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For almost 15 year , The Weekndhas established himself as one of the swelled pop star in the music manufacture . He ’s had multiple number one hit criminal record while also taking on playing roles , both in the controversialThe Idol — thatmade Weeknd require to model down — and for his upcomingbig - screen adaptation of his latest albumHurry Up Tomorrow .
Hurry Up Tomorrowmarks The Weeknd ’s sixth studio apartment record album and the 10th overall music project . As far back as a 2023 consultation withW Magazine , the player has verbalise want to " stamp out The Weeknd " and keep making music " maybe as Abel . " As a outcome , this up-to-the-minute record album has been job as an attempt to retire the former moniker . What that entail for the future remains to be determine , but if this really is the conclusion of The Weeknd , then it ’s deserving pausing to reflect on the 14 year ' worth of music that he ’s produce as the iconic superstar .
10Kiss Land (2013)
Personal Touch Lost in a Polished Sound
While the first three mixtapes compose inTrilogyare technically mixtapes , Kiss Landwas promoted as The Weeknd ’s first prescribed studio record album . Depending on when audience first start gravitate toward The Weeknd , Kiss Landis either a victory or a disappointment . It very much incarnate the spirit ofTrilogy , but witha more polished , polished speech sound .
The Weeknd ’s first three projects — House of Balloons , Thursday , andEchoes of Silence — were later on re - released in 2012 as one complete compilation album calledTrilogy .
For listeners who had never find out any of the projects fromTrilogybefore listen toKiss Land , it may sound like a triumphant victory from a winning sound . It ’s a great creation for raw devotee , but for older ones , it ’s a rehash of a classic that provide in high spirits expectations . Again , it ’s more milled , butthat unpolished sound from the original recording ofTrilogy’smixtapes helped give each undertaking a more personal , raw touch that ’s missing here .
9My Dear Melancholy, (2018)
Can’t Live Up to Its Opening Track
As an EP that runs under 30 bit , this isthe short undertaking in The Weeknd ’s discography , but it arguablyopens with the biggest bang . " Call Out My Name " is epic in every common sense of the word . It ’s no curiosity why the track debut at number one on the Billboard 200 . Although the EP was promoted for the most part off the tease of The Weeknd addressing his several public breakups with Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez , the earsplitting opening cartroad warranted repeat listens and demanded recommendation .
alas , as a labor overall , nothing on the tracklist — not even the 2nd single , " strain Me , " — lives up to the expectations rig by " Call Out My Name . “This would be an issue even with an L-P , as " Call Out My Name " pack such an emotional punch that ’s unmanageable to top .
8Thursday (2011)
High for These Expectations
release just five months after his first project , House of Balloons , Thursdayarrived with a cumulus of first moment . perhaps it has even more expectations today than it did back in 2011 . After all , The Weeknd was a complete unknown in 2011 , but now that he ’s a superstar , newer fan are rediscovering his work , excited to learn what all the hubbub was about .
In a time when most musician boast about how much sex and partying they were doing , The Weeknd croons and bemoans about it like it ’s a expletive and a semisweet , thorough routine .
Truthfully , it does n’t vibrate as strongly asHouse of Balloonsand is post awkwardly in the middle of The Weeknd’sTrilogybetween a strong start and a warm end . That being state , it ’s still well-situated to see why audiences were so enamored with The Weeknd in the early 2010s .
Like withHouse , Thursday’saesthetic was unparalleled at the time . In a time when most instrumentalist boast about how much sex they were having and party they were doing , The Weeknd croons and bemoans about it like it ’s a curse and a bittersweet , exhaustive bit . Plus , " The Zone " feels like a clip abridgment made prior to The Weeknd(or anyone ) ever get beef with Drake .
7Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)
A Departure from the Past, But Opens a Bright Future
The Weeknd ’s second studio apartment album is a steady improvement from his first almost instantly thinks to " material animation " feeling like an inner opening , like a shot followed by Labrinth ’s welcome folksy vibe as a feature on " unsuccessful person . " From there , listeners getan album with about no skip . This is a projection where The Weeknd first started to cut into deeply into mainstream medium , as the tracklist features mega - hit " The Hills " and " Ca n’t sense My human face , " as well as " make It , " the principal motif Sung fromtheFifty Shades of Greysoundtrack .
Some hearer may be put off by the sudden increase in songs made to appeal to the mountain . It ’s the nature of dada medicine , but feels all the more salient enforce to The Weeknd who , at the time , was more of a subversive activity to innovative music . Still , the poppier Song do n’t get in the elbow room of standouts like " separate Your protagonist , " which facilitate round out out one of The Weeknd ’s best album .
6Starboy (2016)
An Album Worth Bragging About
At this full stop in his career , The Weeknd is at the summit of his fame . Despite the expression being a success for him , he still seemed anxious to experiment with his sound . He does just that with his third album , which features an array of unlike producers onboard . The add-on of names like Diplo and Daft Punk on the sounding board allows The Weeknd to dabble with a more electronic sound , and thus , make for a more eclectic album .
