Back in March 2011, mysterious R&B singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye, perhaps better known as The Weeknd, took the world by storm when his unique debut mixtape House Of Ballons surfaced online, with bloggers and music critics, such as Complex magazine, branding it the "Best album of 2011". Another two internationally acclaimed mixtapes later, collaborations with musical greats such as Drake and Wiz Khalifa and a US tour with Florence & The Machine, the Canadian artist is a superstar in his own right, releasing all three mixtapes as a major label debut called Trilogy.
The beautifully crafted album features remastered and perfected versions of all three, previously free to download, nine track mixtapes: House Of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes Of Silence, as well as three brand new soulful tracks titled: Twenty Eight, Valerie and Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun), these new tracks adding even more structure to the Trilogy narrative. Throughout the album Tesfaye's vocal performance does not disappoint and as a previous fan of The Weeknd, I can only say that he has improved - the remastered versions sounding clearer than ever.
His angelic voice singing sex-fuelled and drug induced lyrics wastes no time bringing you into his dark, painful world but will have you enthralled by the deep, revealing story the Trilogy tells. With a unique mix of R&B, hip hop and indie, Tesfaye creates a whole new, exciting sound that the world has never seen or heard before proving that The Weeknd is undoubtedly a name to look out for. Featuring guest appearances from fellow Canadian Drake on The Zone and Three 6 Mafia founder Juicy J on Same Old Song not to mention sampling Beach House in The Party & The After Party and an impressing version of Michael Jackson's Dirty Diana - Trilogy is worth every penny!
Tracks such as Wicked Games and What You Need show Tesfaye's open vulnerability, whilst the likes of Same Old Song and Montreal show a more certain side to him. The Birds Part 2, The Knowing and Lonely Star will leave you mesmerized by The Weeknd's true musical genius. Some of his most well known tracks such as The Morning, Rolling Stone and Wicked Games also really stand out as incredible pieces of art.
Without a doubt, Trilogy triumphed and is evidently one of the best R&B releases in many years, scooping the title of Pitchfork's "Best new reissue". As an artist himself, Abel has really flourished and progressed, opening many doors for music. The Weeknd's remarkable story telling skills and lyrical ability combined with his smooth, falsetto vocals and exceptional production confirm that you're going to be seeing a lot more from him for many years to come.
xo.
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