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  • Updated Sep 3, 2021

    HOUSE OF BALLOONS (2011)

    High For This

    House of Balloons opens with a warning, and then a set of instructions: “you don’t know what’s in store… you wanna be high for this.” A chilly Michael Jackson impersonation slowly drowning in pockets of industrial squall, Tesfaye’s performance on this opener is a mission statement––drug-induced scatalogy conflated with violent self-loathing and paranoia, natch.––coalescing under the cover of poetic come-ons that even at their most mystical, still reek of lechery

    ULTRA DOGME

    House of Balloons

    Toronto singer Abel Tesfaye, who seems to be the entire group, has a striking high tenor: at points on “House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls,” he sounds like Michael Jackson yelping into an intercom in a Propofol haze.

    Rolling Stone

    ECHOES OF SILENCE (2011)

    D.D.

    The album opens with a cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Dirty Diana’. The audacity of this is bound to raise a few eyebrows but the strength of Tesfaye’s consistently outstanding vocals and the sentiment of the song, consistent with that of the rest of the album, mean that it is a fantastic opener.

    Cherwell

    Echoes Of Silence, opens with a surprise cover of “Dirty Diana,” Michael Jackson’s gloves-off evisceration of a determined groupie. The song is Jackson’s harshest, an unusually misogynistic expression of the pop star’s desire to be left alone, and in Tesfaye’s hands it’s even more malicious. Tesfaye knows there’s no pickup line more effective than “stay away,” so his “Dirty Diana” plays out as an elaborate, duplicitous seduction. Here it’s the singer laying the trap, not the groupie.

    The A.V. Club

    illiterateabel

    “D.D.” is the first track on the album, and may sound very familiar; it’s a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”. In all my life, I have never heard a better MJ cover. The Weeknd’s version uses both electronic and industrial beats that are terrific for people like me who nod their head in public. Although beginning very ambient and sinister, when the chorus drops, it’s really, really, heavy. I have to say the most accurate description I can make to this song would be if Nine Inch Nails and James Blake had also teamed up to cover MJ’s legendary song.

    FHNtoday

    The best song on the album comes first as Tesfaye starts with a Michael Jackson cover (“D.D.”), taking MJ’s “Dirty Diana” (Off Bad) and dragging it through the sludge, pumping up the mechanized blurt. It’s amazing how similar MJ and Tesfaye’s vocals are when Tesfaye’s plies his trade on a poppier tune. While it’s hard to imagine Tesfaye singing something like “This Girl Is Mine”, this cover shows a way forward for Tesfaye, a way for him to move into pop territory without sacrificing what brought him attention in the first place — unmitigated depression, threat to himself and others, lack of pleasure.

    PopMatters

    There are some distinctly Jacksonian dance and R&B beats that do more than merely ask for your poetic attention, they now demand it. "D.D." is a powerful and instantly catchy cover the Michael Jackson original is laden with pop sensibilities, but one that still tells the truth in that traditional (after 3 records I think it's fair to use that term) in The Weeknd way even if its not Tesfaye's

    Gas Lantern Media

    "D.D." uncovers a rift in time and space with Captain Eo and Tesfaye planted firmly in the middle; there is no question MJ traversed the temporal planes to steal the concept for "Dirty Diana".

    Sputnikmusic

    The Fall

    The Fall encapsulates what’s so appealing about The Weeknd in just under six minutes: ethereal keys, precision-engineered minimal beats, and Michael Jackson-recalling vocals that stretch and soar while never threatening to splinter.

    BBC

    TRILOGY (2012)

    Echoes is taut and vigorous, a leap forward within well-worn territory. “D.D.,” a pummeling, jaw-dropping cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana,” kicks off the set. Tesfaye’s faithful vocal execution illuminates the elements of Jackson’s delivery he’s been aping all along without notice(which is even more blatant on Trilogy’s bonus tracks)

    Pretty Much Amazing

    Twenty Eight

    Michael Jackson had his dark side, too. “Twenty Eight,” the first full song of three new bonus tracks from the Weeknd’s upcoming triple-disc major-label debut, Trilogy, premiered Wednesday on BBC Radio, and it’s a ballad-to-burner that suggests Abel Tesfaye has kept learning from his late-2011 cover of MJ’s “Dirty Diana.” Tesfaye stains his feathery, fragile vocals here with a tone of not-so-subtle threat, which is neatly underscored by the way he layers his voice with pitch-shifted harmonies. “This house is not a home to you / But you decide to lay down, lay down,” Tesfaye croons.

