After months of suspense on Frank Ocean’s long-awaited new album Boys Don’t Cry, the artist on Monday shared some news — that he can saw wood.
The mellow hip-hop star put on his website a mysterious livestream that appeared to show him doing woodwork next to two tables and amplifiers.
Little else was clear about the livestream, which by afternoon showed the room was empty and the only sound was static.
Fans on social media speculated about the meaning, with one theory being that Ocean was explaining that he was still working on the album.
Ocean has revealed little about Boys Don’t Cry other than the title. His website shows a library due-date card with a series of dates; the only future one is November 13, raising speculation that is the album’s release date.
Ocean won wide acclaim for his 2012 debut album Channel Orange, which defies easy classification by bringing together R’n’B, jazz and funk with Ocean’s gentle, often-falsetto voice.
Much of the album revolves around feelings of first and unrequited love. Ocean later revealed that his first love was a man, a rare openness in the often macho world of hip hop that led stars including Jay Z to applaud him for coming out.
At least one sign was unambiguous on his website’s livestream — the logo of Apple Music, the streaming service of the tech giant.
Apple Music has sought out exclusives as it tries to challenge streaming leader Spotify, although it was unclear if Boys Don’t Cry will be among them.
Canadian rapper Drake initially made his Views, the top-selling album released this year in the United States, an exclusive on Apple Music and Apple’s iTunes.
Music-streaming service Tidal, led by Jay Z, has also had initial exclusives for some of the biggest releases this year — Beyonce’s Lemonade and Rihanna’s Anti.
