The songs are dark, brooding and mysterious but they gleam with insight and tactful storytelling. Leveraging momentum from his 2015 release and swagger from his new haircut seems like fair play, and he has done just that. Yet, Tesfaye set out to show the world how versatile and talented he can be. Yes there may be a few dull moments in the 18 tracks he spent trying to do everything. Yes he may have been lost at times coming down from the high and re-gaining feeling in his face. The background vocals are so perfectly Daft Punk and the middle break down could make most women set down their mimosa to grab you for a dance before exploding into the soulful and glistening last chorus and outro. The album closes out with another Daft Punk feature, “I Feel It Coming.” This four-on-the-floor driven track has a super simple, but tasty bass line that feels like it will make it’s way to your summer poolside party. His voice steadily drives the melody and reminds me of Jason Derulo’s dance and hip-hop inspiration. “A Lonely Night” moves through an uplifting, 90s sounding groove that is sure to be a crowd-pleasing clap along. It showcases Tesfaye’s vocal talents, and comparatively, the instrumentation is clean and dry making for a fairly straight forward, driving and powerful track. “True Colors” leans toward the slow RnB of R. An edgy pop song that feels like someone’s walking suspiciously in the dark, in all black, hoodie up.
The song is grooving and laid back with catchy, sarcastic vocals. The album starts off with the title track “Starboy”, which features Daft Punk and amassed over 17 million streams in its first 3 days. The silky smooth, 18 song album features peaceful & melodic vocals that bounce over luxurious downtempo digital beats and deep bass. There is a shocking list of 22 producers and he collaborates with Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk (on 2 songs), Future and Kendrick Lamar but Tesfaye claims that he was still mostly in control. Starboy is surely more commercial than 2015’s Beauty Behind the Masses, but in this case, it doesn’t feel like such a bad thing. His distinct flare allows him to appeal to the masses without becoming too much of a cookie-cutter pop singer. I think even the biggest critics of typical pop music might find themselves accidentally singing along to these songs at clubs and weddings. He is, without doubt, a “pop-artist” but he does it in a way that makes him hard to dislike. The 26 year-old, Canadian singer has been a key contributor to today’s modern pop sound. Tesfaye eloquently presents his unique version of future soul lined with a touch of romance, mischief and enchantment in his third studio album, Starboy. By now, The Weeknd has earned his right to experiment with his sound and release something that tells us who he really is. Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd, was propelled full-throttle onto the pop scene when his massive 2015 hit, “I Can’t Feel My Face” stole the hearts of listeners and found its way to every radio and at the top of the charts. Who is Abel Tesfaye? This isn’t something you’ll be hearing this year. Republic Records / Universal Music Canada