    Spin

    Earlier this afternoon, BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe let loose “Twenty Eight”, one of three new songs included on The Weeknd’s Trilogy. Maybe it’s colored by the “Dirty Diana” cover that opens Echoes of Silence, but is Abel Tesfaye’s R&B drama is starting to sound a lot more like Michael Jackson’s R&B drama?

    Consequence

    "Twenty Eight" has The Weeknd in the same wheelhouse as post-aughts R&B contemporaries such as Frank Ocean and Miguel but also evokes the raw vocal talents of 20th century legends like Michael Jackson. And no, we do not exaggerate

    MTV

    Heavy musical influence really shines in “Twenty Eight,” where Abel evokes Michael Jackson with pleading vocals in one of the most love ailed tracks in Trilogy.

    HipHopDX

    Valarie

    “Valerie” follows from a spate of new work — “Twenty Eight,” the remastered “Wicked Games,” and non-album track “Enemy” — and it’s not out of character. Imbued with a brooding sexuality and accompanied by reverbed effects plucked from the early ’90s, the track features Tesfaye’s occasionally Michael Jackson-channeling coo, and heavy musings on the responsibilities a man faces when that time comes in his life to, you know, face responsibilities.

    Spin

    MTV has proclaimed him "the best musical talent since Michael Jackson" – hyperbole given some credence by D.D, an uncanny cover of the King of Pop's Dirty Diana. And, under one YouTube clip of Valerie, a new track that will feature on Trilogy, the top comment reads: "Michael Jackson never died ..."

    The Guardian

    Enemy

    Abel Tesfaye's first release since signing to a major label "Enemy" may sample The Smiths but the most obvious influence here is Michael Jackson's mid-1990s work.

    Independent

    “Enemy”–which definitely has the vocal edge and dark intensity of his earliest attention-demanding jams, laid out over a minimal track that’s best described as gothic one drop; somewhere between Michael Jackson BAD and Mavado wicked

    Okayplayer


    KISS LAND (2013)

    An album of scars and calluses, “Kiss Land” (XO/Republic) — released under Mr. Tesfaye’s performing alter ego, the Weeknd — is pulpy, mournful, pungent, unnerving. Nearly three years ago, Mr. Tesfaye released his first songs online, deeply narcotized music that carried the DNA of Terence Trent D’Arby, Prince, Michael Jackson, and also the Smiths and DJ Screw.

    The New York Times

    Professional

    What does it mean, oh
    When your heart's already numb
    You're professional
    Won't treat it like it's personal

    The Town

    “The Town.” With its menacing drum beats that highlights Tesfaye’s gloomy falsettos, it sounds like a bonus track from Michael Jackson’s 1988 film Moonwalker. It shows a different side to the Lothario, who yearns for a lost lover: “You made me feel so good before I left on the road / and you deserve your name on a crown, on a throne.”

    Idolator

    “Kiss Land” shows Tesfaye developing a bigger sound and utilizing influences from his predecessors. “The Town” feels reminiscent of later Michael Jackson recordings.

    Buffalo News

    This partly stems from his vocal – more and more it feels like his cooing falsetto is simply a Michael Jackson impersonation (especially on The Town), rather than the raw yearning we heard on ‘Trilogy’.

    THE GIZZLE REVIEW

    Mostly, though, this is stark stuff, devoid of strong melodies and sing-along hooks. Tesfaye rolls with the allusions instigated by Echoes of Silence’s “Dirty Diana” cover, this time conjuring the wind-machine, steam-rising, mid-tempo earnestness of Dangerous-era MJ

    Spin

    Belong To The World

    Yet the music is never up to the conceptual task, and the album too often settles for numbing backdrops, with songs like “Belong to the World” resembling wan impersonations of Bad-era Michael Jackson.

