While fans have been waiting for a new album, it looks like Frank Ocean is more interested in giving them an experience -- an honestly, we'll take what we can get!
In the way that he does, the artist has announced the start of a new party series only a day before it kicks off. "Starting late on Thursday 17th in New York City, Blonded debuts club night PrEP+," a press release says. Blonded is the name of Ocean's Apple Radio show which had seven episodes and ended in 2017 (though the unpredictable creative did a few special episodes in 2018). Hosted by Vegyn, Roof Access, as well as Ocean himself at times, the station was a place where the singer, rapper, and songwriter not only debuted new music, but exposed listeners to some of his favorite songs. This party seems like it might be an in-person version of that experience.
"PrEP+ is the first in a series of nights; an ongoing safe space made to bring people together and dance," the release says. "The night is named PrEP+ as an homage to what could have been of the 1980s NYC club scene if the drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) -- which can be taken daily to prevent HIV/AIDS for those who are not infected but are at high risk -- had been invented in that era." A sex positive king, we stan.
As many know, a generation of LGBTQ+ people, particularly gay men and trans women, were wiped out by the AIDS epidemic. The effects of that still linger in our communities.
This party will contain a no photo or video rule. "Consent is mandatory," the rules also state. "Zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism or any form of discrimination."
"The dance floor is for dancing."
While some reports say that the party is being hosted in collaboration with Gayletter, representatives have confirmed that it is not.
There are no details as of yet on how long the series will last, or even how one can obtain admission. The release states that ticket links will be distributed and a venue will be announced the evening of the party.
This comes only weeks after Ocean spoke about clubs in a W Magazine interview. When asked what was he looking at these days, the artist responded, "I've been interested in club and the many different iterations of nightlife for music and songs." Many of his fans assumed this meant that the artist's next album would be inspired by this type of music.
"The things I look at now have a lot to do with those scenes: Detroit, Chicago, techno, house, French electronic." Maybe, instead of the new album, this is what we can expect to be on rotation at this new party series.
In the same interview, he spoke about toying with the format of his music. "Technology for a long time has dictated what the format is, and as punk as we want to be, we're all kind of existing as recording artists inside of a technology, whether it's the software we record and edit our music on, or whether it's the medium that we press our music to distribute it," he said. "But the medium--the CD, vinyl set, or whatever--has moved to an intangible, and there's no 45-minute limit, 60-minute limit, or 120-minute limit. It's just so elastic."
Could you imagine one, unending Frank Ocean track that lasts for an entire party? A concept.
RELATED | 'Rhythm + Flow's Cakes Da Killa Is Putting on a Queer Artist Showcase
