“By taking the time to fine-tune his craft and build up his name, The Weeknd has the potential to deliver one of 2015’s more striking efforts that could prove to be a culmination of his artistic journey. It may not be what we want, but it could very well be what the music industry needs.”
This is how we closed our ‘Balloons To Hills’ feature piece from earlier this summer, when The Weeknd’s summer smash hit “Can’t Feel My Face” was making its first rounds within the mainstream arena. Every calculated chess move from Abel Tesfaye since last year has cleverly led up to the release of his second studio album Beauty Behind The Madness, a project which has already taken The Weeknd to a new level of stardom. The once secluded misfit of Queens Street, Toronto is a now a worldly figure, and those who are late to the party are enthralled with his mysterious past and swift rise to fame. And while we are being treated to more interviews and press from The Weeknd than ever before, Beauty Behind The Madness is a body of work which truly tells the story that the masses are now ready to hear. Over a wide-ranging, genre-crossing sonic palette, with this album The Weeknd works outside of his comfort zone in order to take his artistry to an accessible place, but one rooted in a sinful world where years of self-inflicted pain and misery meet the worthy adversaries of love and success.
One welcomed aspect of Beauty Behind The Madness that is not quite as present in The Weeknd’s previous music is specific mentions of Abel’s background outside his drug-fueled, nightlife escapades. “Real Life” serves as a properly grand intro in this respect as The Weeknd directly speaks on his harmful lifestyle singing “Mama called my destructive, said it’d ruin me one day, cause every woman that loved me, I seemed to push them away”. Fueled by a pop-rock aesthetic with majestic strings and electric guitar riffs, The Weeknd makes an ‘I’m not a mainstream darling’ type statement to his new fans who may only be acquainted with “Earned It” Abel and not one who takes part in initiations and glass table activities. The ‘I’m not worth the misery’ mindset leads right into the similarly reflective track “Losers”, a duet with UK singer Labrinth which serves as an ode to Abel and his longtime friend Lamar dropping out of high school in order to chase after their XO vision. The pure volume of instrumentation (from in-your face horns to a massive EDM-esque chorus beat drop) may catch longtime Weeknd listeners off-guard, but it is only further testament to the fact that The Weeknd is carving his own path with ‘we’re coming for the throne’ aspirations.
While The Weeknd of 2011 was an artist who immersed himself in free-flowing, open to interpretation crooning, Beauty Behind The Madness is upfront with its intentions. The 2014 “King Of The Fall” influence is distinct on the soul sampling, Kanye West produced single “Tell Your Friends”, which features Abel vividly depicting his untameable behavior by describing himself as “that n*gga with the hair singing bout poppin pills, fucking bitches, living life so trill’, a far cry from the sentiments of previous records such as “Twenty Eight”. Full fledged confidence and braggadocio are on display here as well as in similarly composed singles “Often” and bass-thumping banger “The Hills”. And while these songs cater nicely to The Weeknd’s club-ready, hip-hop oriented audience, it is the second half of Beauty Behind The Madness which brings an even more unique flavor to an album with many chefs in its kitchen.
Leading up to Beauty Behind The Madness, fans of The Weeknd were thrilled at the news of Trilogy producer Illangelo being back behind the boards, yet wary of Max Martin’s hit factory group also having involvement on the project. Having so many producers contributing their own unique styles gives Beauty Behind The Madness a great deal of diversity, while unfortunately sacrificing the seamless cohesion of previous Weeknd projects. Nevertheless, Trilogy worshippers are able to bask in the nostalgia of standout records such as “Acquainted” and Phil Collins-influenced “As You Are”, with both tracks taking inspiration from Abel’s relationship with Bella Hadid and displaying a genuine (but dangerous) tug-of-war battle between love, temptation, and eventual heartbreak, with the latter containing a hypnotizing, chill-inducing outro that proves to be one of the more breathtaking moments on the LP. On the flip side, The Weeknd’s pop persona is also able to thrive on tracks such as the acoustic driven “Shameless” and next-in-line radio hit “In The Night”, each of which excelling in the quest of bringing The Weeknd’s dark world into a lighter place that is not off-putting to top 40 residents. “Can’t Feel My Face” has definitively proven itself as a memorable record, and we can expect the inevitable Michael Jackson comparisons to continue once “In The Night” (a track that tells a sad tale of sexual abuse) hits the airwaves.
Beauty Behind The Madness is a body of work that has an abundance of layers to it. Gone are the days of the occasional Drake feature, and roll out the red carpet for duets with well-known singers such as Ed Sheeran (on the bluesy, day after a night of drunken degeneracy “Dark Times”) and Lana Del Ray, whose somber style shines on “Prisoner” with both artists being shackled to the decisions they have made. Ever since the success of “Love Me Harder” and “Earned It” (which is included much to the delight of Republic), The Weeknd came to a realization that he had the ability to bring his music out from the adoration of the indie circuit and widen its reach to global prominence. In order to do so, Beauty Behind The Madness has a backbone of traditional pop songwriting (repeated hooks/bridges/verse’s) and an assortment of production which caters to every possible segment of The Weeknd’s fanbase. The raw feel and wretched tales of debauchery of The Weeknd’s music take a backseat simply because The Weeknd is no longer a raw talent, he is polished and no longer in a perpetual cycle of hazy dejection.
So while there may be lack of flawless transitioning/sequencing moments (ex. “Montreal”/”Outside”, “Adaption”/”Love In The Sky”) on Beauty Behind The Madness, we are treated to a ‘greatest hits’ type of project that is sure to have a lasting presence both in the charts and in the minds of The Weeknd’s devoted following. Vocally gifted and able to capture an edgy yet authentic atmosphere unlike any other artist in his newly acquired stadium-packing realm, The Weeknd’s evolution comes to life on Beauty Behind The Madness and does so without abandoning the homegrown elements of his craft. It may be time for a portion of early Abel fans to find somebody new to love (as The Weeknd symbolizes on 80’s rock ballad closer “Angel”), but for the rest of us, we will continue to enjoy the rise of an artist who deserves all the success and acclaim which he is receiving. And in regards to Abel’s ambition of being a modern day musical icon/legend, only time will tell if he’s meant for it.
Repeatable: “Acquainted”, “As You Are”, “Tell Your Friends”
Skippable: None