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Behind the Music: The Audio Engineer

February 14, 2023

The music industry is a place full of musicians, producers, and creators who have the magical ability to make those perfect sounds we hear everyday through our digital devices. We want to listen close

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Koji Kondo: Nintendo’s Melody Maestro

February 14, 2023

What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...

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Taylor Swift on Industry Sexism and Music Rights

February 8, 2023

Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.

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What’s the Ideal Length for a Single— Are Songs Getting Shorter?

February 8, 2023

“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are

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SG Lewis: Who Is He - and What’s Next For This Rising Star?

February 6, 2023

SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely

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Lessons to Learn From the Launch Of Sam Smith’s “Unholy”

February 4, 2023

Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.

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Are Virtual Idols the Future of Music?

February 5, 2023

Virtual reality and the metaverse have become popular topics in the music industry where more and more technology and music have been combined, creating something that could revolutionize the entire

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Grammy Awards Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical: The Category Songwriters Deserve

February 5, 2023

The 65th annual GRAMMY Awards are here, and there's a long-awaited addition to the awards. This year marks the introduction of a new category: the Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical Award. For all

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How Zach Bryan’s Authenticity Makes His Music So Appealing, Even to Non-Country Fans

January 31, 2023

Zach Bryan released his first album in 2019, and in the short time since he has become one of the biggest names in country. His biggest album, “American Heartbreak”, broke single-day album streaming

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Miley Cyrus is Going to Take Over Pop in 2023

January 31, 2023

Miley Cyrus was born into the music industry, and has spent her career channelling her Nashville and Hollywood roots into a diverse discography stacked with hits. Add to that countless covers that are

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Why This Pop-Rock Band Got Hate For Starting On YouTube

January 31, 2023

Before the invention of TikTok, many music artists gained popularity through YouTube. However, similar to the TikTok stars of today, people in the music industry saw ‘YouTube bands’ as lesser because

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Will Google End Work for Music Creators with their New Music AI?

February 1, 2023

Google has done it. They have created an AI that can generate music from text descriptions. The announcement of this is timely because recently Chat GPT, (a language learning model created by OpenAI

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Frank Ocean's Timeless Appeal: Climbing the Charts Again with Hit Album Blonde

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Photo: Charles Holmes, Rolling Stone

In the ever-evolving world of music, where new stars emerge and fade with astonishing rapidity, the longevity of an artist in the charts is a testament to their enduring appeal. Frank Ocean, a revered figure in the R&B genre, exemplifies this phenomenon. Despite the conspicuous absence of new releases from Ocean in recent years, his previous albums continue to resonate deeply with listeners, climbing higher on various Billboard charts.

A Surprise Rise

This week, Frank Ocean's album Blonde achieved a new milestone, reaching its peak at No. 33 on the Billboard Top Streaming Albums chart. This is a significant leap from its previous position at No. 39. Remarkably, Blonde has been a part of this chart for 14 weeks, showing a resurgence in popularity despite its release years ago. The album’s ability to climb the charts so long after its initial release highlights a sustained interest in Ocean's work that few contemporary artists enjoy.

Beyond its achievements on the Top Streaming Albums chart, Blonde is also performing well across other Billboard rankings. It has impressively jumped from No. 51 to No. 43 on the Billboard 200, which is an all-genre list of America's most-consumed albums. According to data from Luminate, Blonde moved 17,863 equivalent units recently, marking a growth of more than 4% from the previous period. Furthermore, the album is climbing the genre-specific charts as well, sitting at No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 4 on the Top R&B Albums lists.

The Silent Influence

What makes Frank Ocean’s chart resurgence particularly noteworthy is his silence in terms of new music releases. His last major releases were the dual unveiling of Blonde and the visual album Endless. Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting new material, clinging to every hint and rumor of Ocean's possible return to the studio.

The lasting popularity of Frank Ocean's earlier albums in the fast paced music industry highlights the enduring appeal of his music. His skill in drawing out deep emotions, along with his innovative musical techniques and rich lyrics, keeps attracting listeners and inspiring new artists. Even without new releases, Ocean's influence in the music world is significant, showing that true artistic talent remains relevant over time.

As Blonde climbs the charts again, it confirms Frank Ocean's role as a leading figure in modern music, with works that continue to be influential and uplifting, going beyond the typical trends and phases of music.