So, as you all know, I'm a pretty avid follower of the pop charts, and as such I always try to predict future trends. Genres, trends, and artists I think are likely to get big.
A good majority of the time I'm not really too good at it (seriously, I swear Fetty Wap had one-hit wonder written right across his face), but when I hit the nail on the head, it can be super fucking satisfying.
Case in point? The Weeknd, a Canadian R&B singer with a knack for darker, moodier production and reckless hedonism, yet with the self-awareness and utilization of tone and atmosphere to pull it off and pull it off well, as showcased in his first collection of mixtapes "Trilogy", a compilation of three independently-released mixtapes the captured The Weeknd's skill of making seductive, shadowy R&B jams excellently.
However, he didn't come close to mainstream success until a little song called Love Me Harder, a collaboration with Ariana Grande and hands-down the best thing Ariana has ever done, thanks in part (among many other great things) to The Weeknd's presence, providing the perfect contrast to Ariana's performance and meshing with her lyrics and vocals excellently.
These displays of talent, including his smash Top 40 hits Can't Feel My Face, which I already talked about in my first Billboard Top 10 Review earlier this month (SHAMELESS PLUG), and of course his excellent, excellent, excellent track The Hills, which is actually burning up the Top 10 right now, and rightfully so.
Those three tracks may not have been as atmospheric or ethereal as anything on Trilogy, which was probably that compilation's strong point, but he stilled shows his colors as a great R&B singer who could do sleazy R&B jams right, something I don't think anyone else in the Top 40 is doing (lookin' at you, Chris Brown).
And I think, at least for the most part, all that greatness does carry over to this record.
The thing about The Weeknd's lyrics is that they're generally sleazy, dirty, sexual, but they never felt vapid or like generic sex jams. Instead, The Weeknd often opts to tell more of a story with his lyrics, presenting this sleazy pick-up artist and substance abuser as a character, and more often than not frames him as more of the "bad guy" than anything. That alone puts The Weeknd over artists like Chris Brown and Lil Wayne, as he brings a very strong sense of storytelling that makes his music much more intriguing, or rather, actually intriguing at all.
That type of songwriting is very prevalent throughout this record, making Beauty Behind The Madness feel almost like a concept album, and a pretty good one at that.
While the production never quite matches the same mood and atmosphere as something like Trilogy, although they do come close on some tracks (Tell Your Friends, the 6-minute closer Angel, and Dark Times with Ed Sheeran, who I'll get to in a bit, are great examples.) it still sets the mood of this record incredibly well, lacing the dark production with classier touches of piano and violin (specifically on tracks such as Earned It) that give the sleaziness an almost classy vibe to it, which just strings the album together perfectly, especially with the Weeknd's performances. There are even times when this record brings in touches of rock instrumentation. Like the guitar solo (yes, a guitar solo) on the track Shameless, that was an incredibly pleasant surprise.
Of course, this being technically a pop record there are a few more upbeat dance tracks, most specifically the pretty good song and radio juggernaut Can't Feel My Face, which is a pretty good song despite not being one of my favorites on this album, as a song that actually is one of my favorites on this album, In The Night, which just captures that groove and fun while still remaining as seductive and sexy as ever, I'd argue much better than Can't Feel My Face, one of the best on this album.
I'll admit The Weeknd isn't quite always on-point throughout this record, there are points where his high-pitched crooning clashed with the production pretty badly, and he does sound a bit checked out on a few of these tracks (such as the aforementioned Earned It), but when he brings it on this record, man, does he bring it.
The Hills is a brilliant example of this. He just shifts from low-key and somber to screeching and eerie just as the production was in a grand blend of creeping, seductive, and massive, helped along by the booming bass, the dark piano-tinged bridge, and what sounds like a sample of something that sounds like the Lavender Town theme running through the background, and the man just keeps up with it perfectly. God damn it, The Hills is a good song.
Of course, there are many other excellent cuts from this album. Three collaborators come onto this album, and Ed Sheeran just steals the show from the other two on the track Dark Times, another example of The Weeknd matching perfectly with his collaborator. The two play off each other blissfully in front of the excellent atmosphere set by the production. The other major star collaborator on this album, Lana Del Rey on the penultimate track Prisoner, may not match Sheeran's excellent performance, but that's not to discount her either. She provides a hauntingly beautiful addition to this track, making this one of her best performances to date. Seriously, Sheeran and Rey were perfect fits for this kind of album and especially for their respective tracks.
I have to say I'm not too big on the track Losers. Labyrinth gives a very awkward performance and sound-wise it just feels so... unfitting with the rest of the album. I mean, it's only the second track, but.. it's still a pretty big throw-off.
But I think where this album really shines is in its storyline. Loosely tying together a story of a man addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex, trying to come out of this place but in the end ends up right where he started, providing a certain sense of bleakness to this record that really helps prompt it up. It's certainly a cohesive record, and one with a very good storyline and a few standout tracks that are just god damn incredible.
One the whole, it's not quite a masterpiece, but it's certainly a massive highlight in releases in popular mainstream music this year, and if you're on the lookout for a sexy, dark, and incredibly well-put together R&B record, this is one I must recommend.
BEST SONGS: The Hills, Dark Times feat. Ed Sheeran, In The Night, Prisoner feat. Lana Del Rey, Tell Your Friends, Shameless
WORST SONG: Losers feat. Labrinth
Final Score:
8.5/10
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