Review:
The Weeknd took the modern R&B world by storm in 2011, releasing
three brilliant mixtapes (which he then remasted and released together as Trilogy).
He was probably the music artist of the year. Thus, anticipation for his first commercial
release has been incredibly high (and by the same token, expectations have been
impossibly high as well).
Kiss Land is musically different
that The Weeknd’s past work. Abel Tesfaye this time works primarily with fellow
Canadians producers DannyBoyStyles and Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville, and L.A.
producer Silkky Johnson stops by for the wonderful title track. However, it is
clear that Tesfaye is the main creative force behind the album. In addition to
writing all the tracks, he also produces or co-produces every song. The sound overall
does harken back to his mixtapes, as it too feels like a night of partying that
has gone on too long leading to the weariness of the come-down. Yet, like each
of his releases, there is a distinct sonic quality to it. This album is dark,
almost without an ounce of hopefulness. It has a beauty to it as well however.
Lyrically, Tesfaye is to some
extent still focused on the same thematic material that populated his mixtapes.
He seems to long for a meaningful relationship, but only finds (or gives into)
the shallowness of what night life offers (alcohol, drugs, women, and so on).
There is a real sadness to his music, which his voice accompanies to such an
affecting result for the listener. Pop music about failed relationships and
pain seems to resonate to a much stronger degree than happy songs, and here
Tesfaye is able to create a fully developed narrative of crushed hopes and
emotional suffering.
Tesfaye is also not afraid to
primarily stand alone as the sole voice on his record (which is a nice change
for what we typically see in modern R&B and Hip Hop). Frequent collaborator
Drake is the only featured guest, and his verse is brief (and on maybe the
weakest song on the album).
While Kiss Land is not The Weeknd’s
best release, it is still a wonderfully engrossing, emotive, and dense work. 4/5
Essential Tracks:
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