Frank Ocean made a rare appearance publicly over the weekend, performing for thousands at the annual Coachella Music Festival.
The performance was highly anticipated because the singer rarely performs and hasn’t released a new album since he dropped Blonde in 2016.
Frank was supposed to headline Coachella in October 2020. However, the pandemic ultimately scrapped the festival altogether.
As a result, Frank’s performance was three years in the making.
After the big performance arrived, the critically-acclaimed artist received criticism from publications like Variety magazine.
As for Frank’s loyal fans, they seemed to have a favorable impression of their favorite artist and his performance as a whole.
Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance receives criticism
Frank Ocean arrived on the stage 57 minutes late, stepping on the stage after a performance by Bjork.
According to Variety, the singer appeared behind a wall of people, which made him hard to see. The publication also said Frank and his band were too far from the crowd.
Another complaint was that Frank had long pauses between his songs.
Finally, the publication said that Frank’s performance was incohesive.
While some critics may have found the performance disorienting, fans seemed more appreciative.
Fans go crazy for Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance
Frank performed a unique rendition of White Ferrari from his album, Blonde. This rendition marked the first time Frank performed White Ferrari, a beautiful ballad with a soulful feel.
A social media account dedicated to the Odd Future creator shared a clip from the White Ferrari performance. The clip showed the visually stunning nature of Frank’s set. Best of all, the clip allowed fans to hear Frank’s beautiful voice.
The tweet accompanying the post read, “Frank Ocean performing White Ferrari for the first time ever at Coachella (2023).”
The video quickly received thousands of views as content from the evening slowly surfaced.
One fan appeared impressed at Frank’s vocal prowess.
The fan wrote, “the beat does not match with franks voice or lyrics whatsoever yet it still sounds so good?? i dont understand franks musical genius.”
Another fan felt moved by Frank’s musical genius.
The fan wrote, “this was actually incredible and the best part of his performance. it made me tear up. he sounds so good.”
Meanwhile, another Twitter user just wanted to know who recorded the clip. The user wondered, “who recorded this? it’s the perfect angle.”
So, while not all critics may have been pleased with the lighting or the cohesiveness of Frank’s performance, the people who mattered, his fans, were thrilled.