Fresh off the massive success of his Grammy-nominated album "Beauty Behind the Madness," Abel Tesfaye, known by the stage name "The Weeknd," gives us his next major project: "Starboy." In his last album, we saw The Weeknd in something of a transitional state between his alternative R&B roots and his more mainstream-friendly pop sound. In this album, we see the completion of that transition, as The Weeknd embraces an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) flavor with his emotionless partier persona.
Abel has been changing in terms of his identity as a songwriter, as well. Over his last two releases, The Weeknd has developed a style of songwriting and performance many have likened to Michael Jackson, and that too has come to fruition in this release. Evidence of this can be found on the tracks that bookend this album, the title track “Starboy” and the closer “I Feel It Coming.” That being said, The Weeknd has certainly not lost all of his identity: Similar to his last album, The Weeknd is able to tie genres as wide-ranging as trap, R&B, pop, and blues, all brought together in a cohesive project by his singular voice and charisma.
Standout Tracks.
There truly are no bad songs on "Starboy," but here are some of my favorites:
- “Party Monster” is an absolute banger, a song to be played loud and then louder after that.
- “True Colors” provides a slow-down to the album and is more reminiscent of the old Abel Tesfaye than any other song on the track list.
- “Sidewalks” brings a bluesy guitar into the mix that The Weeknd has never involved in his music before. Add a verse from the best rapper working right now, Kendrick Lamar, and you have an absolute classic on your hands.
Criticisms.
Those of you who fell in love with Abel’s stark R&B crooning style on "House of Balloons" and were fans of the rest of his mixtapes that made up "The Trilogy" might not find a lot of what they originally fell in love with on this record. If you are able to accept that artists evolve, and you are open-minded to new sonic styles, "Starboy" has a lot to offer. If not, well, go listen to "The Trilogy" again.
Features.
The Weeknd handles the vast majority of the 18 tracks, making guest appearances all the sweeter when they do pop up. Daft Punk, a French electronic duo behind many mainstream hits, appear on the first and last tracks of "Starboy." And while their actual vocal contribution to these tracks is marginal, they certainly seem to have a hand in shaping Abel’s sound on this entire project.
Atlanta rap star Future features on two tracks on this album as well, sounding right at home on the dark synths and heavy basslines of “All I Know” and “Six Feet Under.” The fact Future fits so well within the contexts of these songs highlights just how strong the trap influences on certain tracks are.
Lana Del Rey lands a feature on her second straight album from The Weeknd, and the chemistry is still very much there. On paper, Lana Del Rey’s vintage pop/alt rock style should clash with Abel’s modern R&B/EDM approach. In reality, their shared aesthetic of melancholy wealth and emotionless partying results in the provocative “Stargirl Interlude.”
My favorite feature, however, belongs to Kendrick Lamar on the song “Sidewalks.” As always, King Kendrick takes a unique approach to the track while still managing to stick to the theme of the album. His verse is lyrically dense and takes several listens to understand the totality of what he is saying -- just another reminder of why he is on top of today’s hip-hop game.
The Final Verdict.
9/10. The Weeknd brings us another collection of incredibly listenable tracks, reminding everyone that he is one of the most talented voices in all of popular music today.
