Frank, where’s that album at? Today is the day that Frank Ocean’s long overdue album Boys Don’t Cry is reportedly being released as an Apple Music exclusive.
Aside from the Twitterverse — which has repeatedly erupted into chatter on the cusp of each rumored drop date for the eagerly awaited LP (including today) — it seems Snapchat is also keen to hear Ocean’s new material.
The popular visual messaging app has rolled out two new filters dedicated to the pop maestro and his diligent fans. The latest filters, which were spotted by a number of Twitter users, include an OSX TextEdit window containing the words “DEAR FRANK OCEAN,” in the font used by the man himself on his Tumblr.
The second filter depicts a skeleton covered in cobwebs, with the following caption: “Waiting for Frank Ocean’s album like …” Alongside the app’s new Geostickers (introduced on Thurday), the graphics are further proof of Snapchat’s unique sense of humor.
It also demonstrates that the company has its finger on the pulse of the pop-culture landscape. After all, both Ocean and Boys Don’t Cry have been a consistent talking point on other social networks, including Twitter — where “Frank Ocean” is currently trending with 257,000 tweets posted on the topic — and Facebook. If the singer’s fans begin sharing their snaps within their tweets, and Facebook posts, that will inevitably work in Snapchat’s favor. Or maybe, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel is just a huge fan of Ocean. Who knows?
News regarding Ocean’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut Channel Orange first began to emerge in late 2012. Since then, every small nugget of information regarding the project has been lapped up by the singer’s fervent fan base. After what seemed like an endless loop of delays, Ocean dropped his biggest indication to date of the new album: an Apple Music-sponsored live-stream on his Tumblr, in which Ocean can infrequently be seen toiling next to workbenches.
The instrumental music that has been popping up in the stream is thought by many to be snippets from Boys Don’t Cry. A reliably dedicated Ocean fan has compiled the audio on SoundCloud as a respite for those who are impatiently awaiting the big moment. Will it be today? Dear Frank, please let it be today.