Secretive RnB singer Frank Ocean has released a new album on Apple Music, called Blonde.
The album, which was expected to be called Boys Don't Cry, arrives after Ocean live-streamed a separate visual album titled Endless.
While his critically acclaimed album Channel Orange was released under The Island Def Jam Music Group, Blonde's label is now credited as Boys Don't Cry.
Ocean posted a statement on his tumblr this morning, detailing the way fame, driving and his boyhood influenced the album.
He later posted a short message of gratitude to his fans.
"I had the time of my life making all of this. Thank you all. Especially those of you who never let me forget I had to finish. Which is basically every one of ya'll. Haha. Love you," he wrote.
Ocean's website was updated this morning with a mysterious image headed "blonde," above a warped rendition of the words "Boys Don't Cry".
The image is headed "blonde", with the main image a warped rendition of the words "Boys Don't Cry".
At the bottom are four addresses of locations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and London.
A Google Maps search of the addresses reveals each location is a news and magazine stand: Centrefold International, LA; Mulberry Iconic Magazines, New York; Charlotte Street News, London and Chicago-Main Newstand, Chicago.
A source who went to the LA address told Newshub there were free Frank Ocean magazines containing CDs ready for people who showed up.
All signage were said to have been removed and replaced with Boys Don't Cry images.
The source said they are stunned that hundreds of magazines and CDs were distributed to four cities without the album leaking.
The album comes shortly after Ocean released his new music video 'Nikes' on Apple Music overnight (NZ time).
The video is heavy in dreamy imagery, featuring nudity, a cameo from hip-hop artist A$AP Rocky and a rapping Chihuahua.
Ocean addresses violence against black youth in the song and gives a nod to Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in 2012, with the lyric "RIP Trayvon, that n**** look just like me."
Album hype has surrounded Frank Ocean since it was reported in late July that his third album would be released that week. Instead, a live stream of an empty room rolled out on Ocean's website.
On Thursday, Ocean returned to the live stream and played the surprise visual album Endless.
Ocean is active on his tumblr account, where he recently shared a personal letter expressing his sadness over the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Newshub.
