale market. The paragraph outlines the years of waiting and disappointment as no further vinyls were released, with scalpers taking advantage of the situation. It also discusses the eventual re-releases in 2022 and 2023, which allowed more fans to own the vinyl and diminished its scarcity, while also critiquing the concept of artificial scarcity in the music industry.

10:04

📢 A Call to End Artificial Scarcity in Music Collecting

The final paragraph serves as a commentary on the practice of artificial scarcity in music, particularly in vinyl releases. It calls out companies and artists for creating limited editions and scalpers for inflating prices, urging for a change in this approach. The speaker shares a personal anecdote of receiving the re-released 'Blonde' vinyl as a gift, emphasizing the joy it brought despite the challenges in acquiring it. The paragraph concludes with a plea for more accessibility and a critique of the current state of music merchandise collecting.

Keywords

💡Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean is a critically acclaimed American singer, songwriter, and producer known for his unique blend of R&B, hip hop, and electronic music. In the video script, he is the central figure whose career trajectory and strategic releases are discussed, particularly focusing on his albums 'Channel Orange' and 'Blonde'.

💡Blonde

'Blonde' is the second studio album by Frank Ocean, released in 2016 after a four-year development period. The album was highly anticipated and is mentioned extensively in the script as a work that took a long time to craft and was released as part of a strategy to escape a record deal.

💡Channel Orange

'Channel Orange' is Frank Ocean's debut studio album, which was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. The script discusses how the anticipation for 'Blonde' was partly due to the impact of 'Channel Orange' and the innovative sound it brought to the music scene.

💡Anticipation

Anticipation, in the context of the script, refers to the eagerness and excitement of fans waiting for the release of Frank Ocean's music. It is a key element in the narrative, as it builds up the significance of the 'Blonde' album and the strategy behind its release.

💡Record Deal

A record deal is an agreement between an artist and a record label that outlines the terms of the production, distribution, and promotion of music. The script discusses how Frank Ocean felt trapped in a bad record deal with Def Jam and strategized to release 'Blonde' independently.

💡Endless

'Endless' is a visual album by Frank Ocean, released as a decoy to fulfill his contractual obligations to Def Jam Records while he secretly developed 'Blonde'. The script explains how 'Endless' was used as a strategic move to confuse the record label and the public.

💡Vinyl

Vinyl refers to the physical format of music distributed on vinyl records. The script discusses the scarcity and high demand for the 'Blonde' vinyl, which was released in limited quantities and became a sought-after item among fans.

💡Black Friday

Black Friday is mentioned in the script as the day when the 'Blonde' vinyl was first released and later re-released. It is a significant event for fans, as it marks the rare opportunity to acquire the limited-edition vinyl.

💡Scalpers

Scalpers are individuals who buy items in limited quantities to resell them at much higher prices. The script discusses how scalpers took advantage of the scarcity of the 'Blonde' vinyl, selling it at exorbitant prices and causing frustration among fans.

💡Artificial Scarcity

Artificial scarcity is a strategy used by companies or artists to limit the supply of a product to increase its perceived value or demand. The script critiques this practice, particularly in the context of the limited release of the 'Blonde' vinyl, which created a frenzy and inflated prices.

💡Music Merchandise

Music merchandise includes official products like T-shirts, posters, and vinyl records that are often sold by artists to promote their work. The script highlights the desire of fans to own physical copies of music, particularly vinyl records, as a form of expressing their appreciation for an album.

Highlights

Frank Ocean's album 'Blonde' took over four years to develop.

High anticipation for 'Blonde' following the success of 'Channel Orange'.

Frank Ocean collaborated with top artists like Andre 3000 and Kendrick Lamar.

Ocean was trapped in a bad record deal with Def Jam and sought a way out.

Frank devised a plan to offer Def Jam a decoy album to fulfill his contract.

The decoy album 'Endless' was released on August 19th, 2016.

The real album 'Blonde' was released just 24 hours after 'Endless'.

'Blonde' debuted at number one in the United States.

The album received critical acclaim and was named one of the best of the 2010s.

Frank Ocean's strategy led to a limited vinyl release of 'Blonde'.

The limited vinyl release created a high demand and scarcity.

Scalpers began selling the vinyl for hundreds of dollars.

Frank Ocean did not release more vinyls for several years, increasing the scarcity.

In 2022, Frank Ocean released a white copy of 'Blonde' on Black Friday.

The 2022 re-release was also limited and quickly sold out.

In 2023, Frank Ocean released even more vinyls, making them more accessible.

The scarcity of 'Blonde' vinyls led to discussions about artificial scarcity in the music industry.

The author calls for an end to artificial scarcity and scalping of limited music releases.

