By: Ryan Martin
The Weeknd has changed. He is no longer the dark abrasive R&B that you heard in Trilogy. When Beauty Behind The Madness came out on August 28th, a new part of Abel Tesfaye was unleashed upon the world. When Abel first started his career, he kept to himself quite a bit. It's arguable that that's the reason why so much attention was drawn upon to him. His first three releases, House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence which altogether create the compilation album Trilogy which was released in 2012 while individually the three albums were released over the span of the year 2011. He followed up these releases with 2013's Kiss Land which as Abel describes, is more of a horror type album. It sets of a feeling of uneasiness and just feels like a dark album, production wise.
Beauty Behind The Madness is not like this. It's easy to see his new direction with 'Can't Feel My Face' which has been dubbed the song of the summer of 2015. With a thumping bass line that is truly one of a kind and gets to you like no other, it's arguably the most successful single, but this could also be due to the fact that the radio is desperately trying to force the song down everyone's throats. 'Earned It' was featured on the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack and was a massive hit. 'The Hills' and 'Often' were also very successful as well which set the album up to sell relatively well to begin with. Some albums are considered classics when they have 4 insanely successful singles. Which leads me to ask, could Beauty Behind The Madness be a classic? Potentially, but it's too early to tell.
The first three tracks on the album set the mood. The production gives off a vibe that shines through the murky harmonies Abel waded through on his first three albums. You can hear him more clearer, it almost gives him more of a face than his earlier work does. Kanye West produces the third track, 'Tell Your Friends' and he does an excellent job. Kanye's production was made for The Weeknd's voice. If you put The Weeknd on 'Hold My Liquor' off of Yeezus, it would have fit so much better than Chief Keef's forced auto-tuned vocals.
'Losers' is another one of my personal favorites. The breakdown about a minute in is amazing, Abel's vocals are perfect at a push and pull contrast, he can get you turning up and feeling high and then bring you right back down when the breakdown stops and his crooning vocals enter the scene again. He is one of the most talented singers in the game right now and this album could be a game changer for his fan base. I personally enjoyed it but fans loyal to The Weeknd since his Trilogy days may not dig the new direction he's going in. You could argue that he's evolving, or selling out. But either way, The Weeknd is going to the top, with a madness that cannot be cured.
The Weeknd has changed. He is no longer the dark abrasive R&B that you heard in Trilogy. When Beauty Behind The Madness came out on August 28th, a new part of Abel Tesfaye was unleashed upon the world. When Abel first started his career, he kept to himself quite a bit. It's arguable that that's the reason why so much attention was drawn upon to him. His first three releases, House of Balloons, Thursday & Echoes of Silence which altogether create the compilation album Trilogy which was released in 2012 while individually the three albums were released over the span of the year 2011. He followed up these releases with 2013's Kiss Land which as Abel describes, is more of a horror type album. It sets of a feeling of uneasiness and just feels like a dark album, production wise.
Beauty Behind The Madness is not like this. It's easy to see his new direction with 'Can't Feel My Face' which has been dubbed the song of the summer of 2015. With a thumping bass line that is truly one of a kind and gets to you like no other, it's arguably the most successful single, but this could also be due to the fact that the radio is desperately trying to force the song down everyone's throats. 'Earned It' was featured on the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack and was a massive hit. 'The Hills' and 'Often' were also very successful as well which set the album up to sell relatively well to begin with. Some albums are considered classics when they have 4 insanely successful singles. Which leads me to ask, could Beauty Behind The Madness be a classic? Potentially, but it's too early to tell.
The first three tracks on the album set the mood. The production gives off a vibe that shines through the murky harmonies Abel waded through on his first three albums. You can hear him more clearer, it almost gives him more of a face than his earlier work does. Kanye West produces the third track, 'Tell Your Friends' and he does an excellent job. Kanye's production was made for The Weeknd's voice. If you put The Weeknd on 'Hold My Liquor' off of Yeezus, it would have fit so much better than Chief Keef's forced auto-tuned vocals.
'Losers' is another one of my personal favorites. The breakdown about a minute in is amazing, Abel's vocals are perfect at a push and pull contrast, he can get you turning up and feeling high and then bring you right back down when the breakdown stops and his crooning vocals enter the scene again. He is one of the most talented singers in the game right now and this album could be a game changer for his fan base. I personally enjoyed it but fans loyal to The Weeknd since his Trilogy days may not dig the new direction he's going in. You could argue that he's evolving, or selling out. But either way, The Weeknd is going to the top, with a madness that cannot be cured.