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Frank Ocean Releases a Visual Album,
With More to Come

By JOE COSCARELLI AUG. 19, 2016

Frank Ocean is taking delayed gratification to a new level with the extended release of his new album.

On Thursday night, two weeks after the expected on-sale date for this experimental R&B singer’s second LP — and more than a year after a previously teased release date for the album, thought to be called “Boys Don’t Cry” — Mr. Ocean proved once again to be unpredictable: Instead of a standard digital drop of new songs, he released “Endless,” a 45-minute “visual album” available for streaming exclusively via Apple Music.

The extended video — reminiscent of Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” in length — features multiple likenesses of Mr. Ocean, in black and white, undertaking a construction project in what appears to be a warehouse. It is scored by previously unheard music from him, and he proceeds to build a spiral staircase in the middle of the room. The finished video resembles a stream that has played on and off for weeks on boysdontcry.co, a website affiliated with Mr. Ocean’s new album.

The credit sequence for “Endless” lists 18 songs, including two ambient interludes and a cover of “At Your Best (You Are Love)” by the Isley Brothers. Other song titles include “Alabama,” U-N-I-T-Y,” “Commes Des Garcons,” “Wither,” “In Here Somewhere,” “Sideways,” “Mine,” “Hublots,” “Slide on Me,” “Florida,” “Deathwish (ASR),” “Rushes,” “Rushes To” and “Higgs.” Mr. Ocean is listed as the director, executive producer and creative director.

Featured artists include Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, who provided string orchestration, the producer Arca, the singer-songwriter Alex G, and the vocalists Jazmine Sullivan and Sampha.

Those expecting a conventional album may have a bit more waiting to do — a representative for Apple Music said in a statement that fans should “keep an eye out this weekend for more from Frank.” The release is also expected to include a printed publication called “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Mr. Ocean has not released an album since his widely hailed debut, “Channel Orange,” in 2012. He first announced the title for his follow-up three years ago and has surfaced in song only intermittently since, appearing as a vocalist or songwriter on albums by Kanye West and James Blake.