The Weeknd: An Icon in the Industry
On February 5 Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, released his newest album “The Highlights.”
The compilation album focuses on 18 of his biggest hits, including “Blinding Lights,” “Starboy,” and “Call Out My Name’ which illustrate his diverse musical talent. The album ranges from hauntingly melancholic progressions to intense dance beats. Some songs combine the two for greater effect.
The biggest song on the album, and The Weeknds biggest song to date, “Blinding Lights” hit nearly 2 billion streams on Spotify and comes from his 2020 album “After Hours.”
This song begins with a beat that makes the listener want to stand up and dance. The beat led to a massive tik tok trend which boosted the song’s performance on charts. The synthesizers on the track send listeners back to the 80s music with a sound similar to that of AHA’s “Take On Me.”
This seductive song speaks about a lack of personal interactions and being “blinded by the light” as “no one’s around to judge me” in the intimate relations of “After Hours.” “Blinding Lights” represents the intrinsic desire for fast, intimate connections with another human that The Weeknd so longs for.
His song “Starboy” is the title track from the 2016 album. It boasts a message of partying and success. The upbeat tempo flows well with his sing-rap style in lyrics illustrating his success.
“I’m tryna put you in the worst mood, ah. P1 cleaner than your church shoes… All red Lamb’ just to tease you, ah” embodies the whole point of the song, which is one big flex. His P1 is a car worth roughly $1.2 million dollars and the flashy red Lamborghini is referenced all just to suffocate others in his success. The Weeknd hit his mark with “Starboy” and the introduction to his lavish lifestyle he can afford due to his success.
One of the prettiest, haunting songs on The Weeknd’s compilation album is “Call Out My Name” which comes from his 2018 album “My Dear Melancholy,” released after his breakup with celebrity Selena Gomez.
The piano and melancholic trailing of his voice at the end of verses creates an illusion of embodiment in The Weeknd’s voice in the beginning.
“I helped you out of a broken place… But falling for you was my mistake” relays the feelings of broken-heartedness he was experiencing. The chorus hits hard with the beat coming in as The Weeknd melodiously sings “So call out my name” with all of his chest voice.
“I want you to stay, even though you don’t want me” gives the listener an insight into how the relationship ended with The Weeknd holding on a bit tighter than Gomez. He clearly is heartbroken and letting out his angst about being alone again in this depressingly beautiful song.
This newest album, “Highlights,” tops off some of The Weeknd’s greatest achievements since he began his musical journey. His soulful voice mixed with pop beats and haunting melodies is what has skyrocketed him to the top of the charts. Adding in his relatability with heartbreak and loss — and with the all too popular sexual discourse songs — creates a popular musician that is pushing the industry even further in 2021.
