The Weekend album is fire

Musicians have many ways of displaying how fame has affected them. And now, The Weeknd has created an album with a theme centered around that very idea.

“Starboy” is The Weeknd’s third studio album, and prior to its release the title track produced by the legendary Daft Punk has already reached radio airplay as the album’s leading single.

Starboy includes 18 total tracks, which is on the larger side of albums recently released by such popular artists. Loaded with plenty of bass and captivating melodies, this album has a sound that is consistent with that of The Weeknd’s last album, but that also pushes into some new directions. “Love To Lay” is one of the record’s upbeat songs, and fans of his last few hits will likely hear the similarity to “Can’t Feel My Face” and “In The Night,” since all of these songs share the same producer, Max Martin.

This is also true with “Rockin,’ ” “A Lonely Night,” and “Ordinary Life,” all of which showcase groovy beats guaranteed to make listeners bob their head or snap their fingers. It wouldn’t surprise me if any one of these songs – if not several – found its way onto the radio or even the Billboard charts.

On the flip side, songs like “Reminder” and the collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, “Sidewalks,” dive deeper into The Weeknd’s R&B influence. In addition, Lana Del Rey returns for a brief interlude in the middle of the album after being featured on “Beauty Behind The Madness,” and the popular rapper Future is featured on the song “All I Know.”

What’s even more impressive about this production is that Daft Punk, who are infamous for have so few releases over very long periods, worked on not one, but two, tracks on the album, placed at the very beginning and the end. The second Daft Punk collaboration, “I Feel It Coming,” is one that can immediately be identified as a hit from the late Michael Jackson. Personally, this song is my favorite on the entire album, largely because of its nostalgic and euphoric sound, plus it leaves the listener on nearly the same note as the first track with the high collaborative production value given by the French electronic duo.

This new album is a shimmering example of modern R&B but also with a plentiful variety of pop-crossover, and several tracks on Starboy show potential for becoming additional hit singles for the highly successful pop singer.

Advocate Staff