Frank Ocean(born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. Several music critics have credited him as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, among other accolades. Both of his studio albums have been listed on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).

Frank's Musical Career

Ocean began his musical career as a ghostwriter before joining the Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future in 2010. His debut studio album, the eclectic Channel Orange (2012), incorporated elements of R&B and soul music. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the album earned nominations for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album. Its lead single, "Thinkin Bout You," earned a nomination for Record of the Year. In 2013, Time named him one of the world's most influential people.

Blond cover photo

After a four-year hiatus, Ocean released the visual album Endless (2016) to fulfill contractual obligations with Def Jam. He released his second studio album, Blonde, independently the following day.

Expanding on Ocean's experimental approach, Blonde received critical acclaim, debuted atop the US Billboard 200, and ranked first on Pitchfork's Best Albums of the 2010s Decade list. After 2017, Ocean released sporadic singles, worked as a photographer for magazines, launched the fashion brand Homer, and started Homer Radio. Fifteen of Ocean's songs entered the Billboard Hot 100, and four of his releases (singles or albums) earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).