On March 14, an unreleased Frank Ocean song surfaced in the Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Payton Talbot’s vlog. The 36-second snippet ignited a massive uproar across social media. Ocean’s preview marked a rare moment in time following his last official musical release of “Cayendo” and “Dear April” in 2020. This begs the question: is Ocean finally making his anticipated comeback to music, and if so, are fans truly respecting his privacy?
Ocean, born Christopher Edwin Breaux, is a 36-year-old singer, songwriter and more recently, founder of the luxury jewelry brand Homer. Ocean is known for being an artistic genius, paving the way for modern day rhythm and blues. He dropped his last studio album on August 20, 2016 before going on a musical hiatus, leaving fans and listeners hopelessly craving new musical releases.
In the track from the video titled “BPPV IX,” Ocean is heard hypnotically whispering, “I read your diary every line / I want to drink your words like wine,” suggesting an obsessive praise towards another — highlighting themes of intense yearning, atop a soulful strumming instrumental. This snippet most similarly resembles his other unreleased song, “Rushes,” included in the 2019 film Waves. He then goes on to say, “I’ve been stripped of a lot, much as I’ve been gifted / We got history, now all the sudden, I’m a mystery,” illustrating a sharp contrast between “stripped” and “gifted,” along with “history” and “mystery.” This narrative duality highlights themes of unpredictability and the struggles of personal growth, which are sentiments shared in his earlier release “Siegfried.”
Amira Ransome (III) shares, “I’m very excited to hear what music he has that he’s waiting to release since the new snippet that came out sounds really good! It’s been a good amount of time since he last released a song, […] so hearing a new snippet on the internet really is exciting.”
Since the start of 2025, Ocean has been increasingly more active on Instagram, with listeners and followers desperately trying to get a sneak peek into his life. Recently, on Valentine’s Day, Ocean and Talbot took to Instagram exchanging pictures of each other on their stories, sparking questions about a potential relationship. Although fans have always been quite interested in Ocean’s career, with the recent social media activity, the lines between admiration and obsession have alarmingly been blurred — reflecting a broader conversation of celebrity and artistic privacy.
Since the passing of his younger brother, Ryan Breaux, in a tragic car accident, Ocean has been especially secluded from the public eye. In his 2023 Coachella performance, Ocean addressed fans about his hiatus, stating, “[In] these last couple [of] years, my life changed so much, […] and I know [my brother] would have been so excited to be here with all of us.”
Grief has been a major driving point in his hiatus from music, along with the invasive nature from the public. From leaks of his music to relentless questioning surrounding his sexuality, his desire for privacy has been consistently disrespected. The genuine appreciation and creations of his artistry, moreover, has been lost. Fans are seemingly more caught up in his relationship status and identity rather than his music and design. Ocean has been quite vocal about this, with songs such as “Bad Religion,” “Chanel” and “Self Control,” reflecting his challenges with intersectionality and art.
Azarah Tillet (II) comments, “In general, artists and their worth […] shouldn’t be defined by their relationship but based on their craft, their dedication and whether or not you can fully immerse yourself in their music.”