If you enjoyed any of the Weeknd’s past records, “Starboy” has elements you’ll continue appreciate, but considering the fact that he made his name originally as a fresh voice going against the grain, there’s something vaguely off-putting about some of the concessions made here to cater to pop airplay. This is unsurprising considering the similarities the two artists’ vocal tones and “Rockin’” sounds like a sleek, martini-soaked, sleek jam, even if its lyrics are a bit pedestrian. “A Lonely Night” recalls Michael Jackson. “False Alarm” sounds like a typical club number that is suddenly, slightly influenced by Nine Inch Nails’ “March of Pigs” during the chorus.
Still, this record continues to find Tesfaye showing some interesting sides. He’s got a clear voice that has become his trademark and to not make the most of one of his natural strengths for the sake of following trends seems like a bit of a waste. I’m sure he’s doing this because it is a popular move in the pop world today, but if there is anyone who doesn’t need to resort to such tactics, it is this guy. A couple of these songs have Tesfaye’s vocals obscured with digital layers over his voice. I wish I liked it better because I hear nearly all of the elements that resonated in his previous work.
Lana Del Rey makes an awesomely weird guest turn on “Stargirl Interlude,” while “All I Know” features Future.Īs an album, this could have been a great offering. The title track and “I Feel It Coming” feature Daft Punk, which I suppose is a significant statement about Tesfaye’s current, well-earned position as a tastemaker, while “Sidewalks” is a vocoder-assisted slice of slow-burning blues-funk that features Kendrick Lamar.
“Party Monster” is a dark, synth-heavy track that finds Tesfaye almost rapping his lyrics while “Secrets” is a sleek, house-flavored number that samples Tears For Fears and gives a strong lyrical nod to the Romantics. The Weeknd remains a guiding force, crafting the kind of pop songs that the radio loves. His high voice is magnetic and it is a tool he uses well to make sure every that every word he sings hits its fullest potential. “Starboy” is his sixth album if you count those initial three, and it comes quick on the heels of last year’s “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Tesfaye has built himself a niche, singing slick songs with an electro-tinge that alternate between the sultry and the sleazy. But he has remained a consistently busy music staple. Quicklist: 1title: The Weeknd’s “Starboy” ***text: Abel Tesfaye, aka the Weeknd, is still chasing the greatness of the trilogy of albums he released in quick succession back in 2011. As we near December, there probably should be more highlights, but I suppose the music industry has nearly given up on promoting to shoppers in a post-turkey haze. This week the Weeknd drops a new album, thus continuing his pop ascension, country king Garth Brooks releases a new album, Martha Wainwright releases the physical edition of her latest album, arriving two weeks after the digital release and singer Rumer covers the songs of Bacharach and David. As someone who always prefers hard copies, I think that's a needless loss of a revenue stream. As music gets devoured in bulk, the idea of giving someone an album as a gift may be losing steam. The new industry model has lost something in that regard. There was a time when music was a big gift source.
#Listen to the weeknd starboy album free download
That says a lot about the changing model of the music industry as the physical has been more frequently replaced by the download and the download has been effectively hijacked by the streaming services. - intro: You would think Black Friday would have been a monster of a release day for music. The Weeknd, the high-pitched singer known for his signature dreadlocks, has cut his hair.