THE WEEKND

Beauty Behind The Madness

(Republic)

To say this record already has a proven track record would be an understatement. When Billboard’s Hot A&B Chart boasts three Weeknd singles in its top three ( “Can’t You Feel My Face” – No.1, “The Hills” – No.2 and “Earned It” – No.3), weeks before `Beauty Behind The Madness’ is even released, it’s a given this record is going to be a huge hit globally. Yes it may be sacrilegious to label him a young man’s Michael Jackson but his distinctive, breathy falsetto vocal style, complex, mid-tempo vocal and instrumental arrangements are not a stretch from the former `King Of Pop’. What is distinctive is the usage of some explicit lyrics on tracks like “Often” and “Shameless”, the impact of which is deflected by the tracks’ stylish production values. But with 14 tracks to choose from, even those who feel some of Weeknd’s lyrics are a little too graphic will find comfort in the magnetic impact of tracks like “Can’t You Feel My Face”, “The Hills” and “As You Are” which does come across as vintage Michael Jackson. With a star power that has attracted the likes of Ed Sheeran to duet on “Dark Times”, Lana Del Ray to join forces on “Prisoner” and Labrinth’s involvement with “Losers”, Weeknd’s career is already in the stratosphere. His work on “The 50 Shades Of Grey” soundtrack, represented here with “Earned It” has already earned him global recognition and it’s a foregone conclusion that Mr Abel Tesfaye is heading for superstardom.