--- title: Frank Ocean New Album, 'Boys Don't Cry' — Collaborators, Preview description: Before Frank Ocean's album drops on Friday, here are some major things you should know about "Boys Don't Cry." canonical: https://time.com/4439541/frank-ocean-new-album-boys-dont-cry-info/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-04T21:36:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:30.743Z og:title: 5 Things You Should Know Before Frank Ocean's New Album Drops og:description: It's almost time for 'Boys Don't Cry' og:url: https://time.com/4439541/frank-ocean-new-album-boys-dont-cry-info/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a4358db501e1ad5/6988a138fb4eac843688ea11/frank-ocean-boys-dont-cry-album.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: 2014 Pemberton Music And Arts Festival og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Things You Should Know Before Frank Ocean's New Album Drops twitter:description: It's almost time for 'Boys Don't Cry' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a4358db501e1ad5/6988a138fb4eac843688ea11/frank-ocean-boys-dont-cry-album.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Five Things You Need to Know About Frank Ocean's New Album > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=9175530e-8cf3-4103-9ca9-d8fbef6012f6&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song [Watch (HLS stream): Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J4PWndMR.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2015-02-06. At the age of 74, electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder is releasing his first album in three decades._  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 4, 2016 9:36 PM UTC  Frank Ocean performs on stage during Day 3 of Pemberton Music and Arts Festival on July 20, 2014 in Pemberton, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/FilmMagic) Frank Ocean performs on stage during Day 3 of Pemberton Music and Arts Festival on July 20, 2014 in Pemberton, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/FilmMagic) Andrew Chin—FilmMagic  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 4, 2016 9:36 PM UTC [Frank Ocean album watch](http://time.com/4432730/frank-ocean-new-album-boys-dont-cry/) has never been at a more fevered pitch than it is right now. After [reports surfaced](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/arts/music/frank-ocean-boys-dont-cry-apple-release-date.html?%5Fr=0) that Ocean would be releasing [his long-awaited and highly-anticipated new record, allegedly titled _Boys Don’t Cry_](http://time.com/4413818/frank-ocean-next-album-boys-dont-cry/), on Friday, Aug. 5, [the Internet pretty much lost its mind](http://time.com/4438899/frank-ocean-new-album-boys-dont-cry-fans/). From the skeptics to the die-hard hopefuls, everyone weighed in with hot takes, theories, and research about the new album. Before (and if) the album actually drops, here’s what you should know. **The mysterious pseudo-live stream/looping video might actually be a preview of the new album**: When [Frank Ocean released a live stream](http://time.com/4432730/frank-ocean-new-album-boys-dont-cry/) in the wee hours of the morning of Aug. 1, many suspected that its grainy black and white footage and eerie instrumental music held the secrets of his new album. Alas, the live stream was later discovered to be a looping video—shot by Ocean frequent collaborator Francisco Soriano—of Frank building something while Tom Sach’s _Toyan’s_ sculpture looms in the corner (more on that below), but one ardent fan recorded the entirety of the sounds, theorizing that the video was a secret listening party. The ambient tracks would make a perfect backdrop for Ocean’s mellow vocals, so that theory is actually plausible. **Tom Sachs collaborated with Frank to make the live stream video**: Contemporary artist Tom Sachs confirmed to [_Fader_](http://www.thefader.com/2016/08/01/tom-sachs-frank-oceans-visual-art-piece-interview) that he lent Ocean his large boombox sculpture, _Toyan’s_ and advised the singer on “some carpentry issues” for the video, which was shot in the past year. If that wasn’t intriguing enough, Sachs also added fuel to the fire by disclosing that they have other projects in the work and that the pair have “an ongoing creative dialogue.” Sachs wouldn’t reveal what was being built in the video, but voiced what we are all feeling: “I speak for all mankind when I say I can’t wait to see what’s to come.” **Thanks to that livestream, the Internet seems to think that Frank Ocean is building something momentous**: Leave it to the far reaches of the internet to come up with more conspiracy theories for that livestream video, the most popular of which is that Ocean is building a spiral staircase. The theory is based on [tweets](https://twitter.com/Brakethroo/status/760158997819297792?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) sent by user @mishkwan, who heard it secondhand from a “dude at a bar.” Take it with a grain of salt. **He won’t just be releasing music**: While fans have long speculated that Frank would be releasing supplementary materials with his album, the most popular theories have been a zine (thanks to a picture posted on Ocean’s Tumblr of him with two stacks of magazines titled _Boys Don’t Cry_). One Reddit user mined info from the source code of Ocean’s recent Calvin Klein campaign on the company’s website; he claims that info points to Ocean having written a novel. However, the _New York Times_ report only confirmed a zine, which will be distributed at Apple stores with the release of the album. **The potential collaborations on the album are the things that dreams are made of**: Rumors of collaborations have been flying for years—but among the many prominent names that have surfaced, here are some of the best bets for who will end up making the trackless: **James Blake:** Blake revealed [over a series of interviews](http://time.com/4413818/frank-ocean-next-album-boys-dont-cry/) that his new album was influenced by Ocean and that it samples an unreleased Ocean song. **Chance the Rapper:** The Chicago rapper relayed to [_Complex_](http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2016/05/chance-the-rapper-waves-frank-ocean/)that the new Ocean album is a “masterpiece.” **Lil B:** The Based God [tweeted](https://twitter.com/LILBTHEBASEDGOD/status/549209857631744001?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) out a picture of himself and Frank in the studio together in 2014. **Rick Rubin, by way of Christophe Chassol:** French pianist Chassol told [_BBC_](http://www.nme.com/news/frank-ocean/85685) that the legendary hip hop producer logged in some quality studio time with him and the reclusive Ocean. **Pharrell:** Ocean told [BBC Radio 1](http://www.fuse.tv/2016/03/frank-ocean-new-album-guide-info) in 2013 that he had studio time with the stylish producer, who helped to write and produce _Channel Orange._ **Danger Mouse:** In the same BBC interview, Frank revealed he’d also got some studio time with Danger Mouse. **Tyler the Creator:** The Odd Future leader is a close friend and frequent collaborator with Frank, so it’s entirely possible that he’ll be on the new album. **Kanye West:** Ocean played a prominent role on “No Church In The Wild” on West and Jay Z’s 2011 hit album, _Watch the Throne_. He later lent his vocals to West’s 2016 track, “Wolves.” It’s reasonable to think that Yeezy could make another appearance. **Jay Z:** Frank appeared, appropriately, on Jay Z’s 2013 song “Oceans,” so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hov showed up for _Boys Don’t Cry_. **John Mayer:** Mayer played guitar for Ocean’s songs “Pyramids” and “White” on _Channel Orange_; Ocean, in turn, appeared on Mayer’s track, “Wildfire” in 2013. **Beyoncé:** Ocean appeared on Bey’s track and the music video for “Superpower” in 2013, which gives us hope that the _Lemonade_ superstar might lend her superpower to Frank’s project. ## Transcript To be honest, [ MUSIC ] for me to get a chance to do a record at my age, that's a something you have to take. You cannot say no. [ MUSIC ] It's quite different. Now it's, it's all, every single now has a manager, a producer, a vocal producer which we never had. It's a lot of involvement of a lot of people for every song, so. And the, that's I think one of the reasons it takes so long, to, to, to record and to finish. I'd like to do hopefully perfect dance of songs. Maybe the next album if there is an album maybe if there's another sound or another direction. But for this one I definitely want to have some pop. The hook has to be great, the lyrics. The rhythm, the voice. [ MUSIC ] And then the timing, you know, to have a success, if the timing is wrong, it's almost impossible. 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