Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean has character. He's rare. In a world that divvies up art by genre, that constantly seeks to quantify cool, he is impossible to miss, like a panda bear in a pine forest. And over the past year or so, he's become harder and harder to ignore. Frank had long labored behind the curtain—writing for Brandy, Justin Bieber, and John Legend—but after hooking up with L.A.'s Odd Future collective, he self-released 2011's nostalgia, ULTRA. mixtape, and his own star quickly rose. Original songs like "Novacane" and "Swim Good" showcased his knack for riveting storytelling and arrangement, climbed the R&B charts, and led to collaborations with Beyoncé, and Kanye West and Jay-Z.

Pre-order his debut album here.