The Weeknd
Beauty Behind The Madness (Universal Music)
Breakdown: Canadian singer, The Weeknd, is the talk of the town. Not only have his singles ‘Earned It’, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’, and ‘The Hills’ become smash hits, but his voice is one of the most crisp, unique and refreshing voices we have heard in years. Now, the singer has released his second studio album, Beauty Behind The Madness, and it’s one of the best albums released this year!
How Many Good Tracks: 11 of the 14.
What I Liked: When listening to this record, the first thing that you can’t help notice is how impressive The Weeknd’s vocals are. Often times I can hear hints of Michael Jackson in his voice and the crisp, tender way he approaches the songs on this record make the album even more special. While the album is predominately a R&B record, there are elements of hip-hop, rock and pop which makes this album incredibly mainstream and is bound to get the singer a ton more fans than he had this time last year. Lyrically, the album is beautifully poetic and while she may have some crude topics such as his promiscuity and the use of drugs, most of the songs come from an honest place and when an artist opens up in such a way in their music – magic happens.
What I Didn’t Like: While The Weeknd’s voice is the star of this show, there are certain songs on the record which could have been produced a bit better. Relying solely on his voice has left some songs sounding flat and we can’t help but feel that spending a bit more time on the production would have made this album an instant classic.
Best Track: Often
Rating: 4/5
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