When Abél Tesfaye released his first mixtape, “House of Balloons,” on YouTube in 2011, nobody knew much about the anonymous R&B crooner behind The Weeknd. Over the next year, he uploaded two more mixtapes free for download by the public.
Four years later, his second album, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” is the number one album in the United States, and his iconic look and radio-friendly jams are flooding the mainstream.
On Nov. 25, Tesfaye released his third studio album, “Starboy,” by Republic Records and his own label XO. Within 24 hours of its release, “Starboy” went to number one in more than 80 countries.
The lead single and title track opens the album and sets the album’s electro-heavy tone with Daft Punk’s robotic presence, which may be the most exciting thing about this album. The French electronic duo’s presence is felt throughout the entire album, with the two tracks they’re featured on bookending the release.
While classic Tesfaye fans will be happy with the dark synths and heavy beats of “Reminder” and “Six Feet Under,” this album seems to be his way of tentatively stepping away from the R&B pop mold he’s carved for himself. In the dance-punk track “False Alarm,” he channels the chaotic energy of the Talking Heads among horns and a wailing, chanting chorus. He experiments with classic new wave and EDM ballads among his signature dark sheen of synthesizers.
One of the album’s standout moments comes through the dreamy disco beat of “Secrets.” The sleepy dance track captures the feel of the ‘80s with samples from Tears for Fears’ “Pale Shelter” and the Romantics’ “Talking in Your Sleep.” “A Lonely Night” is another gem with its jangly blend of electro funk.
Somewhere between the trip-hop soul of his mixtape period and the commercial success of “Can’t Feel My Face,” Tesfaye has found his niche as a moody sex symbol who skulks in the corners of dive bars and cocktail lounges.
This is an archetype that worked well for him over the course of last year, but in the wave of recent political R&B masterpiece releases from Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Solange, the expected sexy debauchery of “Starboy” seems to fall short in comparison.
While there are some bright spots on “Starboy,” overall it feels like Tesfaye’s brooding party boy image has grown stale. And while resting on his laurels may make this album a commercial success, it’s not enough to make “Starboy” a shiner, even with the new haircut.