Transcripts

I would never cry to a Frank Ocean's

song let's be honest I am a

[Music]

man when Frank Ocean first released

blonde it took over four years of

development for him to make it

anticipation for the record was

extremely high as everyone was waiting

to see what Frank would do after Channel

orange an album that had in its own

right shattered charts through its new

and revolutionary sound channel orange

was an amazing and mysterious piece so

it made sense that its successor would

take a reasonable amount of time to be

completed as fans waited Frank spent his

time traveling across the globe and

working with top artists to craft his

new vision among a long list of credits

he got help from Andre 3000 Kendrick

Lamar as well as the Beatles who were

sampled on white Ferrari but

collaboration wasn't the only thing that

made blond's release take so long as

Frank was simultaneously working on

pulling off one of the greatest stunts

of his life like many artists Frank had

found himself trapped in a bad record

deal and wanted out he felt that his

label Death Jam was neglecting him as

they had barely supported him since

signing on and didn't seem very

interested in promoting his talent

outside of the initial contract they

gave him this contract required that

Frank make two albums for Def Jam and he

wouldn't be able to leave them until he

fulfilled it Channel orange had already

completed the first half of the contract

but Frank decided to do something

different with the other tired of being

overlooked they came up with a plan to

escape the contract while also

protecting his best work rather than

give that company a magnum opus like

blonde he devised a plan to instead

offer them a decoy secretly developing

two albums during during his 4-year

break that way he could satisfy the

label's hunger for a new album while

saving blond for after the contract

that's one of the reasons why blond's

release was so highly anticipated fans

had waited the time it took to make two

albums while thinking Frank was only

working on one the fact that he also was

relatively new to the scene made the

release even more exciting at the time

many thought that this super album might

be called Boys Don't Cry but outside of

teasers and some demonstrations no one

really knew what Frank was up to he was

keeping the double album plan a secret

not just to be mysterious but really so

that Death Jam wouldn't catch on the

name that Frank chose for the decoy was

endless which he released on August 19th

2016 accompanied by a film of him

building a staircase it was artsy

delicate and amazing but most

importantly vague in how it was deployed

Frank didn't disclose whether or not

this was the album everyone had been

anticipating he needed to keep the hype

going with endless functioning as an

appetizer for the main course fans were

understandably confused about what

endless was it sounded great but

something seemed off with the

unconventional roll out Frank wouldn't

say whether or not it was his definitive

album so many people were already

suspicious shocking everyone 24 hours

later Frank dropped blonde under his own

ownership because he had used endless to

fulfill his contract all the proceeds

from blonde would now go to him now this

isn't to say that endless is a Bad album

by any means some even prefer it over

blonde but for Frank it was a secondary

project that wasn't meant to Define his

Artistry on its own with all the hype

already surrounding endless the crowd

quickly shifted their attention to

blonde it debuted at number one in the

United States to critical Acclaim with

I'm naming it the best album of the

2010s it quickly became evident that

blonde was a very special album these

songs though grandios have tangible

themes in their lyrics that listeners

can still relate to lindes like that's a

pretty fast year flew by or no sleep in

my body are grounded and personal while

the music in songs like pink and white

feels unreachables

on Spotify it's not a surprise that

people in the public gave this album

ratings anywhere from 80 to 100% but if

you're like me the album has a special

spark to it that makes it 100 intend I'm

someone who has a bit of trouble falling

asleep it's nothing bad but I do tend to

toss and turn a lot but back when I

listened to blonde paired up with some

melatonin I was living all I had to do

is play it and my mind would be too

occupied with its music to think of

anything else and for weeks my sleep

schedule was amazing that was until the

Melatonin caused me to encounter Baba

Yaga in my dreams then I decided to stop

taking it but before then this album had

a legitimate effect on my life that's

just my personal experience and there's

probably no one else who can completely

relate to it however what I'm sure a lot

of people can relate to is how much they

wanted blonde on vinyl now something

about music enjoyers is that when you or

I like music enough we want to express

that and get the music out to everybody

obviously you can post a song on

Instagram but we all know no one's going

to listen to that so the next best thing

is to buy official merch and what's

better merch than a vinyl which comes

with the album's artwork on a large

physical scale even though CDs and

streaming are both technically higher

quality sound the Vintage intimacy and

art of vinyl provides makes it far more

rewarding to collect in other words it's

cooler Frank ocean did not immediately

release a vinyl for blonde so there were

likely a few questions already about

when it would show up the better the

album the more people will want it on

vinyl so there were lots of people who

wanted to buy one it makes sense that

Frank would not have vinyls for blonde

ready right away as Blonde was a very

strategic and delayed release having not

yet pulled off the heist Frank leley

wanted to hold off on vinyl production

until everything had gone according to

plan with finessing his label either way

the fact that there was no albums on

release set the precedent that if they

did come out they would probably be in a

limited quantity as it turns out blonde

