How Frank Ocean Triumphs Without Even Trying

Pitchfork Contributing Editor Jayson Greene lays out the case for why Frank was able to win 2017 without releasing an album.

Throughout the piece, Greene walks through the summer festival dates, Frank's singles, and collaborations. Here's the intro:

Frank Ocean offered two vital and contradictory performances in 2017. On the main stage, he once more played the guy sitting this one out—there he was, canceling headlining performances at major festivals around the world, ghosting on expectant audiences. If he did appear, he was wearing headphones, sometimes sitting down, and avoiding all eye contact: He didn’t cultivate a crowd so much as gather eavesdroppers. This is a maddening standby of his, one his fans depend on even as it denies them a chance to be near their hero. Without his serene indifference to stardom and any of its attendant demands, he wouldn’t be their hero.

Read the full thing on Pitchfork.