Artist: The Weeknd

Album: Kiss Land

Genre: R&B

The BSJ Album Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

With an ever-growing fan base, The Weeknd faced the pressure of a true debut studio album after the success of his three mixtapes which were later compiled into his previous album, The Trilogy. Over the last several months, the Canadian recording artist has slowly released tracks from Kiss Land, teasing fans with bits and pieces to an album meant to express what he calls a “terrifying place…a place I’ve never been to before that I’m very unfamiliar with,” describing his newfound fame and success while describing the associated lifestyle.

In a recent interview with Complex, Abel Tesfaye explained his thoughts on his exploding popularity and how it has put him in previously unchartered territory, “I don’t know who I am right now and I’m doing all these outlandish things in these settings that I’m not familiar with,” he said. “To me, it’s the most terrifying thing ever.” Those unfamiliar settings and “outlandish things” are expressed throughout the album, starting with the lead track, “Professional,” in which The Weeknd uses his creative genius to mesh together two familiar-themed yet musically unique sounds into a track about one of his favorites subjects–the “professional” woman. The lead track goes from a slow, melodic introduction into the artist’s most recent story and takes an unexpected, but gladly welcomed turn at the 2:40 mark–a turn that sets the stage for the remainder of the album.

The Weeknd utilizes his unmatched vocals on “Adaptation” to deliver one of his more versatile performances on the album, combining his trademark melodic bursts with dark, emotional lyrics in yet another track that offers a unique duality, highlighted by phenomenal production. Without wasting any time, Tesfaye continues his story with a mastered version of “Love In The Sky,” which he recently shared with fans. The Weeknd also released “Live For,” a much-welcomed surprise, as it features fellow Toronto artist, Drake. The two long-time collaborators recently teamed up after several rumors of a rift, giving fans yet another OVOXO track in addition to “The Zone,” “Crew Love,” and “The Ride.”

As the album and story of being away from home for almost a year begin to wind down, The Weeknd uses raw, yet beautiful lyrics in “Pretty” to describe the uncertainty of a relationship with a former lover, while still maintaining confidence in his ability to make her feel more beautiful than ever before. Tesfaye closes with “Tears in the Rain,” in which he takes an apologetic tone for being influenced by fame and making choices that were almost uncharacteristic of him.

Overall, The Weeknd successfully released a debut project that met expectations. Although it is still a far cry from the greatness of House of Balloons, Kiss Land, is an album that continues to show the consistency of Tesfaye to not only produce great music, but also incorporate the darkest and realest of emotions into his lyrics–an approach many artists are unwilling to take. Once again, The Weeknd has put together a masterpiece that you can play from top to bottom on any given day, a very unique quality that is perhaps one of the reasons he has blossomed from phenom to true star.

Kiss Land is currently available for pre-sale on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/kiss-land/id689682898 and has a release date of September 10.

Follow The Weeknd on twitter @theweeknd and on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/theweekndxo