Deep Dive: The Weeknd Part 1 (Beauty Behind the Madness)

    The Weeknd and his artistry are so fascinating to me because it's like he sees the musical landscape and knows how to bend and twist current trends into fresh air and create something new from the ashes. As a result, I feel like all of his works age so well. I'm guilty of only one thing really, and that's that I didn't sit down and listen and appreciate his art sooner. I had heard and loved a lot of his work around 2014-2015 like singles from this album we're talking about today, Beauty Behind the Madness, songs he contributed to film soundtracks, and his excellent feature on Ariana Grande's single, "Love Me Harder." But it took me until last year to sit down and listen to everything he had. 

    You're probably wondering why I didn't start with Trilogy or even Kiss Land. My answer for that is that I haven't listened to those albums as much as the rest of his work, and I don't feel like I can talk about them and do them justice. They're great albums, go listen to them. But I feel like The Weeknd really took off from Beauty onwards. 

    With that said, let's find the madness in this deep dive!

    I love The Weeknd. His voice is gorgeous, for starters. And so recognizable. His talent is off the charts, and he's one of those people who were born to be singers and artists. He reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson. He's just cool. 

    Our opening track here is "Real Life." Sonically, it's damn amazing. It's kinda dark. It's got a lot going on. It sets us up for the concepts, themes, and sounds we can expect for the rest of the album. The Weeknd begins singing and it's confident. He's telling a story, and we are immediately paying attention. Did I mention those strings that pop up every now and again? No? They're mythical. 

    If I had to describe the second track, "Losers," I'd say it's an eclectic blend of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Labrinth's contribution is great with smooth vocals that are like red wine. The chorus kicks in and it becomes a bright blend that sends us spiraling.

    "Tell Your Friends" keeps us going in the R&B direction, but it's not full on R&B to me? It's something so much more. It's classy. It's sultry. It's raunchy. It's adult. We're being mature. The Weeknd sings like he's letting us in on a universal truth, and we're leaning in to get all the details. 

    From the first 3 tracks alone, I'd definitely describe this as an autumn album with its moody and artsy feel. It's manly. It makes you want more. 

    "Often" feels slightly ahead of its time for me. I think songs like this blew up around this time and championed themselves until at least 2018. It feels like the male counterpart to Beyoncé's "Partition" to me. Am I the only one who feels that way? The hooks are nice. 

    The Weeknd can do dark songs and make them into smashes that anyone can love and appreciate. "The Hills" sounds so Halloween dark. That scream in the chorus? I remember people going wild for this song, and they still do. There's not many songs like this that are so effortlessly done right. The Weeknd's whiny vocal performance during the verses are a nice touch that give the song another layer. Then during that bridge before the final chorus, the song because so beautiful and gothic. It's really cool!

    "Acquainted" keeps us going in the right direction and picks up where "The Hills" left off. The beats hit hard. The prechorus gives us a good buildup before beats and all come full circle. It has a slight 80s feel at times. It's great!

    "Can't Feel My Face" needs no words or introduction. They lyrics are so descriptive and Weeknd-esque. His vocal performance here is probably the best on the album. It's groovy. It's fun. It has so many layers like an onion. It just has hit written all over it. 

    "Shameless" takes us away from the fun and back into the scary. That intro is INSANE! It's kinda creepy. Then the guitar kicks in and it's beautiful. It's... Beauty Behind the Madness. Haha! The vocals on the chorus are nice and are fun to sing along to.

    Beauty Behind the Madness just feels like such a big statement. It woke up pop culture. It birthed a brand new star and brought him to the apex. It is a music moment. Immaculately produced. Such tender love and care given to the vocal performances. A visionary for its classy, sultry, and downright sexy sound. And all of this can be shown in a single song: "Earned It." Listen to what's going on in the background. The piano is *chef's kiss.* It's gorgeous. If velvet was a song, it would be "Earned It."

    Max Martin is a music god. Convince me otherwise. Every song he touches is gold that everyone can appreciate. Case in point: "In the Night." A disco moment that tells a story. Lyrically, it's probably the best on the album, and showcases how Weeknd can write and portray a story from beginning to end. I am the biggest fanboy of Max Martin. I always check out his productions and am constantly impressed. 

    "As You Are" is smooth as silk. We get lovely falsettos here. The box drums on the chorus shakes things up. Another 80s-inspired moment. 

    The album's second collaboration features everyone's favorite ginger, Ed Sheeran, on it. "Dark Times" feels like a cartoon crossover event. It's really what you would get if you combined Ed Sheeran's sound with The Weeknd's. And Sheeran kills it here. The guitar shakes us up in a good way. The chorus is all Weeknd though. It has him written all over it whereas the verses feel distinctly Sheeran. And that after-chorus guitar riff? Girlllll, it's good. 

    I love Lana Del Rey. I love Lana so much. Her whole personality translates into her work and artistry. Everything from her idealized romanticism to even her matter-of-fact sense of humor. Guys, their voices together are pure heaven. Listen to this chorus on "Prisoner." And it seems so effortless from both of them. Probably because it is. These two have a lot of collaborations together. And I love "Lust for Life." Don't even try to say one thing bad about that song. I won't have it! I won't!

    Our final track "Angel," has a cool opening that really reminds me of something Hamasaki Ayumi would do back in the 90s/00s. Does anyone else hear that? If you combined 80s power pop with 90s balladry and 00s whimsical-ness, you'd get "Angel." It's beautiful. It's a great way to end the album. I feel like this is the album's really true, classic, by definition ballad. I guess you could call it a power ballad? It's nice.

    Overall, I really enjoy this album every time I listen to it. And you can approach it while feeling different moods and leave it with a different outcome each time. Perhaps that's because you get "party" songs and yet dark, introspective songs. Sexy songs. Confident R&B. Pop that embraces the darkness of the night. And an artist that isn't afraid to take risk and talk about things others may not be comfortable talking about. It makes for an intriguing formula. 

Rank: S Rank. I can't feel my face when listening to Beauty Behind the Madness.

Recommendation: car rides on autumn nights when you're in a mood to sing a little bit.