The countdown has officially begun. At his monumentally anticipated set at this year’s 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Frank Ocean finally confirmed the existence of his next album.
While he did say we’re going to have to wait a bit before it comes out, his next masterpiece is indeed coming, his first since 2016’s earth-shattering Blonde.
“I want to talk about why I’m here, because it’s not because of a new album,” he said, before dropping the huge news: “Not that there’s not a new album…”
The crowd screamed in unison before he added, “That’s not right now. Shush, it’s not right now.”
So while the new album is definitely coming, it won’t be an immediate drop–though we can still hold out hopes that it’s coming soon.
Ocean then went on to talk about his personal struggles and growth.
“The last couple years, my life changed so much.”
He then shushed the crowd again, adding “check me out” and the entire crowd went silent to listen to what Ocean had to say next.
“My brother and I came to this festival a lot. I thought I was dragged out here a lot because I hated the dust out here, I always had a respiratory infection, I would avoid coming but I would always end up here,” he said on stage.
“One of my fondest memories was watching with my brother and Travis, and we were just dancing in that tent to their music,” added Ocean.
Ocean’s brother, Ryan Breaux, passed away at the age of 18 on August 2, 2020 in a single-vehicle car accident in Thousand Oaks, California.
“I know he would have been so excited to be here with all of us, and I wanted to say thank you for the support and the years of love over all this time.”
Frank Ocean at Coachella 2023
Ocean’s livestream was cancelled at the last minute after YouTube announced it, but clips have come online with huge demand.
On site at this year’s festival, which runs April 16 to April 23, over both weekends, signs have been put up to make people stop asking for Frank Ocean merchandise.
He performed “Bad Religion”, which you can watch part of below:
And more here:
And here’s “Thinkin Bout You”
Frank Ocean Coachella set list
Here’s Ocean’s Coachella setlist from his April 16 performance, courtesy of setlist.fm.
1. Novacane
(New Version)
2. Come On World, You Can’t Go!
(Live Debut)
3. Crack Rock
(Restarted)
4. Impietas / Deathwish (ASR)
(Live Debut, Shortened)
5. Bad Religion
6. White Ferrari
(Live Debut, New Version)
7. Florida
(Live Debut)
8. Pink + White
(Acoustic)
9. Solo
(New version)
1. Lost
(Interpolated with “Born… more )
2. Slide
(Jersey Club Remix)
3. In Ha Mood
(Ice Spice song)
4. Provider
(Jersey Club Remix)
5. In My Room
(Jersey Club Remix)
6. No Church in the Wild / Pyramids
(JAY Z & Kanye West song) (Mashup)
1. Godspeed
(Live Debut)
2. Wise Man
(New Version)
3. Night Life
(Aretha Franklin cover)
4. Self Control
(Acoustic, Frank on guitar)
5. Nikes
(Shortened)
6. Nights
(Mixed with Sango Remix)
7. At Your Best (You Are Love)
(The Isley Brothers cover) (Live Debut)