Frank Ocean has sparked excitement among his fans by previewing new music on social media.
The elusive R&B singer took to his Instagram Stories on Wednesday (November 8) to share a snippet of an unreleased track, marking his first new material since 2020.
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“Playin’ way more laid back than I did when I was my younger self/ You would vent to me ’bout assumptions but they were educated guesses/ That’s why I keep spinning your block, tryna see all your sides, and your heart’s been tangled in barbed wires/ You can hand it to me, I can handle it,” he sings over sparse, spacey synthesizers.
No song title was revealed, but the snippet is 60 seconds long. The full version appears to clock in at almost four minutes.
Frank Ocean fans quickly flocked to social media to share their enthusiasm over the teaser, with many taking it as a sign that his long-awaited musical return is on the horizon.
“I CANT EVEN FUCKING EXPLAIN THE FEELING M FEELING RN. FRANK OCEAN. i CANT FUCKIFN BRETAHE,” one fan wrote on X.
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Another wrote: “frank ocean stans the new era is NOW upon us. we did it. the drought IS over. WE’RE SO BACK,” while someone else said: “no more played out frank ocean retirement jokes after today #AMEN.”
Frank Ocean has been unusually active on social media in recent weeks, posting multiple daily Instagram Stories since turning 36 in late October — including resharing a letter criticizing the “genocide” of Palestinians.
The Grammy-winner alluded to a new album being in the works during his headlining performance at Coachella in April.
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“It’s been so long. Everybody talks about how long it’s been,” he said on stage. “‘It’s been so long, it’s been so long.’ But I have missed you.”
“I want to talk about why I’m here, because it’s not because of a new album. It’s because — not that there’s not a new album… but there’s not right now. Chill, chill, chill. No, it’s not right now.”
Frank’s first weekend at Coachella didn’t quite go to plan, with the singer later admitting it was “chaotic.”
“It was chaotic,” he said in a statement. “There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.”
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He reportedly suffered a “serious” ankle injury prior to the show and was forced to pull out of weekend two.
Frank Ocean’s last album Blonde was released in 2016, while his most recent material arrived in 2020 in the form of the singles, “Dear April” and “Cayendo.”
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An unreleased song called “These Days” leaked online earlier this year after reportedly being purchased by a leaker for $6,200. Frank acknowledged its existence by sharing the correct lyrics in an Instagram comment.
