Blonde delves even further into Ocean’s creeping sense of mortality than Endless, but with the kind of focused songwriting and production values befitting the intense level of fan expectation that preceded its release.
Past Chance the Rapper releases seemed inspired by Kanye West's The College Dropout, whereas Coloring Book has the celebratory and playful feel of Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III - densely packed with metaphors, flow and tempo change-ups, and summer-jam-worthy songs.
Combined with Anohni's trembling and vulnerable vibrato, its grandiose sounds crescendo into a sprawling political epic that could inspire spontaneous bursts of interpretive dance.
Most pop stars are content with a me-against-the-world mentality, but The Life Of Pablo posits a mantra more like me-against-myself, expressed as a mainline rush of gospel, rap, soul, house, noise and pop, and full of digressions into the highest highs and lowest lows.