This infuriated and delighted fans in equal measure. It forced communal listening, but it also created a digital black market.

And for those of us who were there, clicking "Download" on that mysterious Mega link at 2 AM, it was worth every second. If you currently have an Endless zip from 2016 named frank_ocean_endless_FINAL(2).zip , please check the bitrate. If it’s below 320kbps, delete it and find the 2017 vinyl rip. Your ears (and Frank’s harmonies) will thank you.

By 2016, Frank was contractually obligated to deliver one more album to Def Jam. He had no intention of giving his magnum opus ( Blonde ) to a label he felt stifled by. So, he engineered a loophole.