Starboy

A year after the release of his GRAMMY®-winning breakthrough—2015’s *Beauty Behind the Madness*—The Weeknd returns with *Starboy*, a double album of interstellar soul and feverish R&B that orbits around an ambitious title character. Bookended by two titanic but very different Daft Punk collaborations, it’s a listening experience that, from start to finish, speaks to the Toronto native’s mastery of both melody and mood. “It’s good to have darkness,” he told Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. “Because when the light comes, it feels that much better.”

With Beauty Behind the Madness, Abel Tesfaye achieved pop stardom without compromising his vision. On its uninspired follow-up, Starboy, he seems to lose sight of that vision almost entirely.

The Weeknd (a.k.a. Abél Tesfaye) only sees possibilities, not limitations, where his music is concerned. The Canadian producer-songwriter’s official label debut, 2012’s Trilogy, was a triple album compiling his eclectic early mixtapes, while 2015’s hit Beauty Behind The Madness LP took a loose, expansive approach to…

Starboy is The Weeknd's third album, following 'eauty Behind The Madness' – so has Abél Tesfaye done it again?

Our take on third album from late-night crooner

Tesfaye continues to sound as if he has no idea what it is that he wants to do.

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Limp new album Starboy is proof that Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, has lost his edge in his pursuit of super stardom.

Starboy represents Abel Tesfaye's third album on a major label and sixth project overall, and while the underground mystery has largely dissipated around the Weeknd, in the mainstream spotlight, he's still determining the artist he wants us to see.

Back in 2011, the little-known Abel Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd, released a trilogy of critically acclaimed mixtapes all instantly recognisable by their

The musically omnivorous Abel Tesfaye has mainstream stardom in his sights with this overlong but persuasive album

The Weeknd's 'Starboy' remodels an artistically marginal, genuinely interesting figure into a toothless celebrity version thereof.

Featuring music royalties Daft Punk and Lana Del Rey, Abél Tesafaye aims right for the mainstream pop jugular with his Auto-Tune heavy album

Starboy is an awkward entry in The Weeknd’s growing discography for reasons that are both within and outside the artist’s control.

The Weeknd - Starboy review: Misogyny has never sounded so manufactured.

Canadian R’n’B provocateur Abel Tesfaye continues his journey into the pop mainstream with a double album of smooth and smoochy future R’n’B on which he dials down the offensiveness in favour of romance.