The Weeknd also benefits from having a sensation - studded personal line of credit - up of features , includingGrammy winner Kendrick Lamarand Lana Del Rey . It ’s tough to find an record album that truly gets better with every song , butStarboyis that album . It features The Weeknd at his most surefooted and braggadocious . unlike qualities of the album feel like a throwback to past record while also managing to be a innate progression into the next stage of his music .
5Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)
Feels Like a Swan Song, But a Beautiful One
zip Up Tomorrowcloses out the trilogy started byAfter Hours , and as teased , potentially conclude the chapter on Abel Tesfaye ’s Weeknd character . This is hismost ambitious of the three , musically speak . While the synth - pop of previous albums is still at the forefront , the album does see The Weeknd willing to experiment with new musical genre throughout , include Brazilian funk and unlimited EDM . It ’s impressive to see that he ’s still so unforced to experiment with unexampled sounds at this previous stage of his career .
WhileHurry Up Tomorrowdoes drag in places , as nearly 90 proceedings is a bit longsighted for an album , the consistence and closing tracks make it all worthwhile . The final act really feels like the end of an epoch and , as a fan , one can not help but listen in awe of the spectacle .
4Echoes of Silence (2011)
A Pitch-Perfect End to Trilogy
For any artist , even The Weeknd , it would be a bold move to start off a undertaking with a covering song not only ofThe King of Pop himself , but of one of Michael Jackson ’s all - time practiced songs , " Dirty Diana . “The Weeknd decided to kick off the finale ofTrilogyin the boldest fashion potential — and somehow , it works . Not just as a cover charge that paints " D.D. " with a darker , somber note , but in howEchoes of Silencecarries that tone throughout the project .
Michael Jackson is one of the most famous artist of all time , but his discography still harbour many widely unknown masterpieces . Here are 10 of them .
Echoes of Silencerounds outTrilogywith the same strait that recurred throughout all three mixtapes . Most miraculously , the speech sound ofEchoes of Silencefeels inherently different from eitherHouseorThursdaywhile still carrying the same musical theme and motive . A lot of opinion was put into this one , and it makesTrilogyfeel all the more alive as a well - fill out tarradiddle .
3Dawn FM (2022)
A Worthy Sequel to After Hours
Dawn FMserves as a companion piece toAfter Hoursthat is just as conceptual , but it reduplicate down on the synth - pop aesthetic that is layered beneathAfter Hours . The conception ofDawn FMis simpler than that ofAfter Hours , as this record album offer more of an ' 80s radio vibe than a subtle narrative ( though a subtle narration is still present ) , although it ’s worth noting thatDawn FM’ssong - to - song transitions sense just as unseamed . That said , the deeper focal point on the euphony allow The Weeknd to nail down the poppier expression ofAfter Hoursin all its full - fledged glory .
Tracks like " How Do I Make You have it away Me ? " capture the heart of the ' 80s dance - daddy panorama to a tee . The Weeknd does such a superb caper at capture such a specific audio from a specific period in history that it makesDawn FMa must - listen for any ' 80 music devotee .
2House of Balloons (2011)
A Game-Changing Debut
More of a mixtape than an album , House of Balloonswas yet the official launching of The Weeknd . After remastering the 2011 rails the next class , " Wicked Games " was the singer ’s introduction individual and was the first of many hit records , peaking at # 53 on the Hot 100 . For a fresh font in 2013 , that ’s a vast room to pave a future .
Today , it ’s prosperous to take The Weeknd ’s sound for granted . However , back then , his voice and auditory sensation felt wholly newin an audience market that was desperately look for something new . Tracks like " High for This " and " The Morning " helped him stand out from the respite . Even today , the songs on this record album seem far more sensually charged and athirst than most of his more recent trail . It ’s a great starting time to The Weeknd ’s discography that set the streak for his life history , and in many direction , in damage of his most quality study , isstillthe barroom .
1After Hours (2020)
The Weeknd at His Best
After Hourscan be argued as the sharpest record album The Weeknd has made so far . The Weeknd continues base that date back toHouse of Balloons , this time in a room that tells a account with every racetrack . The musical theme of self - destructive party behavior arise old and tired is ever - present . The melancholic lyrics bleed through a healthy yield that mixescatchy throwback synths with moody instrumentals .
The resolution is , by far , The Weeknd’sbest record album to engagement and one that continues to be operose to top .
It ’s operose to listen to any of these tracks in isolation from each other . birdsong like “ Heartless ” and “ Scared to Live ” are terrific on their own , but a listener misses out on the story being told if they do n’t follow through narratively from the first trail to the last . Even well is that each track subtly transition into the next , making the album all the more essential to listen to in total . The solvent is , by far , The Weeknd’sbest album to day of the month and one that carry on to be operose to top .
Source : W Magazine
