ACT 2: The Recording Artist vs. The Chairman (Conflict)
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ACT 3: The Pandemic of 2020 (Climax)
Ugh was stuck in drafts 🫠
Register now for access to passes at https://t.co/qujCsdlTip. Presale begins Friday, 1/13 at 11am PT. Very limited Weekend 1 passes remain. For your best chance at passes, look to Weekend 2. pic.twitter.com/5zMQ4dJZHq
Is Frank Ocean moving toward a new album? With a headlining performance at Coachella on the way, Ocean is hinting at a potential new body of work through upcoming merch.
In posters, Ocean details the story of an artist who is sitting in front of two men in suits, label executives, as he details that he once believed singles were the way of the future and playlisting took over. Ocean now details that he thinks bodies of work matter.
“In the summer of 2019, Blonded produced a photo series shot on Thursday, August 8, 2019 by photographer Michael Marcelle,” the message opened. “The photo series follows the story of a fictitious Recording Artist as he navigates the radio system.
“The Recording Artist attempts to explain to the major music label the singles distribution model as opposed to the long-form album model. The Recording Artist believes the latter to be outdated, and that releasing singles is more suited to modern consumption habits where people curate their own playlists which are then shared within private circles. The meeting does not appear to be productive.”
The note closes, “The Recording Artist has since changed his mind about the singles model, and is again interested in more durational bodies of work.”
Back sides of the posters from the recent Blonded merch sale tell a narrative that’s as close to an album announcement as we’ll ever get from Frank Ocean. pic.twitter.com/15nvU780No
Intriguingly, the closest thing we have to confirmation of a new album came with his last one — or at least, the vinyl record version of Blonde that was reissued in December. According to fan accounts receiving their orders over the weekend, a foldout poster included with the vinyl hints at Frank’s future album plans through the story of a “fictitious Recording Artist” — an obvious stand-in for Frank himself.
Back sides of the posters from the recent Blonded merch sale tell a narrative that’s as close to an album announcement as we’ll ever get from Frank Ocean. pic.twitter.com/15nvU780No
The gist of the story is that Frank — or the Recording Artist — had become disillusioned with the long-form release strategy and planned to pivot to solely releasing singles, a practice he believed better suited to modern listening habits. However, in the time since Blonde was released, and with COVID-19 derailing his DJ plans, “The Recording Artist has since changed his mind about the singles model, and is again interested in more durational bodies of work.”
Although he doesn’t reveal just what his album plans are, at least fans can take comfort in knowing that he does want to put one out.
The Coachella lineup is officially released. Bad Bunny, Frank Ocean and BLACKPINK will host the 2023 festival.
The two-weekend 2023 run will take over the desert from April 14 to 16 and April 21 to 23. Additional names on the bill include Pusha T, Burna Boy, Idris Elba, Metro Boomin, Kaytranada, The Kid LAROI, 070 Shake, A Boogie, Kali Uchis, and Rae Sremmurd.
For Ocean, this is a return to the lineup after he was scheduled for the 2020 festival but was unable to perform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bunny joins after a historic 2022, which landed him as one of The SOURCE’s Top Five Artists of the year and set marks that not many have ever touched.
Another Coachella is heading our way, and today, the festival has announced its official line-up. Days ago, speculative reports circulated regarding who would take the stages in California’s desert oasis. The annual festival hosts some of the world’s most popular, top-selling artists, and this year, it’s returning for two weekends that will host dozens of artists and thousands of fans.
Headliners include Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean, and each weekend is just as stacked as the others. Bad Bunny is one of the most popular artists in the world, and he’ll tackle the first weekend along with Metro Boomin, Pusha T, Burna Boy, Gorillaz, and Kaytranada.
The second weekend of Coachella hosts Blackpink at the main attraction as Kid LAROI, Rosalía, 070 Shake, and Flo Milli are also listed. Frank Ocean will close things out the third weekend with the help of A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Björk, Willow, Rae Sremmurd, Kali Uchis, and Latto.
According to a press release, “very limited Weekend 1 passes remain,” so Coachella recommends opting for Weekend 2. Presale tickets are available on Friday, January 13, at 11:00 a.m., but it “does not guarantee pass type, packages or camping.”
