Frank Ocean is writing a novel, according to leaked press release

Frank Ocean wearing a white T-shirt, red Polo shorts, and gold wrist watch, sitting a wood table, typing on a Smith Corona Ghia Super G portable orange typewriter.

Frank Ocean with a typewriter in 2012 (Tumblr: @frankocean).

An unpublished press release has revealed that Frank Ocean is working on a book, in addition to his forthcoming album and magazine, Boys Don’t Cry. A Reddit user discovered the info in a hidden JavaScript file linked on Calvin Klein’s website, following Ocean’s appearance in the fashion brand’s fall 2016 #MyCalvins advertising campaign. The company removed the text from their source code after it attracted attention online; however, the unreleased statement—dated July 7, 2016—previously read as follows:

Frank Ocean is one of the most artistic and enigmatic musicians working today. Though it has been more than four years since he released his debut studio album, Channel Orange, interest in Ocean hasn’t waned. Instead, it’s increased.

He is known for being a perfectionist, and a pursuant of creativity in all forms. He resists pressure and follows his own vision. He has published a magazine and worked on a novel while continuing to perfect his highly anticipated second [studio] album.

Ocean shuns interviews and social media, and prefers instead to speak through his work. He has said that when it comes to understanding music, the most important thing is to just press play.

Ocean is a powerful storyteller, using his own openness and honesty to create an emotionally intimate world in each of his songs. With his craft, his aim is not money, power, or fame, but to grow, progress, evolve, and eventually be the absolute best.

So while he continues to work on that, we’ll continue to wait, as long as it takes, because when Frank Ocean does something, he does it right. The wait will be worth it.

Previously, Ocean expressed interest in authoring a book back in 2012, writing on Tumblr:

I wanna write a novel about twins, some type of nature-versus-nurture tale… I’ve said that to a neighbor before. It’s an open-ended idea.

Ocean himself is an avid reader and has referenced various authors on his blog over the years. The work-in-progress would be his first long-form literary project. Beyond the aforementioned post, he has yet to publicly acknowledge its existence, much less its release date; however, if he ever finishes the novel, hopefully—as the press release states—“the wait will be worth it.”


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