Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Weeknd "Starboy" Album Review

To end off our marathon of Weeknd reviews, it’s time to review his newest album, 2016's “Starboy.” You already know that I absolutely love this album, so I’m just gonna get right into each individual track and give my thoughts. Here goes:

Starboy (ft. Daft Punk): Starts off the album with an irresistible Daft Punk beat, a really awesome dark sound, some great lyrics, and typically impressive vocals from Abel. Not only is this an amazing start to the album, but it’s one of the album’s finest.

Party Monster: An endless turn-up that’s far too catchy. An ear-worm of a hook, a really interesting instrumental sound, and some really strong verses make this song another strong one.

False Alarm: I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about this one when it first came out, but it’s definitely grown on me. I like the fast-paced, rocking sound going on here, I love the intensity of it, and I think it’s a legitimately good song overall.

Reminder: Abel shows on this song that he has some bars, and he also brings along some incredible vocals and an insanely catchy hook with some good lyricism. Great song for sure.

Rockin’: I’ll admit, I know a lot of people aren’t crazy about this song, but it’s actually grown on me quite a bit. It’s really catchy, the hook is pretty fun, and it’s some nice, head-nodding stuff. It’s quickly become a replay-button breaker for me, and it’s a great song for sure.

Secrets: I know everyone always talks about how Abel "copied" two other songs for this one (he samples "Pale Shelters" by Tears for Fears, and interpolates "Talking In Your Sleep" by The Romantics"), but you know what? It’s way too catchy, his vocals are way too amazing, the beat is way too good, I really like this song a lot.

True Colors: There’s a lot of interesting things going on here instrumentally. The hook is also really catchy and, of course, Abel’s vocals are amazing. It’s not my personal favorite song on the album, but it’s a really strong one that you should definitely listen to.

Stargirl Interlude (ft. Lana Del Rey): I’m personally not really crazy about this interlude. Even though the beat is pretty solid, the song itself isn’t really exciting to me. And while Lana Del Rey has a good voice, I just don’t think this song really showed off her talents that well. Even as an interlude, it’s nothing great.

Sidewalks (ft. Kendrick Lamar): Kendrick Lamar’s verse on this one is absolutely amazing, let’s just say that now. As for the rest of the song, it’s not my favorite on the album. It’s pretty well-made and it has a decent hook, but it’s just not something I’ll want to listen to on constant repeat like some of the other songs on the album.

Six Feet Under: I understand that a lot of people think this one is similar in quite a few ways to "Low Life" (a Future song that featured The Weeknd), but I think it’s got enough to set itself apart, and it’s a pretty enjoyable song with a really strong hook and another strong performance from Abel.

Love To Lay: One of the slower ones on the album, this song still features some really impressive vocals from Abel, and the beat is pretty solid, too. All in all, very memorable track.

A Lonely Night: Really catchy, funky song, with some typically amazing vocals and flow from The Weeknd to go along with a memorable beat and instrumental sound. Fantastically enjoyable one.

Attention: This one also has a really catchy hook and a really strong beat, but I don’t think it’s my personal favorite track on the album. It’s probably just like one of those “it’s good, but not my thing” kind of things, because it is a good song, I’m just not 100% crazy about it.

Ordinary Life: I like the hook on this one, and I think it’s got a good beat, but I’m just not as crazy about it as I am with some of the album’s other songs. It’ll probably grow on me in the future, though.

Nothing Without You: Another one that grew on me a lot. I like the instrumental, I think Abel’s vocals are some of the best on the album on this one, and it’s also extremely catchy and ear-wormy. Really great song.

All I Know (ft. Future): Abel’s vocals on this track are nothing short of breathtaking, and his portion of the song is great. I wasn't initially crazy about Future's guest verse, and I still find Abel's part to be better, but nonetheless, it's a perfectly enjoyable track with enough of a dark edge to stay entertaining.

Die For You: I really like this one because Abel really shows the range of his voice throughout it. In the verses, his voice is lower and, for lack of a better word, subdued, but eventually, he builds it up enough and then lets out that explosion. Beyond that, the instrumentals are really good, and the song as a whole is very entertaining and enjoyable.

I Feel It Coming (ft. Daft Punk): Ending things off with a nice, Daft Punk-infused beat, this one is really catchy, memorable, and wonderfully Michael Jackson-esque. And even if the hook can get a bit repetitive, it’s not a huge issue on here, and the song still ends off the album wonderfully.

Overall, you guys already know, I think this album is absolutely incredible. Abel continues to experiment with his style, and while old fans may still not be crazy about it, his incredible performances, the strong production, and the many memorable tracks keep this record in fantastic territory.

Favorite tracks: Starboy, Party Monster, False Alarm*, Reminder*, Rockin’*, Secrets, Six Feet Under*, Love to Lay*, Nothing Without You, All I Know*, Die For You*, I Feel It Coming

Least favorite tracks: Stargirl Interlude

Rating: Excellent

(*An asterisk next to a “favorite track” indicates that the track wasn’t initially one of my “favorite tracks” when I first wrote the review. If a track has an asterisk next to it, it means the song wasn’t initially a favorite of mine, but it grew on me, and the text for the song may have been edited to more properly reflect that.)

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