Frank Ocean is making a mockery of us all

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 06: Singer Frank Ocean performs onstage during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards at Staples Center on September 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Frank Ocean has duped us.

This August, like nearly every month in the past three years, rumors swirled that Frank Ocean would release his new album, "Boys Don't Cry."

Fans have been duped before, but this time it's different. It started when Ocean started streaming a cryptic video on his website on August 1. Below it, a library card with multiple due dates, July 2016 being the last of them. The message seemed clear: "Boys Don't Cry" was late. It's been four years since Ocean's last album, "Channel Orange." We're due for a sudden digital album drop at any second.

Then The New York Times reported a glimmer of hope: "Boys Don't Cry" would be released on Friday, August 5, according to "a person with knowledge of the release plans." It would be available exclusively on Apple Music for two weeks before becoming more widely available.

Fans spent hours obsessively watching the video for clues, calling Apple's customer service for any more details, and making memes.

I spent a few days writing a biographical sketch of Ocean, anticipating that millions of more people would become interested in the artist with the release of his long-awaited album. 

Then August 5 came. No album. Snapchat made a couple of filters, one in his famous blogging style, all caps and sometimes a screenshot, and another of a skeleton waiting for Ocean's album.

Snapchat

Planet Earth rotated. August 5 went. No album.

Fuse believes it may drop some time in November now.

Where is "Boys Don't Cry," Frank Ocean? Does it even exist? 

John Lasseter famously said that Pixar films don't get finished, they just get released.

Frank Ocean, it is time.