Tag Archives: The Weeknd

The Weeknd continues his takeover and drops moody new single ‘The Hills,’ music video inside

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Abel Tesfaye has come a long way since his free mixtape days. The underground artist, who first exploded onto the scene under stage name The Weeknd with freebies House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence in 2011, is no longer a musical phantom. After repackaging the three tapes into the polished Trilogy release, Tesfaye dropped his debut studio album Kiss Land in 2013. “You will continue to get what you fell in love with, and I will continue to give you what you ask for,” he told his fans in a note that released alongside Trilogy. Kiss Land did not disappoint as it maintained the same stripped down, intimate essence that captivated fans in the beginning.

What came next for the now 25 year-old Canadian crooner? Standalone track “Often” came out of nowhere last summer tinged with Tesfaye’s signature sensuality. And then his sound went mainstream when pop star Ariana Grande invited him to guest on her hit track “Love Me Harder;” The Weeknd co-wrote the ubiquitous track. Now riding the mainstream waves, he appropriately stuck his stylistic R&B brand on the theatrical adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey by releasing the movie soundtrack’s single “Earned It.” That track helped said soundtrack reach the number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Today, Tesfaye isn’t resting on his laurels. In fact, he’s currently in the studio readying his second studio album. The long-awaited followup to Kiss Land doesn’t have a name or release date confirmed yet, but if you’re one to trust Wikipedia, it’s titled Chapter III and it’s set for release later this year. What’s solid is the lead single off said record: The Weeknd dropped “The Hills” on Wednesday, a characteristically moody track that he debuted live this spring at Coachella and SXSW.

The track, which originally went by the name “Mood Music,” is now available to purchase on iTunes and comes accompanied by an enthralling music video. In it, Tesfaye emerges from a bad car wreck, bloodied and disoriented. “I only love it when you touch me, not feel me / When I’m f*cked up, that’s the real me.” Those lyrics continue to peel back layers in order to shed light on his inner demons. The visuals mesmerize, too; after the car explodes into a fireball, Tesfaye stumbles upon an eerie mansion where he ends up in a creepy cliffhanger leaving fans salivating for more. Watch it all go down after the break.

What do you think of The Weeknd’s latest effort? Though his lyrics on “The Hills” resonate with themes that have come before, do you find his ever-improving sound straying too far from his original works? Plug in your ‘phones, take a listen, and sound off in the comments below. Continue reading The Weeknd continues his takeover and drops moody new single ‘The Hills,’ music video inside →

New music: Nile Rodgers & The Weeknd release hot tracks

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Nile Rodgers, who is still beaming from his recent collaboration with Daft Punk on songs like “Get Lucky” and “Lose Yourself to Dance,” is reigniting his solo career with the new single “Do What You Wanna Do.” The disco groove featuring Nile’s unmistakable guitar riffs is addictive and it’s definitely a hot track for the summer. The Chic band member has been grooving since the ’70s pumping out classics like “Le Freak” and “Everybody Dance;” this new track, along with the Daft Punk collaborations, solidly proves that the Nile Rodgers river still runs. Preorder his latest cut at iTunes today; it releases Aug. 10.

Click after the break to hear something new from crooner Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd. Continue reading New music: Nile Rodgers & The Weeknd release hot tracks →

The Weeknd readies new album ‘Kiss Land’ with lead single & fall tour

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The Weeknd is back for more. After dropping three mixtapes for free–namely House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence–he packaged them all together in his first studio album Trilogy and released it last November. Since then, Abel Tesfaye has been hard at work on prepping his followup album that will consist of all-new tracks this time around. Kiss Land is the forthcoming record, and it shares the name with the album’s lead single. It sounds like The Weekend, or what you’re used to at least, but there’s no denying the sheer amount of musical growth that’s embedded inside the track. Everything sounds better, clearer even: from the popping production value to the sensual-as-ever lyrics. After signing with Universal Republic Records he promised fans that his sound would not waver from its original mentality. “You will continue to get what you fell in love with, and I will continue to give you what you ask for,” he wrote in a note. “Kiss Land” the single delivers; it’s classic The Weeknd infused with a spurt of musical maturity. Jump after the break to preview the 7 minute 41 second introduction to the next phase of The Weeknd; download it at iTunes. Kiss Land is due out at the end of the summer. And in other news, The Weeknd going on a 28-date tour called The Fall; dates and locations are listed below. Continue reading The Weeknd readies new album ‘Kiss Land’ with lead single & fall tour →

The Weeknd drops 33-track ‘Trilogy’, three music videos, a message to the fans

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On November 13, Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, re-released his three mixtapes as one collection in Trilogy. The 33-track album contains mixed and mastered versions of every song from House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence plus three, never-before-heard bonus tracks “Twenty Eight,” “Valerie,” and “Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun).” At $9.99 Trilogy, which also includes the music video for “The Zone” featuring Drake, is the definition of a steal. Digital and physical ($11.99) copies are available. Trilogy was released under Universal Republic Records and Tesfaye’s own XO label. If you enjoyed his mixtapes, support a growing, talented artist by picking up Trilogy today.

In addition to dropping the album, The Weeknd also directed three music videos to promote the release. Clips were shot for “Rolling Stone,” “Wicked Games,” and the previously aforementioned “The Zone” featuring Drake. In a note directed at his fans, Tesfaye opens up and sheds light on the symbolism behind the “Rolling Stone” clip. He acknowledges that signing to a major record label and releasing a studio album in Trilogy takes him away from “the underground” and into the spotlight, but promises that “this does not mean what you think it means.” In other words, he will not be affected by his new-found fame and next-level success. “YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GET WHAT YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU ASK FOR. I’LL NEVER MAKE YOU WAIT AGAIN,” he shares in all caps.

Click after the break to view the note in full and all three music videos. In addition, you’ll find a new track “Enemy” outed last month that is not included on his first major release. Continue reading The Weeknd drops 33-track ‘Trilogy’, three music videos, a message to the fans →

The Weeknd readies ‘Trilogy’ release, drops “Wicked Games” as lead single

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Twenty-two year old Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is about to take the industry by storm. If you haven’t heard of the R&B crooner, it’s about time you did. In 2011, Tesfaye released three critically acclaimed mixtapes consisting of nine tracks each through his own label XO. It didn’t take very long for rap superstar Drake to notice his talents; Drake is featured on the second mixtape in the song “The Zone” and Tesfaye would go on to take over Drake’s Take Care track “Crew Love.” After performing at this year’s Coachella, he started a US tour that goes into the fall when he will release Trilogy, an album that will combine all three previously released mixtapes–House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence–delicately mixed and remastered. It will also include three bonus tracks he’s currently producing in the studio today. His label XO has teamed with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records for the commercial release.

Fans of The Weeknd will all agree: choosing standout track “Wicked Games” from House of Balloons is the perfect single to promote Tesfaye’s Trilogy. You’ll notice striking and subtle differences in the remastered, radio-friendly version of the song. Listen to it below, and compare it to the original. Soon the single will be sold via iTunes, and when it hits the ‘Net I’ll amend the post. If you haven’t already, you can download the mixtapes for free right here.

The Weeknd started out as an undercover oddity whose actual identity was shrouded in mystery. With “Wicked Games” on the rise and Trilogy around the corner, Abel Tesfaye and his decadent themes and soothing, sophisticated style better be ready for the spotlight.

[Via PotholesInMyBlog; Billboard]