Review: ‘Starboy’

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The Weeknd has given us so much to be thankful for this season. “Starboy” made its debut late Thanksgiving night filled with typical tracks you would hear from the Canadian artist, paired with some new outside-the-box punk beats.

On his fourth album, The Weeknd is no stranger to the fame a successful album can bring. His rising popularity is evident in his numerous popular featured artists; Future, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey and Daft Punk all bring their own incredible vocals on “Starboy.”

Del Rey and The Weeknd, who previously performed “Prisoner” on “Beauty Behind the Madness,” continued their streak of contemporary ballads with “Stargirl Interlude.” The pair effortlessly harmonize into a lovestruck galaxy far away from us.

Other tracks like “Love to Lay” and “Party Monster”–a second track Rey can be heard on–show a more diverse pop side to The Weeknd. Tracks on his flagship albums would show anything but pop, but his slow transition to today’s top hits has treated him well. The Weeknd still keeps his deep-rooted indie R&B vibes in other tracks like “True Colors,” creating a melting pot of an album.

The Weeknd’s talent is effortlessly displayed in this album, yet again. After the fame that his past albums have brought him, he had a lot to live up to which he definitely did. It’s not often you can see an artist incorporate bluesy R&B and electro-punk with a pop radio hit, but somehow he makes it work.

The one caveat for “Starboy” is the slight feeling that some of these tracks are way too similar to past tracks. “Party Monster” really reminds me of “I’m Good,” a collab The Weeknd featured on with Lil Wayne back in 2013. With this being his fourth album, one would hope he continues to make new hits, and not just slightly altered past ones.

Overall “Starboy” deserves an ‘A.’ His vocals, as always, did not disappoint, and his capabilities to reach multiple genres in one collective album is what makes him uniquely popular.