Frank Ocean has another big surprise in store for his fans. According to whispers in the Twittersphere, the Odd Future crooner will release his long-awaited Def Jam debut Channel Orange to iTunes tonight.
Ocean revealed the unexpected news during a taping of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” earlier today. The talk show host had teased a “big announcement” as well. Several fans who were in the audience leaked the news to Twitter following the taping.
“Am I allowed to say? Frank Ocean’s album is out TONIGHT on iTunes, at 12:30 AM when Fallon airs. Smart move,” wrote Lindsey, a fan who attended Monday’s taping.
Ocean’s manager Kelly Clancy also tweeted, “i wouldn’t miss frank ocean on fallon tonight…trust me… #channelorange.”
The album’s early digital release comes a week before it was originally scheduled to arrive on July 17. Physical copies still won’t hit stores until then.
During his appearance on “Late Night,” Ocean also performed “Bad Religion,” a song off Channel Orange that raised questions about his sexuality.
The 17-track follow-up to 2011’s Nostalgia, Ultra features André 3000 (“Pink Matter”), Earl Sweatshirt (“Super Rich Kids”), and John Mayer (“White”).