Frank Ocean Makes History As Independent Artist Thanks To Streaming Numbers

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.0K Views
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Frank Ocean performs at the 2017 Panorama Music Festival on Randall's Island in New York on July 28, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Even though he hasn't dropped a full-length project in over seven years, the former Odd Future superstar is as beloved and popular as ever.

Frank Ocean is a complex leader in the art world, as he is as mysterious and reserved as he is beloved and sought-after. Moreover, this unique position and the strength of his incredible and consistently quality discography made him one of the most popular artists working today. Now, the former Odd Future crooner became the most streamed independent artist of all time after reaching over 14 billion streams on Spotify (note: he wasn't always independent). When folks shared this news online, many reacted with more theories as to when he will finally drop his full-length follow-up to 2016's Blonde. Those are as unfounded as ever, but things may change very soon.

Furthermore, die-hards went into a frenzy earlier this year when Frank Ocean teased not one, but two new songs over the course of a few days. Sonically, they seem quite sparse, cavernous, chilled-out, and minimal, while nonetheless displaying some vocal charisma and engaging soundscapes. Of course, this didn't really manifest into anything, but fans hope that there will be much more to chew on in 2024. After all, the 36-year-old couldn't have performed at Coachella this year and teased a new project for nothing, right? ...Right?

Frank Ocean Reaches Massive Milestone As Independent Artist

Regardless, this whole debacle actually turned quite ironic recently thanks to an interaction with another artist who's infamous for not dropping music. Playboi Carti posted a screenshot of a DM he allegedly sent Frank Ocean asking for him to drop the snippet that he teased, and thus, he promoted both of their rollouts and social media activity. If there's anyone that can convince a hibernating beast to leave their cave, maybe it's their mate snoozing right next to them. As such, hopefully this inspires some more movement in this regard, or at least gives him more motivation to keep going.

Meanwhile, that motivation is something that the "Lens" icon provided to none other than the one and only André 3000. Not only did he listen and give his thoughts on his new album New Blue Sun before it came out, but 3 Stacks also spoke recently about how it was a "blessing" for artists like Frank to give him feature spots after his career started to wrap up. Here's hoping he's not in that phase yet. For more news and the latest updates on Frank Ocean, the most streamed independent artist of all time, stick around on HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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