By Amanda Anabeza and Mary Kay Floyd, Courier Staff Writer and Courier News Editor
The Weeknd’s new album, Starboy, is an album like no other he has ever released.
Abel Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, released his 3rd studio album on November 25th, 2016. The duration is 68 minutes and has 18 songs. The track features artists Daft Punk, Future, Lana Del Rey, and Kendrick Lamar.
“Stargirl Interlude”, featuring Lana Del Rey, for most of the song is one of the most intriguing of Starboy but leaves the listener begging for more. “Sidewalks”, with Lamar, is based off metaphors of their journey from rags to riches.
Starboy broke Spotify’s record for most played album in one day, and his single, Starboy (song), has peaked at no.2 on Billboard 100 and has been there for 10 weeks now.
If you have listened to The Weeknd, you can easily recognize his style and unique voice. In the past, he’s been characterized mostly by his unusual hair and dark R&B that’s almost addicting to listen to. Now, he’s created a new image for himself and no one knew what to expect.
The fans were shocked when he released the album cover for Starboy showing him without his iconic hair. Turns out, he cut off his hair for his own personal reasons but it was truly symbolic in a way. The reason Starboy is so different isn’t mainly because of his new hairstyle, but because his new sound is not at all what we’re used to. He collaborates with Daft Punk on the album and his influence is quite obvious. With songs like “Starboy” and “False Alarm”, this may be The Weeknd’s transition into a popstar, and it seems that many people agree. The Weeknd definitely has a different tune.
“It’s more upbeat and I would say it’s a good thing because Abel as a musician is discovering new beats,” said Selina Singh, a junior at Logan. “I’ve been a fan for about 4 years and I’ll always support Abel.”