“YouTube returns in 2023 as the exclusive livestream partner for both Coachella weekends on our official YouTube channel,” the release added. “Delivering iconic performances, exciting behind-the-scenes content, and so much more to millions of fans around the world.”
Some fans noted that there aren’t as many Hip Hop and Rap acts as there have been in previous years. However, there are still several notable artists from the culture that will certainly command attention.
Take a look at the full 2023 Coachella line-up above, and let us know if you’ll be making any of these dates.
Celebrities, reality TV stars, and social media influencers’ favorite annual music event, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, is just months away. This year’s multi-day celebration of arts and culture is locked in for the second (April 14 to 16) and third weekend (April 21 to 23) of April. At the same time, the festival’s location is no surprise. Each year, it is held on the grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The headliners are always a fun guessing game for music lovers. As festival goers financially prepare themselves for the steep ticket price, whispers of this year’s headliners have begun to make the rounds on social media.
In 2021, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett told Los Angeles Times that he’d love to have Frank Ocean return as a headliner, given that his 2020 return to the festival was canceled due to COVID. Tollett and Ocean have since remained tight-lipped about his potential resurgence. However, with anticipation building for the festival, social media users have begun circulating a flyer of Coachella’s entire lineup.
The image has not been authenticated and should only be treated as speculation; fans are excited at the possibility of seeing Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, and Frank Ocean headlining the first weekend. Other notable acts on the graphic include Jack Harlow, Skrillex, and Lil Durk, as well as international acts Blackpink, Rosalía, Burna Boy, and Tems.
We’re only a few months away from Coachella but they’ve yet to announce their headliners. However, rumors have floated around in recent times, and it’s looking quite promising.
Per Hits Daily Double, the Coachella organizers have their sights set on an incredibly rare performer, as well as two highly sought-after international acts. Frank Ocean, Bad Bunny, and BLACKPINK. Though nothing is confirmed, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK inclusion will undoubtedly help further attract global fans to the fest.
However, the most exciting acts that might show face would be Frank Ocean. Organizers initially scheduled the ever-elusive singer to perform at the 2020 installment until COVID-19 hindered everyone’s plans.
INDIO, CA – APRIL 20: Frank Ocean performs at day 1 of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at The Empire Polo Club on April 20, 2012 in Indio, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
The festival’s co-founder Paul Tollett provided insight into Frank Ocean’s performance during an interview with the L.A. Times last year. Tollett explained Ocean wasn’t available for the 2022 dates but would hit the stage in 2023 as a headliner.
“Right now, it’s the Wild West,” Tollett said of the early announcement. “I’m just trying to be as fair as I can to artists and to the fans to make sure that eventually, they get to see everyone that we talked about.”
Over the past few years, Frank Ocean’s hinted at new music, though he’s clearly fulfilling his creative needs in other fields. For instance, he launched HOMER, a luxury jewelry and accessory brand that Drake’s taken a liking to. Still, there’s a chance that we might hear new music from him in the future. In July, he revealed that he was in a studio in Malibu over the summer. Then, he wiped out his Instagram page, which fueled further speculation.
It has been a while since music fans last saw Frank Ocean on a festival stage. In fact, the disappointment in not seeing him as the surprise headliner for Camp Flog Gnaw in 2019 prompted some fans to boo Drake when he popped out to perform his biggest hits (at Tyler The Creator’s request, no less). Ocean, who was supposed to headline Coachella last year until it was rescheduled, is notoriously cagey about… well, everything, and hasn’t been active on social media in years.
However, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett told Los Angeles Times in 2021 that the wait for Frank to headline the festival might soon be over. While admitting that the 2022 return festival (Coachella was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19) dates precluded Ocean’s performance, he predicted that Frank would be the headliner for 2023. While this year’s lineup has yet to be announced, the dates for the event — April 14-16 and 21-23 — were announced last summer ahead of the advance ticket sales. It’s expected that the lineup will be announced sometime this month, as the 2022 lineup was announced in mid-January, so staying tuned will be crucial to finding out if Frank will follow through on Tollett’s pronouncement.
Of course, if Frank is headlining Coachella this year, that begs another question: Will he also release a new album this year to go along with the performance? He cleared all his Instagram posts last September, which has traditionally been an indicator of big-name artists entering new “eras” but with Frank, who loves to move in mystery, all bets are best left off the table until he shows his hand.
