It’s also set to be the next single, deservedly so. It’s perhaps The Weeknd’s most feel-good song yet, as catchy as it is joyous. “I Feel It Coming” is Starboy’s second collaboration with Daft Punk, and the more memorable of the two. “Die For You” is a mid-tempo love song that’s not as dire as the title suggests. The album closes strongly with two more standouts. Other collaborators include Kendrick Lamar and Future. She also has a part in “Party Monster,” which she co-wrote. She sang in “Prisoner” on Beauty Behind The Madness, and she reprises her collaboration in the short but memorable “Stargirl Interlude”. The Weeknd’s good friend, Lana Del Rey, also appears on the album. Whereas “Rockin’” has a peppy energy and disco styled vocals, “Secrets” takes the best of the ‘80s and puts into the best mid-tempo ballad we’ve heard all year. On first listen, you may even mistakenly think there’s a guest artist singing his parts. Both find The Weeknd showing off his vocal prowess as he stretches his voice into new registers and emotions. “Rockin’” and “Secrets” are back-to-back highlights on the album, both – but especially the latter – deserving to become a future single. The title track and first single, “Starboy,” has already been strong on the charts, and promo single “False Alarm” is perhaps the most rock The Weeknd has gone on a song yet. Starboy starts and ends with earworm collaborations with Daft Punk. He had a little help from the likes of Daft Punk and ever-vintage Lana Del Rey. With Starboy, The Weeknd has mastered the slick pop sound.
He’s taken cues from icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, and David Bowie. Starboy introduces new styles for The Weeknd, and its clear 1980s inspiration is a great look on him. And impressively, none of that is filler. His new album is his third in only four years, and it includes a generous 18 tracks. He was ready to move on to his next great album, Starboy. The rest of the world my not have gotten it, but he sure knew what he was doing. It was his 2015 album, Beauty Behind The Madness, though, that took him to the next level with singles like the catchy “Can’t Feel My Face” and thought-provoking “The Hills.” His career was on a sharp rise, so it came as quite the shock when he pulled out of a tour with Rihanna last spring.
He suddenly appeared on the music scene in 2010 with a series of mixtapes – eventually packaged as the compilation Trilogy in 2012 – before releasing his first studio album, 2013’s Kiss Land. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is one of those rare talents that seemingly comes out of nowhere before entrancing you with his original and consistently striking music.