As Fall emerged, The Weeknd excited fans and followers with the release of two new singles and the announcement of a new album coming out soon.
He kicked off the season on September 21st with the release of his upcoming album’s title track “Starboy” featuring Daft Punk, which was immensely successful, reaching number 2 on The Billboard Hot 100.
The song drew a lot of attention, as its artwork features The Weeknd without his signature dreadlocks. He instead sported a clean-lined flat-top hairdo, which accompanied the theme of the song.
The single was unique from his usual sound in that he traded his usual slow, sultry theme for a distinct, techno, futuristic song. It highlighted electronic music duo Daft Punk’s musical influence with the title “Starboy” and lyrics, as well the use of a slight robotic echo on his voice in parts of the song.
This song was a refreshing change in sound after The Weeknd’s last album from 2015, which was exceptional but consonant throughout. He experimented with rhythm and vocals that are not usual for him, but he pulled them off quite well.
Although the song had a lot of mass appeal, however, it failed to showcase The Weeknd’s vocal capabilities, which was somewhat of a disappointment for his fans who had waited a year since “Beauty Behind the Madness” for something new from him.
Nine days after the release of “Starboy,” on September 30th, The Weeknd released another single from his upcoming album, “False Alarm.” Although it was not nearly as publicized, it still reached number 63 on The Billboard Hot 100.
Like “Starboy,” “False Alarm” is unlike The Weeknd’s signature sound. The rhythm is fast-paced and he again incorporates electronic music to give it a futuristic feel.
In “False Alarm,” however, he does utilize his vocals more, and he incorporates more of the characteristic stylistic elements his audience expects from his music. It is basically somewhat of a happy medium between “Beauty Behind the Madness,” which was his last album, and “Starboy.” Overall however, the chorus is not very catchy and the song is not particularly memorable.
The rest of the album “Starboy” is set to drop on November 25th.
The characteristics of the new singles along with his change in appearance suggest that the upcoming album will be unlike anything The Weeknd has put out before. Fans can expect differences in his overall sound and his style.
Photo from The Odyssey Online