One of the things that doesn't get brought up a lot when discussing pop music is song structure. Song structure is basically just the blueprint for the direction in which a song will go, which is one of the biggest gripes about pop music because the structure of the songs almost always follows the same formula, that's what makes it "pop music".

Said song structure typically consists of an INTRO followed by a VERSE (A), (sometimes a PRE CHORUS in between these) HOOK (B), VERSE (A), HOOK (B), BRIDGE (C), and then finally the HOOK (B) again, and sometimes followed by an outro. A (pc) B A (pc) B C B is what we're looking at here.

HOB is chock full of songs that mimic this form almost perfectly.

High For This
Intro (0:00-0:26)
A (0:26-1:15)
B (1:15-1:43)
A (1:43-2:32)
B (2:32-3:00)
C (3:00-end) this one skips another hook and merges the bridge with an outro

What You Need
Intro (0:00-0:10)
A (0:10-0:37)
PreChorus (0:37-1:06)
B (1:06-1:35)
A (1:35-2:04)
Prechorus (2:04-2:32)
B (2:33-3:00) this one has no bridge and ends with a small outro

House Of Balloons (GTG is not a pop song)
Intro (0:00-0:27)
A (0:27-1:09)
PC (1:09-1:32)
B (1:32-1:59)
A (1:59-2:51)
PC (2:51-3:03)
B (3:03-3:30) GTG breaks suit and does its own thing

The Morning
Intro (0:00-0:32)
A (0:32-1:35)
B (1:35-2:00)
A (2:00-3:04)
B (3:04-3:28)
C (3:28-4:00) this one's a bit strange since this C section kind of merges another verse + the hook
B (4:00-4:28)
Outro (4:28-end)

Wicked Games
Intro (0:00-0:17)
A (0:17-0:50)
PC (0:50-1:26)
B (1:26-2:31)
A (2:31-3:05)
PC (3:05-3:39)
B (3:39-4:12)
C (4:12-end) this song is the most true to form from the OG tape...perhaps why it blew up initially!*

The Party & The After Party
This is perhaps one of the more ambiguous songs on the record. It feels to me like a pop song with structure (the first part), but it's structured in a particularly odd way that dilutes it exactly. I'll have to put more thinking into this one.

Coming Down
Intro (0:00-0:31)
A (0:31-1:02)
PC (1:02-1:20)
B (1:20-1:54)
A (1:55-2:23)
PC (2:23-2:40)
B (2:40-3:12)
C (3:12-3:50)
PC (3:51-4:05)
B (4:05-4:40)
Outro (4:40-end)

Loft Music
A BREAK FROM FORM!! This is one of Abel's freeflow songs where he's not held down to any structure, this is throughout the whole song not just the first half.

The Knowing
Intro (0:00-0:45)
A (0:45-1:50)
PC (1:50-2:12)
B (2:12-2:58)
A (2:58-3:44)
PC (3:44-4:28)
B (4:28-end) similar to High For This, it combines the hook with the outro, which IMO hammers down the cohesiveness of the project having both the first and last songs structured almost the same.

Twenty Eight (Bonus Track)
Intro (0:00-0:16)
A (0:16-0:44)
B (0:44-1:19)
A (1:19-1:44)
B (1:44-2:12)
C (2:12-2:44)
B (2:44-3:42)
Outro (3:42) this is THE most true to form pop song on the album (if you count it)

@Tomorrow with the musical knowledge

I know practically no one will read this, but when we say HOB changed the landscape of Pop Music, this is why. IT IS A POP ALBUM!

So the answer is YES The Weeknd DOES have a better pop album than Bruno Mars.

Edit: this post was just a fun jab pls don't take it as seriously as some of yall have lmao

The answer is YES ! It is ! Therefore we can thus make the argument that it is the best pop album since MICHAEL JACKSON

Cmon dude this is a serious thread quit the bait

I’m being so serious bro

MJ comparisons don’t do anything but get people mad and you know this lol

It’s amazing music no matter what the genre is

All this and Bruno still factually more talented lmao

Yeah don’t have class for another 2 hours

No one is disputing that buddy

damn you really don’t f*** with Abel anymore

I mean you’re out here doing all this to prove a point after the Bruno thread so

ok dis a cool thread

One of the best pop albums ever.

Yes to prove that House of Balloons is a pop album

No one is saying The Weeknd is more talented than Bruno Mars...

It’s also not that great

Ok maybe not talent being the right word but the whole better album s***

Well that’s subjective then lol