    Slant Magazine

    Tesfaye seems content to rely strictly on ethereal textures, Portishead drum samples and melismatic singing heavily indebted to late-period Michael Jackson. It’s the Derek Zoolander school of songwriting: Every track has the exact same look.

    Washington Post

    His urgent performance on the Portishead-jacking ‘Belong To The World’ – “It’s something I relate to/Your gift of nonchalance“, he sings – is pure Michael Jackson, and so is the protagonist on ‘Tears In The Rain’, crooning with a sob for the girl who’s made the error of letting Tesfaye “slip away“.

    NME

    Wanderlust

    Kiss Land is littered with nods to Bad, from Tesfaye's MJ-ish vocal tics to the arena-rock drum fills that pop up on about half its songs. And the closer it gets in its own skewed emulation, the better the album becomes. Probably the best two songs come halfway through. "Wanderlust" is a throbbing but bouyant uptempo funk-rock hybrid in which Tesfaye plays a man who's both in thrall to aggressively sexual women and exceedingly sensitive to the emotional fallout that comes with hooking up with them, an almost identical character to the one Jackson played in "Dirty Diana."

    Esquire

    "Wanderlust" grooves along at a pop/rock pace, and proves that you can actually dance to a Weeknd track after all. He's a singer who often evokes Michael Jackson, but here, he imitates MJ's craft in more than vocal riffs. "Wanderlust" sounds directly inspired by something off "Thriller."

    Billboard

    “Wanderlust” starts off somewhat promisingly, but quickly devolves into a Michael Jackson-mimicking vamp built around the phrase (not joking here) “precious little diamond.”

    The Crimson

    Michael Jackson is an obvious influence in The Weeknd’s sound (see his Echoes of Silence “Dirty Diana” cover) and it is best heard on the record’s most unexpected song, “Wanderlust.” It is a post-disco, ’80s-inspired song made for the dance floor — think Thriller‘s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” covered in a shadowy veil.

    Idolator

    Further, Kiss Land truly leans to convention more than experimentation, despite the experiment that is its purport. This could be a product of any number of things, but the likeliest appears to be Tesfaye’s obsession with the work of Michael Jackson, clearly present in Echoes of Silence on “Dirty Diana” and emerging here on the unabashed disco of “Wanderlust.”

    Treblezine

    As the album’s most radio friendly song, Tesfaye searches for a one-night stand and unites with a woman on the dance floor. He sounds Jackson-esque with lyrical inspiration from Prince as he sings, “They’re in love with this idea of love / It’s a shame that they’ll believe it will come / For us all, for us all.”

    USF Oracle

    “Wanderlust” – If Michael Jackson were still alive, this is the sound I would expect from him; bold statement, but true. A groovy pop song with a repetitive phrase that you have to pry out of your head afterward, “Wanderlust” is an unexpected treat from The Weeknd and an extremely plausible hit-single on the radio.

    Rated R&B

    His trembling, falsetto register on the ‘80s-inspired track “Wanderlust” sounds especially similar to Michael Jackson’s “Bad.”

    The Reveille

    Completing this vibrant trio is the florid disco of “Wanderlust”, which splits the difference between peak-era MJ and Passion Pit’s gossamer bloom.

    Consequence

    “Wanderlust,” which samples Fox the Fox’s “Precious Little Diamond,” is the disc’s most adventurous song: The Michael Jackson-esque tune is energetic, beat-driven and could be a monster hit on the pop charts.

    AP News

    Wanderlust (Pharrell Remix)

    “Wanderlust feat. Pharrell”. With a significantly faster groove, it has a strong Michael Jackson feel that has you thinking that maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to smile and dance to one of Tesfaye’s songs.

    The Gavel

    The best songs of Kiss Land come across like a futuristic Michael Jackson, with funky production and heartfelt vocals

    The McGill Tribune

    Pretty

    Vocally, The Weeknd is in fighting form. He still invokes his Michael Jackson-tinged timbre and chilling falsettos, but the singer’s voice has a newfound confidence. “You will never feel so pretty. You will never feel this beautiful,” he sings with defiant overtness on “Pretty.”

