Frank Ocean has come out of the shadows with his new single titled “DHL,” which was released on Oct. 19. The release of this new single marks two years since his last original song and over three years since his last album, Blonde, was released. The irregularity of his discography is something fans have acclimated themselves to since Ocean first came into the limelight. However, there are rumors that this track is just a foreshadow of his next album.
“DHL” premiered on the artist’s latest episode of the “blonded RADIO” broadcasted through the Beats 1 radio show. The track is now available on multiple streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. The single was collaboratively written with Frank Ocean, George Jones, Jennifer Ivory, Starleana Taylor, Stephen Washington and Alexander Ridha, a German DJ commonly known by his stage name, Boys Noize. The producers behind this record include Ocean, Boys Noize and Senior Vice President of A&R for Columbia Records, Noah Goldstein.
According to Variety Magazine, Ocean experienced conflicts with his then record label Def Jam. Following the release of his album Endless, he left the label to release Blonde with Apple Inc. Officials from Def Jam and parent company Universal were allegedly furious about Ocean’s decision to release Blonde independently. However, fans and critics alike say that this album was the epitome of Ocean’s lyricism and musical artistry.
As for “DHL,” there were possible hints for the release dating back to 2017. Ocean made a post on his Instagram page featuring the international courier company, DHL’s, commercial aircraft captioning it “If I ever buy a plane.” Some claim that there were other clues, such as in his interview earlier this year with GQ in which he said, “I feel very blessed, grateful, and excited, happy chemicals rushing through my veins, when I walk into my apartment and I’ve got FedEx, DHL, UPS boxes, Worldnet boxes. As simple as that is. My box cutter is greasy from all the tape.” Ocean’s fascination with mail and delivery services may be a factor in the title of his new record; however, people have gone to Twitter with their conspiracies that “DHL” is a sneak peek into his next album.
The cover of the single includes a black and white image of what seems to be Frank Ocean sitting in a chair with one hand raised, a bag over his head, and weights on his ankles. Aside from that visual, the background is blue and features “DHL” in big, bubble letters with colorful, electric volts surrounding the text. The conspiracies come in at the bottom of the cover, displaying 13 icons, with the fourth icon resembling the cover image being highlighted. Some say this is an allusion to his upcoming album, with “DHL” being the fourth track.
According to CNN, Frank Ocean’s radio show on Beats 1 also previewed two more singles titled “Dear April” and “Cayendo,” currently available for purchase on his website. Although no album plans have been disclosed or confirmed, fans can revel in his musical resurrection and decision to get back in the studio.
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