7 Christian Artists for Frank Ocean Lovers
Hello. Are you okay?
Do you need some water? I just saw you there waiting for the next Frank Ocean album. It looks like you’ve been waiting for quite a long time.
While you wait patiently, I’ve got some Christian artists who embody a Frank Ocean-type sound that you may be interested in listening to.
I got a playlist of Frank Ocean-type Christian music for you at the end of this blog.
1. Antoine Bradford
This singer-songwriter blends his sweet sultry voice against the backdrop of acoustic, folk, and smooth rock instrumentation. His knack for touching and deeply personal monologues to God culminates in a sound that exudes a range of emotions. With his recent work, he has begun experimenting with more sounds, which is great because I would love to hear his voice over more layered and dynamic production in a similar fashion to Blond.
Heavy FRANK vibes on this one!
Here’s a playlist of Christian Music for you Frankie fans.
Back to the list…
2. Shua
His first record, Little Black Wolf, is a searing sharp yet reverence-bearing commentary on the cultural response to the era of BLM, acknowledging the pain and the hurt that came from that time but also providing a healthy lens. There are some cool-sounding smooth rock songs on this record and the lower tone in his slightly raspy voice brings a lot of earthy Lenny Kravitz soul to his work.
3. Sondae
Alternative R&B for the win! Sondae, a UK artist, has taken the world by storm with his brand of alternative R&B. Granted Christian R&B has been poppin’ for a little under a decade, he offers a distinct voice with a distinguished visual presentation that merits an invested listen. His albums are also more conceptually driven than that of his peers.
4. Lani Rose
I don’t know much about this guy yet. He has some great songs though. He opened up for Montell Fish on tour, which is saying something. His sound fits and I hope he continues to make great music.
*These next few artists are more mature recommendations, so be cautious.
5. Dave James
This guy mainly sits in the background as a producer, songwriter, and vocalist for artists like Ari Lennox. With his discography, he’s got a smooth raspy voice that pairs well with his alternative-soaked R&B tunes. dave James writes from the perspective of every male character who goes through the ups and downs of relationships. This includes anything from getting your girl taken from you or failing to be able to effectively communicate with a loved one.
The only thing that makes his music a bit more mature is his menace of a friend, Foggieraw. lol
I feel like “The Nerve” and “Songs for Women” could be companion pieces.
6. Courtney Orlando
Orlando, formerly known as, JR, is a veteran within Christian rap holding production credits on some of the best records of the past decade. Similarly to Frank, his solo releases have been few and far between. His most recent work, Things Below has been a wealth of brutal honesty concerning the state of his mental health and recent tragedies experienced over the past few years. His voice is like a combination of John Legend and Kenna.
*With this honesty comes some explicit language, so you have been warned.
7. Xavier Omar
You might be thinking, “Why is Xavier on this list?” In his earlier music career, he was the legendary Christian-experimental pop artist, SPZRKT. growing up a fan of Christian hip hop he noted the lack of subject matter when it came to relationships. Through a series of genre-bending albums and mixtapes, he brought a new angle on how a Christian artist can express themselves emotionally. in keeping with that mission, his mainstream releases over the past few years have only doubled down on that concept.
