As the weather starts to get colder, The Weeknd has returned from his sabbatical to heat things up. This past week, the Canadian singer released a new single, “Heartless,” with another new track, “Blinding Lights,” following soon after. Along with a whole new look and sound, it appears that The Weeknd is gearing up for something big soon.
Ever since his sudden rise to fame, The Weeknd’s music has always stood out from his contemporaries. When his first few songs were released online and started to gain popularity, his identity was completely unknown to everyone. His mysterious aura was fueled by his dark, spacey music. He went on to release three popular mixtapes the next year: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. As his fame continued to grow, he was noticed by many artists, including fellow Canadian Drake, who allowed him to perform as the opening act for many of his shows and featured him on his next album, Take Care. Once he signed a record deal as a joint venture with his imprint XO, he re-released his mixtapes as a compilation album titled Trilogy, which included three new songs. His debut studio album, Kiss Land, followed in 2013. After contributing songs to films such as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Fifty Shades of Grey, The Weeknd began to reach a new level of popularity. His next album, Beauty Behind The Madness, was released in 2015, featuring number-one songs such as “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” The next year, he released another album, Starboy, which featured collaborations with artists such as Lana Del Ray and Kendrick Lamar. The album’s title track also reached number one on the charts. After disappearing for a while, The Weeknd came back in 2018 to release the EP My Dear Melancholy, which proved to be popular as well.
After going on another hiatus from releasing solo music, The Weeknd returned with “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights” his first singles since 2018. Before the release of the songs, The Weeknd posted a cryptic message on social media, kicking off a “new, brain-melting, psychotic chapter.” “Heartless” features a beat with a booming bass from Metro Boomin, as The Weeknd brags about his money and carefree lifestyle, asserting that his new life has made him heartless. “Blinding Lights,” which was subsequently released a few days after, goes in the other direction, as The Weeknd speaks about his significant other, comparing them to lights that brighten his life every day. The latter track was included in a commercial for Mercedes Benz, where the song was first teased.
As far as music goes, The Weeknd is going in a different direction than My Dear Melancholy, his last release. These two new singles are far more grandiose and upbeat than what one normally hears from his music. Both songs feature electronic dance style drums and upbeat synths that sound as though they came straight out of the ’80s. As the fall comes to a close, it appears that The Weeknd has come alive once again.
