Frank Ocean released two new singles last night, Friday, April 2. "Dear April" and "Cayendo" are the first pieces that Ocean has released since his two 2019 singles, "In my Room" and "DHL." The release of these songs has fans anxiously waiting for a new album since Frank has not released a full-length album since 2016's insanely successful Blond. Are "Dear April" and "Cayendo" on the same level as Frank Ocean's past works?
THE SOUND
Both of the new singles do not shy away from Frank Ocean's classic mellow organ sounds, as he uses the rich organ throughout the entirety of the pieces. "Dear April" and "Cayendo" were marketed as the acoustic version, hinting that there may be non-acoustic versions in store for his fanbase, possibly similar to the musical complexity of "In my Room" and "DHL." There's undoubtedly no other melody vibe that Frank Ocean does better than the one used in the recent singles. If you like the Blond album, then you are sure to like this. Though the melody is executed well, the similarity to the Blond album is slightly disappointing. Because of this, Intersect gives "Dear April" and "Cayendo" an 8/10 on a 1-10 rating scale for sound.
THE SINGING With an angelic voice like Frank Ocean's, it's impossible to mess up the vocals. There was no lack of vocal perfection for both "Dear April" and "Cayendo," with Ocean hitting the notes so perfectly with his impressive vocal range, even as he sings in Spanish on "Cayendo." His voice packs so much emotion and beauty into the singles that it would be plain wrong to give him anything less than a 10/10 on the 1-10 rating scale for singing.
THE ART BEHIND THE SINGLES
Starting with "Dear April," Frank Ocean gave us another love ballad that we can add to our collections. The lyrics focus on how a relationship can change two people forever but also references how relationships can die out. In this song, Ocean is pleading for his lover to take the relationship and make it something new again, out of fear that they have lost their spark. In "Cayendo," (which literally translates to "falling") Frank Ocean sings the chorus in Spanish, speaking of the infidelity that he has experienced with his partner, yet still maintaining love for them, even throughout betrayal. He goes on to sing about unrequited love for this partner, something that almost everyone can relate to. Frank Ocean's specialty in songwriting is love, and that has been continued through this new music, while also incorporating new aspects, like Spanish. Intersect gives the art a 9/10 on a 1-10 scale because of the similarity to past songs.
IF YOU LIKE "DEAR APRIL" and "CAYENDO"
You'll also like: "Good Guy" from Blond album
You'll also like: "White Ferrari" from Blond album
You'll also like: "Bad Religion" from Channel Orange album
Ultimately, Intersect gives Frank Ocean's new singles a 9/10, living up to the standards that he has set from past works. Listen to them below.