Starboy

by The Weeknd

Overview

The extent of the 2015 Weeknd commercial rebound, symbolized by platinum certifications for Beauty Behind the Madness and all four of its singles, didn't merely embolden Abel Tesfaye. On this follow-up's fourth track, a blithe midtempo cut where Tesfaye takes a swipe at pretenders while boasting about drinking codeine out of one of his trophies, the level of success is a source of amusement. He notes the absurdity in taking a "kids' show" award for "Can't Feel My Face," in which he was "talkin' 'bout a face numbin' off a bag of blow." The track actually lost to Adele's "Hello," but it clearly, somewhat comically, reached an unintended demographic. It comes as no surprise that Tesfaye, on his third proper album, doesn't attempt to optimize the reach of his biggest hit by consciously targeting youngsters. He sings of being a "Starboy" with access to a fleet of sports cars, but he's a "motherfuckin' starboy," one who is 26 years old and proud to observe his woman snort cocaine off his fancy table. While Starboy often reflects an increased opulence in the personal and professional aspects of Tesfaye's life -- from more upscale pronouns to expensive collaborations with the likes of Daft Punk (two) and "Can't Feel My Face" producers Max Martin and Ali Payami (four) -- the dark moments of vulnerability are pitch black. Lines like "I switch up my cup, I kill any pain" could have come from Tesfaye's mixtape debut, yet there are new levels of torment. In "Ordinary Life," he considers driving off a Mulholland Drive cliff, James Dean style, wishing he could swap everything for angel status. It's followed with "Nothing Without You," a ballad of toxic dysfunction. He asks his lover if she'd feel guilty for not answering his call if he happened to die that night. It's not all dread and depravity. There's some sense of joy in a one-night stand, and an echo of "Say Say Say" Michael Jackson, on the Luomo-ish house track "Rockin'." Contrition is shown in the slick retro-modern disco-funk of "A Lonely Night." Ironically enough, in the aching "True Colors," Tesfaye sounds a little insecure about a lover's past. The album's lighter, comparatively sweeter parts -- the Tears for Fears-sampling/Romantics-referencing "Secrets" and the breezy and only slightly devilish "I Feel It Coming" among them -- are all welcome highlights. At 18 tracks, the album is a "contracted edition" playlist toolkit. The songwriting credits list just under 40 composers, and the productions -- the majority of which involve Doc McKinney and/or Cirkut, low-lighted by maneater dance-punk dud "False Alarm" -- are roughly as variable in style as they are in quality. When pared down to its ten best songs, Starboy sounds like Tesfaye's most accomplished work. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	11/28/2016
Label:	Republic
UPC:	0602557227482

Tracks

1. Starboy
2. Party Monster
3. False Alarm
4. Reminder
5. Rockin'
6. Secrets
7. True Colors
8. Stargirl (Interlude)
9. Sidewalks
10. Six Feet Under
11. Love to Lay
12. A Lonely Night
13. Attention
14. Ordinary Life
15. Nothing Without You
16. All I Know
17. Die for You
18. I Feel It Coming

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Weeknd   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ariana Grande   Primary Artist
Future   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
A$AP Rocky   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Lana Del Rey   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Daft Punk   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Young Thug   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kendrick Lamar   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Cashmere Cat   Co-Producer
Dylan Wiggins   Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Synthesizer Bass
Jeremy Lertola   Clapping
Daniel Wilson   Vocals,Vocals
Kazue Lika Tatsushima   Vocals
Simon Christenson   Guitar
Peter Svensson   Guitar
John Robinson   Drums
J.R. Robinson   Drums
Cirkut   Co-Producer
Christopher Caswell   Keyboards
Adrian Eccleston   Guitar (Acoustic)
Quinn   Percussion
Abel Tesfaye   Co-Producer
Mano   Co-Producer
Doc McKinney   Co-Producer
Prince 85   Co-Producer
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Guitar
Nathan East   Bass
Max Martin   Guitar
Ryland Blackinton   Guitar

Technical Credits

Cashmere Cat   Producer
Ben Billions   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Metro Boomin   Producer
Dylan Wiggins   Composer
Magnus August Hoiberg   Composer
Leland Wayne   Composer
Raphael Mesquita   Engineer
Maddox Chhim   Mixing Assistant
Kygo   Remix Engineer
Jeff Jackson   Mixing Assistant
Henry Walter   Composer
Jeremy Lertola   Assistant Engineer
Robin Florent   Mixing Assistant
Brittany Hazzard   Composer
Wally Palamarchuk   Composer
Benjamin Diehl   Composer
Jeffery Williams   Composer
William Thomas Walsh   Composer
Robert John Richardson   Composer
Eric Chedeville   Composer
Bobby Raps   Producer
Daniel Wilson   Composer
Mejdi Rhars   Composer
James Pennington   Composer
Peter Solley   Composer
Peter Svensson   Composer
Mike Skill   Composer
Labrinth   Producer
Thomas Bangalter   Composer
Savan Kotecha   Composer
Chris Galland   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Emmanuel Nickerson   Composer
Ali Payami   Composer,Producer
Martin "Doc" McKinney   Producer,Recording,Engineer
Josh Smith   Engineer,Recording
William Walsh   Composer
Mustafa Ahmed   Composer
Ahmad Balshe   Composer
Jason Quenneville   Composer
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer
Timothy McKenzie   Composer
David Schwerkolt   Mixing,Engineer
Walter Palamarchuk   Composer
Cory Bice   Assistant Engineer
Swish   Producer
Aya Merrill   Mastering,Assistant Mastering Engineer
Jacob Dutton   Composer
David Nakaji   Mixing Assistant
Kendrick Lamar   Composer
Kendrick Duckworth   Composer
Lana Del Rey   Composer
Cirkut   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Sam Wishkoski   Composer
Florian Lagatta   Engineer,Recording
George Canler   Composer
Nayvadius Wilburn   Composer
Abel Tesfaye   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Rakim Mayers   Composer
Benjamin Levin   Composer
Tom Coyne   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Coz Canler   Composer
Shanna Jackson   Composer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Noah Passovoy   Engineer
Martin McKinney   Composer
Mano   Producer
Adam Feeney   Composer
Doc McKinney   Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Prince 85   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Kevin Saunderson   Composer
J.P. Pennington   Composer
Daniel Lerner   Engineer
John Hanes   Mixing,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Roland Orzabal   Composer
Ali Shaheed Muhammad   Composer,Producer
Max Martin   Composer,Producer
Mick Guzauski   Engineer
Frank Dukes   Producer
Dan Wilson   Composer
Arthur Forest   Composer
Ben Diehl   Composer,Engineer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
Jaycen Joshua   Mixing
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo   Composer
Daft Punk   Producer
Jimmy Marinos   Composer
Jake One   Producer
Benny Blanco   Composer,Producer
Diplo   Producer