The Weeknd is back with a new record and man, it is crazy how far he has come. You can't deny he has become a huge influence in the past decade in the R&B/Pop scene. Awhile I've enjoyed most of Abel's work, I am always wondering if he gonna switch up his sound or we gonna get the same old Weeknd with each release. Not saying I was getting bored but sometimes it can be a bit repetitive. The singles leading up to the release gonna get gave us a hint that maybe we were gonna get something different. "Heartless" I enjoyed but it does sound like your typical Weeknd track, Metro Boomin handles production and it is very upbeat and also dark when the hook comes in. "Blinding Lights" I really loved with the '80s electro-pop production. I can picture this being in the vice city soundtrack or a lot of movie trailers in the future. The titled track gives me a mix of the trilogy series with hints of "Kissland" and I fucking love the build-ups in this track when it goes from verses to the hook. So how do I feel about the rest of the album?
This is the first Weeknd album in a while that not only do I love but also where I didn't skip that many tracks like his previous work. The first tracks I do enjoy synth-style production but Weeknd's vocals are not mixed that well. I first heard this album, I wasted off my mind and was wondering "is it my drunk ass or the vocals are so low and buried?" Once I sobered up the next day it was the mixing and not my drunk ears. Despite the rough start to this album, everything else is fantastic. "Hardest to Love" sounds like something from the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack or an anime outro with the airy bass and drums. Abel's vocals feel like your floating in the clouds. "Snowchild" is a very dark track, with him singing about his past with substance abuse. He has sung about topics about drugs and women many times, it is his whole shtick but him sounding vulnerable makes everything great. "Escape From LA" another dark track, about how the city of LA has influenced his rocky relationship with his partner and wants to move somewhere where it can repair the relationship and also himself too. Very heart-wrenching performance, bridge of the track is a highlight here. Metro did a wonderful job on the boards, hopefully, he works with more R&B artists in the future.
"Faith" is a very interesting track with somber lyrics over a trap banger beat. He compares him getting high to losing your faith, I a lot of pain and agony in this song, especially him saying if I OD please OD with me and let us smile awhile you hold me. Jesus man. The beat in the outro does fade into some ambient synths and it does transition well into "Blinding Lights". "In Your Eyes" switches these up and it is more upbeat, sounds like a leftover from his album "Starboy" but that's fine. It's a simple song about pouring your feelings to your lover and connecting by looking into her eyes, also nice saxophone performance at the end.
"Save Your Tears" is like what if Weeknd worked with Tame Impala, and this is a perfect track to drive in the city on a nice summer night. It is easily the most upbeat track vocally too as well so it is a nice change of pace. The interlude does grant you that wish cause Kevin Parker on Tame Impala handles production and he opens up the track. It is basically "Skeletons" from "Astroworld" but a Pt.2. "Until I Bleed Out" ends the album with The Weeknd bleeding out and has given up from all his efforts with his emotions to repair his relationship and he just accepts defeat and has to move on.
Final Thoughts are this album is great. I love this whole reinvention of The Weeknd of him going down the path of using the whole 80's synth-pop sound, sure awhile the lyrics are your typical Weeknd lyrics, I give it credit for him being more vulnerable and switching up his whole sound with his new look and rollout of him being in vegas in videos and promos. I don't have many complaints here beside the first two tracks. I am curious where Weeknd goes from here, will it continued down this new path, switch it up again or go back to his original sound? I am not sure but I am always keeping my eyes and ears (Sober and Drunk) open.
"Faith" is a very interesting track with somber lyrics over a trap banger beat. He compares him getting high to losing your faith, I a lot of pain and agony in this song, especially him saying if I OD please OD with me and let us smile awhile you hold me. Jesus man. The beat in the outro does fade into some ambient synths and it does transition well into "Blinding Lights". "In Your Eyes" switches these up and it is more upbeat, sounds like a leftover from his album "Starboy" but that's fine. It's a simple song about pouring your feelings to your lover and connecting by looking into her eyes, also nice saxophone performance at the end.
"Save Your Tears" is like what if Weeknd worked with Tame Impala, and this is a perfect track to drive in the city on a nice summer night. It is easily the most upbeat track vocally too as well so it is a nice change of pace. The interlude does grant you that wish cause Kevin Parker on Tame Impala handles production and he opens up the track. It is basically "Skeletons" from "Astroworld" but a Pt.2. "Until I Bleed Out" ends the album with The Weeknd bleeding out and has given up from all his efforts with his emotions to repair his relationship and he just accepts defeat and has to move on.
Final Thoughts are this album is great. I love this whole reinvention of The Weeknd of him going down the path of using the whole 80's synth-pop sound, sure awhile the lyrics are your typical Weeknd lyrics, I give it credit for him being more vulnerable and switching up his whole sound with his new look and rollout of him being in vegas in videos and promos. I don't have many complaints here beside the first two tracks. I am curious where Weeknd goes from here, will it continued down this new path, switch it up again or go back to his original sound? I am not sure but I am always keeping my eyes and ears (Sober and Drunk) open.
Favorite Tracks: Hardest To Love, Escape From LA, Snowchild, Blinding Lights, After Hours, Heartless, Scared To Live, Faith, Save Your Tears
Least Favorite Tracks: Too Late
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