Frank Ocean - Was Frank Ocean's Confession Planned For Album Release?

Def Jam President Joie Manda reckons not, insisting "You have to understand that Frank's letter last week was in No Way intended to impact the marketing of this record. Like all things with Frank, it was a carefully measured, very personal decision." A booker for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon went on to explain that his appearance on Jimmy Fallon's show had been planned for two months and that it was always the label's intention to release Channel Orange digitally after the appearance. In an email to Entertainment Weekly, the booker confirmed "The announcement of the early digital release was part of the plan from the very beginning."

There's no doubting that the buzz created by Frank Ocean's open confession about his first love being a man will have helped bring attention to him as an artist. Speaking on behalf of Def Jam, though, Mand said simply that they label's plans for Ocean "remain the same: to support Frank Ocean's creativity and artistry and allow him the freedom to continue building the very special relationship he's cultivated with his fans."