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Overview
The Weeknd is a singer-songwriter from Toronto, Canada. He started with a very hipster centric persona which is the undertone of the title, "Starboy". He had some of the most masculine/misogynistic themed messages but every song was sung softly and approach-ably. In this album's presentation he is trying to fight his common reception and reform his image due to the current cultural obsession and disdain for promiscuity. The new haircut and the upbeat vibe of the singles is a nice change of pace, but it seems like an effort that was abandoned half-way through. In the video for the first single, he kills his old self. Shortly after, he releases a song about waking up to a girl he doesn't recognize. What is the difference between the old Weeknd and the new Weeknd? A new haircut, less drugs, more money, and a bit more positive? The biggest image concern was the treatment of women. However, about the music specifically; his former albums were too heavy to replay casually. He's pushing his voice less, the melodies aren't as strong as some of his other songs, but it's understandable because he's now using dance and club beats.
Defining Track
Starboy is a collab with Daft Punk. It's very catchy and is a lot lighter than his usual style. The vocals are solid as always, and it's refreshing to hear him bragging thankfully for his money and musical success rather than his dark life. He talks about girls getting loose but it's mild and he needed to remain consistent to some extent to segway successfully.
Final Thoughts
This album has some nice moments. Starboy is much better than Kiss-Land. He's very talented vocally and as a writer which is why this album feels like it could have been great but was a little too awkward to really make it there.

Rap Independent
The Weeknd - Starboy
8/10

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