would get one of the most limited vinyl

releases for an album ever and the

famine that would follow its release

would go down in history forever a few

months after blonde released its vinyl

surfaced on Black Friday the problem was

it was only around for 24 hours and at a

limited amount by now people had been

given time to really digest and get into

blonde so demand was likely even higher

than when it was first released Frank

decided to go with a black limited

edition print and it promptly sold out

after the dust settled only the quickest

of online Shoppers had the vinyl now

with the vast majority of people being

left empty-handed and this is where the

blonde Mania began although to be

completely honest it's more like a sad

slowburn documentary obviously if you

missed out on the first release you're

going to be bummed out it's hard to

gauge the exact amount of vinyls that

were sold but based on the amount of

people that resold them it was likely

around 4 to 5,000 which is uh not

exactly enough for everyone this was

particularly brutal because of how much

people were willing to upcharge for them

some were already going for hundreds of

dollars but as you'll see things would

only get worse as a slow realization

slowly creeped in if you missed the

first release you could at least cop

another one surely there would be

another drop happening soon right right

why why do you look so sad as it turns

out Frank was not kidding when he made

the release limited and to be fair

there's a lot of people in companies

that do but nope not Frank when Frank

Ocean releases a vinyl you better be

there because if you didn't get this

vinyl on that fateful day you would

never ever see it at a reasonable price

again and you know who probably didn't

know that the poor naive fans waiting to

see if huh you know maybe the vinyl will

return next year maybe Black Friday 2017

nope a year later 2017 had come and gone

and it had not been issued out since

people had waited eagerly for 12 months

only to be disappointed and the

tyrannical reign of scalpers only grew

pricier next came 2018 and this was the

year that nothing happened 2019 was a

lot like 2018 but more notably 2020 was

the year that the vinyl released leased

people into a state of fear and misery

knowing that it had still not returned

multiple years later blonde was now well

established as one of the greatest

albums ever with the least amount of

vinyls to complement that having still

not been sold since those 24 hours in

2016 you could settle for a fake but you

knew deep down in your heart it wasn't

the same if you've collected anything

you know that fakes are obviously not

desirable by 2021 the vinal was

considered a cryptic Legend with a copy

going for anywhere between ,000 to

$3,000 blond had now joined random

access memories and government plates in

being impossible vinyls to reasonably

own every single new person that

discovered blond during these years

probably went to see if any vinyls were

available only to be met with an

apocalyptic sight of people that had

been wondering the same question for

years it's not really Frank's

responsibility to make sure fans can all

get a vinyl but it is still his decision

to make more and it seemed like this

vinyl would just never be accessible to

99% of fans with Frank not having any

other reason to release another batch

unless he saw fit thankfully by the end

of 2022 he did Frank finally decided to

do another Black Friday drop this time

with a white copy of blonde that

featured an e and posters inside the

reason for the re-release is anyone's

guess some people say that Frank decided

it was time more people could own an

official copy while other more cynical

fans said he just needed a Christmas

bonus in terms of the E and the blonde

cover which previously did not exist it

could either be for artistic reasons or

perhaps just to distinguish it from

bootlegs was there a warning for this

release no was there enough copies being

sold for everyone no but that probably

wasn't possible I didn't know this drop

happened until a few hours too late

because I don't have Instagram so I was

pretty sad when I missed out on the

announcement but you know who does have

Instagram that's right my cousin and so

I got it for Christmas I don't really

know how to hold this but here is the

re-release bought at a nice retail price

rather than a bajillion dollars as you

can see there's the E it also has a

poster inside and a lyricle sheet that

looks like the production company ran

out of ink unfortunately a lot of people

were not able to get this final and

worse this re-release had been 6 years

in the making so who knew how long it

would take before you ever got a chance

again I feel like I'm not qualified to

speak for the people anymore everyone

who was asleep during the drop and

didn't have a cousin with Instagram were

in a very dark place but fortunately

there is a good ending to this story

sort of it's more like a compromise and

that is that last December of 2023 Frank

did a drop for the third time with even

more vinyls so even more people were

able to get them you can even still put

this 2023 vinyl in your cart on the

website but it won't go through that's

just there to jump scare people and get

their hopes down I guess I'm starting to

think this Frank Ocean guy legitimately

hates his fans and just like that two

more drops made the scarcity of an

official blonde vinyl a lot less extreme

with more fans than ever finally being

able to have their own this made blonde

a lot less of an impossible find as they

were now much more in circulation and in

my opinion that is a very good thing I

think we as consumers have been tricked

into thinking that this word limited is

some golden good thing I will buy things

just because I know they're limited but

it's not as much a luxury as much as it

is often stupid artificial scarcity

companies and artists need to stop

making things fake rare and scalpers

need to stop selling stuff for

outrageous prices please like if you

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