If you haven’t already noticed The Weeknd is starting to lean more and lean toward the pop realm as he continues working on his much-anticipated new album. Getting his feet wet with the Ariana Grande duet “Love Me Harder,” and now actually reaching the Top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100 with the seductive R&B bedroom banger “Earned It,” the Canadian star has been secretly crafting records with pop music royalty Max Martin.
Fans of the singer should know his affinity for Michael Jackson, it was showcased outright with his impressive cover of “Dirty Diana” off his Echoes Of Silence mixtape, but now we get to hear a real direct connection between his influence and where the direction of his new album might be going. Over the Memorial Day holiday, 3 new records actually found their way onto the net! The first is a bouncy, synth-heavy, dance-friendly anthem titled “I Can’t Feel My Face,” where The Weeknd compares his new love to a paralyzing drug.
“She told me don’t worry about it / She told me don’t worry no more / We both know we can’t go without / She told me you’ll never be alone,” he wails on the infectious chorus.
As if this potential hit wasn’t enough, two more records in a similar vein have accompanied it. The similar “In The Night,” finds Abel showcasing his falsetto over an ’80s pop build-up and break-down as he tells the tale of a irresistible vixen.
“In a world without an end or beginnin’, baby girl was living life for the feelin’ / But, I don’t mind,” he sings.
Jumping a decade, the third leak is titled “In The ’90s,” and features a strong sonic reverb-like effect bordering on distortion as he sings about more dangerous females. There is a definite theme here, and anyone that only loves The Weeknd for his breakout darky and druggy sound of 2011’s House of Balloons is going to have to be open to some change, as he is certainly looking to breakout from underground phenom to Billboard star.
Take a listen to all 3 new tracks below! What do you think??
“I Can’t Feel My Face”
Stream removed by request
“In The Night”
Stream removed by request
“In The ’90s”
Stream removed by request
Only the first track seems to work for me…