The Weeknd – ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ (Review)

Ok so we all know that Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd has been dominating the charts this year with his smash hits “Earned It” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” After leaking many singles since late 2014, it’s only natural that sooner or later, he comes along with a sophomore album Beauty Behind the Madness. With 5 of 14 songs off the record already out months before the album release, Beauty Behind the Madness isn’t exactly what you’d call a “fresh” project. However, most would agree that it’s worth listening to.

As far as the already released singles, the track “The Hills” pretty much has that signature sound that we’ve grown accustomed to from The Weeknd (a screetchy, over-dramatic hook with a hard hitting electronic instrumental). “Earned It” has a sophisticated, and orchestra oriented sound which The Weeknd shows versatility over. “Can’t Feel My Face” has such a neo Michael Jackson vibe and is definitely a powerhouse presence on the album. One of my favorite tracks is the Kanye West produced “Tell Your Friends.” Then you have the song “Often” which I wish was replaced with the prior released track “King of the Fall,” where The Weeknd displayed one of the hardest singing verses I’ve ever heard.

As for the rest of Beauty Behind the Madness, there wasn’t a whole lot else to offer. The track “Acquainted” was very reminiscent of The Weeknd’s sound on earlier projects and was a noteable song off the record. It was nice to see the guest appearance from Lana Del Rey, as The Weeknd noted in an interview that she’s like the girl who he’s been singing about all along. But really, the record is far from the best thing I’ve heard all summer. It’s certainly an improvement from his 2013 album Kiss Land though. Beauty Behind the Madness will find itself at 3/5 flies.

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