Two artists, Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean, are beloved by many for their musical talent. Unfortunately, they haven’t released any official albums in a while. 

Childish Gambino released his first studio album on Nov. 15, 2011 titled, “Camp” and it was one of my favorite albums. Mainly due to the song “L.E.S.” Childish Gambino is known for his clever lyrics and creative music videos. He came to the music industry back in 2008 when he released a mixtape called, “Sick Boi” which did pretty well, but before that he was an actor, director and comedian. He started writing music because it was more of a passion for him and he wanted to express himself more. He got his unique name from a Wu-Tang clan generator in 2008 and started producing music under that name. Unfortunately though, he released his last album in 2020.

His last album is called, “3.15.20,” it’s named that because that was the day he surprised his fans by publishing the album unannounced. He later removed it 12 hours later and re-released it on March 22, 2020. Many of his fans had mixed reactions. A lot of people felt like it wasn’t his type of vibe and the genres in the album didn’t fit which led them to be disappointed that the album was his last. On the other hand, others loved it and thought it was a good album. One of his most popular songs on the album is, “Time” featuring Ariana Grande. It’s also one of my favorites.

In 2017, Gambino said in an interview that he didn’t think his music career was necessary. He also said he felt like there’s got to be a reason to do things. I understand why he felt like his music career wasn’t necessary, he was already an actor, director and comedian, but then again his music is what got him even bigger and I honestly feel like that was the most successful factor in his career. Even after saying that he did drop a few other songs like his famous hit, “This is America” in 2018, but he wasn’t really seen much in the music industry after that until 2020. We did however see him do some acting. Like in his series, “Atlanta,” so he wasn’t completely gone.

The song he made called, “This is America” really sparked the attention of many people because in the song he talks about police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement, prejudice etc. This is a very serious topic in our society and I’m glad that Childish Gambino spoke on this with a song because it got the message across to many. And more songs like this can be a part of his comeback sense it sends such a strong message.

Frank Ocean is an artist who has changed the music industry for the better. He first joined the music game in his late teens. Ocean first started as a ghostwriter for artists such as Justin Bieber and Beyoncè. Some of the songs being “I Miss You” for Beyoncè and “Scared of Beautiful” for Brandy. He rose to the spotlight when he released a mixtape of his own on Tumblr called, “Nostalgia, Ultra.” A year later in 2012, he released his second album, “Channel Orange.” Then in 2016, he released his most recent album, “Blonde.”

While many fans speculate that Ocean’s absence from music was due to the tragic death of his brother, others believe that he’ll be returning soon. The reason is that Ocean has released three singles named “Miss You So,” “Bedtime Story” and “Sucka for Love” under the alias Blondead. As a big fan myself, I hope that these rumors are true and I hope to see more of Frank Ocean this year. 

At the moment, he currently has two studio albums. His first album, “Channel Orange,” has themes that are about Ocean’s experiences with unrequited love and existential longing. His most recent album, “Blonde,” is a staple piece in every single one of my playlists. From “Nikes” to “Futura Free,” the album is a no-skip and has me singing along to every lyric. “Blonde” is about how Ocean sees his life and his identity from different viewpoints. While Ocean has two released albums, he has one that remains unreleased by the name of “Nostalgia, Ultra.” 

The impact that Frank Ocean left on music will never be forgotten. From hits such as “Pink + White” and “Pyramids,” Ocean has left his mark on R&B. With music that you can sway to and lyrics you pour your heart out on, Ocean quickly became one of the most influential artists that we see today. 

With both Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean being god tier musicians, their lyrics bring us all together. From talks reflecting on past relationships to the feeling of being in love, these two artists have paved their way through the music industry and left their marks. Hopefully, we’ll see a return from both of these artists and hopefully it is soon.