    Vibe

    Vocally, Weeknd’s falsetto is usually a perfect match for the album’s moody tone. He conjures memories of Michael Jackson on “Pretty” and his vocals leaps from high hats to synths to electric guitar licks on “The Town.” It constantly adds layers to the listening experience.

    Soul In Stereo

    Love In The Sky

    The previous two cuts took heavily from source material: the original version of “Kiss Land” utilized an old Main Attrakionz single and “Belong To The World” was, controversially, greatly influenced by Portishead’s “Machine Gun” but this, from what I can hear, is primarily original, although he sounds more like Michael Jackson than ever before.

    Stereogum


    Tears In The Rain

    Tears in the Rain’:'Kiss Land' concludes with a deep refrain. The Weeknd is left heartbroken, but with no intention of letting on that he is. He vows to welcome all because “they all feel the same.” Abel has never sounded like Michael Jackson as much as he does on this slow and potent ballad.

    TheDrop

    Some of the same darkness and sorrow from The Trilogy Collection can be found on tracks like “Kiss Land” and “Tears In The Rain.” On the other hand songs like “Wanderlust”, and “The Town” shows the Weeknd attempting his best at rendition of Michael Jackson melodies.

    LYFSTYL

    “The only thing R&B about my s*** is the style of singing. My inspiration is … Michael Jackson, and Prince, for the vocals anyway. My production… is not inspired by R&B at all.”

    Complex


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    BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS(2015)

    Real Life

    “Real Life”: It’s hard to pinpoint where The Weeknd ends and Abel Tesfaye begins, but when it comes to the special ladies in his life, he admits he’s more into his alone time. He also channels his inner MJ (yet again) by employing a “Billie Jean”-esque bridge: “People always told me be careful of what you do/ And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts/ And mother always told me be careful of who you love/ And be careful of what you do ‘cause the lie becomes the truth.”

    VIBE

    “I’m better off when I’m alone,” he insists on “Real Life,” channeling Nineties-MJ levels of defiant isolation as drums and strings slam like doors to a crypt.

    Rolling Stone

    “Tesfaye begins the album with a preface, a sense of re-introducing himself as an artist to listeners. His first track, “Real Life,” begins with him pulling inspiration from Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean,” and incorporating his life into it in the lyrics, “I know you don’t really understand it, I’m not allowed to regret my choices, I heard that love is a risk worth taking.”

    The DePaulia

    The Weeknd seems to have some adopted an alluring tone influenced by Michael Jackson. It’s not just his dance moves in his ‘Can’t feel my face’ video; there are some inflections he uses on the song which are reminiscent of MJ.

    The Canadian native opens up the album with a single titled ‘Real Life’. On the song, he talks about advice his mother gave him. He also opens up about his faults and accepts them. The hook of this song brings to mind the bridge of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

    Pulse Nigeria

    Opener “Real Life” is blockbuster pop peacocking, some mammoth Michael Jackson–Yeezus hybrid. “Losers” builds into a brassed-out street carnival. The Max Martin-produced “In The Night,” with a bass line that will possess you and a “Billie Jean”-adjacent theme, is even more of a blatant MJ re-creation than “Can’t Feel My Face.”

    Idolator

    He opens up the album with “Real Life” and the warnings of his mother about his choice of lifestyle. This sounds much like an ode to ‘Billie Jean’ which would make sense since he is a well known Michael Jackson fan.

    THE PEACH REVIEW


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    Can't Feel My Face

    In a recent New York Times profile of the insurgent Toronto superstar, even Quincy Jones is nodding along with the Weeknd's claim to the late Michael Jackson's throne. "I used to make music like that," Jones told Abel in Vegas, referring to "Can't Feel My Face," the Weeknd's biggest hit yet.

    The success of the Weeknd's brilliant pop insurgency (in progress) is largely on the strength of "Can't Feel My Face," the fourth single from his forthcoming album, Beauty Behind the Madness. (You'll recall that Abel debuted the song onstage at an Apple press conference, of all possible venues.) It's the sort slick and sprightly jam that we haven't heard the likes of since MJ's latter-day, post-Quincy disco rehashes, or alternatively—as the critic Chris Molanphy notes—since the soaring bliss of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle." In any case, in 2015, the Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face" is our song of the summer.

