By Brandon H.
The Weeknd is an R&B singer from Canada that to this point has had 3 mix tapes and one major label album, Kiss Land. The new album has a stark contrast compared to his previous mix tapes. The Weeknd brings a more lavish and amped up version of the same tales he talked about in his mix tapes.
The music often can feel out of place compared to the melody or the lyrics, the album is not something you can listen to once and fall in love with. Songs such as “Wanderlust” and “Belong to the World” require a second listen to truly appreciate and go beyond the grand instrumentals and roaring drums.
A song like “Live For” that features Drake can interrupt the story with talking about girls and parties in a different way, like he is really becoming famous and not very relatable. The Weeknd has kept the same style that made him famous but he is in a new setting, on the road to being famous.
As with any style switch-up there is something to get used to, this album has a more cinematic experience rather than one long after party. His lyrics haven’t grown but as a character in his music he has grown and experienced more as a person. This album takes you to where the Weeknd is right now, in his own world; Kiss Land.