It’s hard to imagine 21st-century R&B existing without the loathsome tales and crushed-velvet vocals ofthe Weeknd.
“Odd Look” Kavinsky feat.
Over dark synth riffs, Abel wails about his mythical after-party escapades.
Credit: Nabil Elderkin
Making his lover feel beautiful despite her involvement with another man is his only concern.
The only downside is the piano riff, which adds an unnecessary amount of melodrama.
But the song is too crowded and experimental for its own good.
“One of Those Nights” Juicy J feat.
The Weeknd
A drug- and booze-fueled evening full of sexual encounters is business as usual for hip-hop legendJuicy J.
In “One of Those Nights,” he recruits Abel to narrate.
Unfortunately, their chemistry doesn’t come across as organic as it should.
As always, Abel is reluctant to show any vulnerability.
“Drinks on Us” Mike Will Made-It feat.
“A Lie” French Montana feat.
But the singer’s own apathy negates the song’s intrigue.
“Wild Love” Cashmere Cat feat.
“Live For” feat.
Ecstatic crescendos, dramatic repetition, and a boisterous appearance from Drake only cement the song’s hyperbolism.
But the old-school approach feels predictable and a bit too simplistic when compared to other songs in his catalog.
“Some Way” NAV feat.
the Weeknd
Canadian rapper Nav made his unforgettable debut with the Weeknd-assisted “Some Way.”
“What You Want” Belly feat.
The Weeknd
Belly’s light-hearted track “What You Want” maximizes its effect with its dreamy chorus.
Abel turns up the charm with a cameo that accentuates the song’s breezy and joyful nature.
“Wonderful” Travis Scott feat.
Abel’s vocals and cagey temperament make the song feel like an engrossing thrill ride.
Ambient soundscapes and meteor-storm effects abound.
“Can’t Feel My Face”
This wildly addictive track from Weeknd was his second No.
1 single following “The Hills.
I’ll make it feel like the first time.”
“The Zone” feat.
Meanwhile, an appearance from Drake sees him predictably reiterating his weakness for beautiful and vulnerable women.
“Remember You” Wiz Khalifa feat.
Here, Abel’s repudiation of emotional reciprocity is at its height.
“Starboy” feat.
“Elastic Heart” Sia feat.
the Weeknd and Diplo
The second single from theHunger Games: Catching Firesoundtrack is a grandiose pop anthem.
The Weeknd’s heart-wrenching performance over a cataclysmic beat fromDiplo is almost as impressive asSia’s.
“In the Night”
The Weeknd stretches the boundaries of his vocal register on this springy ’80s-inspired track.
“After Hours”
15.
“Might Not” Belly feat.
the Weeknd
With rapper Belly, the Weeknd willingly rhapsodizes about his own mortality.
“Price on My Head” NAV feat.
It’s not without reason, though: fame and fortune inevitably come at a cost.
“Lust For Life” Lana Del Rey feat.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey make for an intoxicating pairing.
Breathy, meditative swirls captivate listeners while Abel’s pained falsetto drives things home.
“Low Life” Future feat.
Here, his world is borderline dystopian; his impulses have become less spontaneous and more cyclical.
The Weeknd’s solution for pain is still copious amounts of chemicals and women.
“Or Nah” (Remix) Ty Dolla $ign feat.
No sexual act is too raunchy to engage in, no pleasure is too shallow to reap enjoyment from.
“Kissland”
This nearly eight-minute-long adventure is an expansive look into the Weeknd’s approach to song-making.
There’s his salacious confessions, his barred-up verses, and his tender and somnolent crooning.
But he takes us even further into his decadent world during the song’s latter half.
His vocals are needy and stirring, though his pleas for a woman to return to him prove futile.
Ultimately, he comes to the realization that this great love is completely over.
“I Feel It Coming” feat.
Daft Punk
This breezy and lighthearted Daft Punk-assisted track is one of the best moments onStarboy.
Its disco-pop simplicity feels warm and oddly familiar; the verses are uptempo and minimal.
And the singer’s intentions are crystal clear: to make his potential love feel at ease with him.
“Crew Love” Drake feat.
The singer is annoyed by their presence one moment, then fully enamored with his own magnetism the next.
The song also features one of Abel’s catchiest hooks.
“Wicked Games”
The Weeknd’s debut single was a harbinger of his melancholic and piercing catalog.
It’s his throaty and deeply pensive delivery of verse after verse.