    Complex

    For “Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd called upon pop music’s legendary hitmaker Max Martin and Ali Payami (best known for his Grammy-winning work on Taylor Swift’s 1989). The two producers created a bouncy, vibrant melody that drew inspiration from one of The Weeknd’s biggest heroes, Michael Jackson.“He’s everything to me, so you’re going to hear it in my music,” The Weeknd told the LA Times in 2016. “Off the Wall was the album that inspired me to sing. It helped me find my voice … “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” I kept singing that, and I found my falsetto.”

    uDiscoverMusic

    We only like “Can’t Feel My Face” because The Weeknd is doing his best to bring out a d***gy, zombified Michael Jackson back to life.Just from vocal inflection alone, “Can’t Feel My Face” is a send-up of Jackson. The rushing “whoop” is Jackson up and down and the glitz of it is so ‘80s pop that you realize that you’re falling right into The Weeknd’s trap. There’s never been any sense of happiness in his music, not in any space of those dreads he has billowing from his head like a tower.

    “The Hills” peaked at No. 5; “Earned It” peaked at No. 3; and “Can’t Feel My Face,” the mock Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson record Chris Brown wishes he could have made, is currently king of the land. That’s right, a far too easy to point out nod to one of the greatest entertainers ever – is the hottest song in the country.

    Houston Press

    That single, “Can’t Feel My Face,” is an undeniably delightful Michael Jackson ripoff targeted at dance floors and the number-one slot on the Hot 100, both of which it has now conquered. It is also, contrary to some common expectations about pop-crossover albums, an anomaly on Beauty Behind the Madness. Most of the record is mid-tempo and atmospherically spooky, R&B rendered in modern hip-hop textures, just like The Weeknd has always been.

    The Atlantic

    This is a Top 10 song for me (and the rest of the country) right now. I don't care if it's R&B or pop or post-revivalist-alt-chillwave-vaporjazz, take your labels and get out. It's groovy and it's straight audio dope. I wish MJ could be here to jump on a remix of this record. Not Michael Jordan, the other one. Besides the d*** references, this is honestly the opposite of what I think of The Weeknd, "...BUT I LOVE IT!!!"

    DJBooth

    “I Can’t Feel My Face” allows pop songwriter/producer extraordinaire Max Martin to remake Michael Jackson’s disco hit “Off The Wall” and make it into a cheeky ode to doing Tony Montana in Scarface levels of blow in the presence of a lovely lady. To some that may be highly sacrilegious.

    HipHopDX

    In the light of all this, Can’t Feel My Face, regarded widely as a paean to cocaine, seems more an expression of the euphoria that results from infatuation. Either way, it’s a fantastic pop song, an uptempo groove worthy of Michael Jackson at his shimmering peak. It’s the emotional epicentre of the album: a vertiginous high from which the only way is down, mood-wise.
    Shameless is lush spacious business as usual, with an almost prog guitar solo adding to the impression of this music as something-for-everyone - a latterday Thriller, with the potential to appeal to R&B and rock fans.

    The Guardian

    Unlike the usual bubblegum pop often enjoyed by the masses, “Beauty Behind the Madness” has a pervasive dark tone. Even the upbeat and Michael Jackson-esque “Can’t Feel My Face” has dark thematic elements, with lyrics describing d*** addiction.

    Redwood Bark

    The song struts as if lifted from a Michael Jackson mix tape; Tesfaye himself has embraced the comparison, even covering Jackson's "Dirty Diana" on one of his earlier recordings. It's bright and ebullient, co-written by pop producer Max Martin, whose fingerprints are all over the Top 40 for the last 20 years. And yet the song is an ode to self-destruction, a love song to cocaine: "And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb / And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come." The d*** assumes a personality that eventually reduces him to ash.

    Chicago Tribune

    “Can’t Feel My Face,” one of the biggest and best songs of this summer, is the most obvious disciple move, and you can see Jackson’s shadow in its high-stepping bassline, its high-drama desperation, its video scene of Tesfaye immolating onstage. The whoop that Tesfaye lets out before the chorus is pure MJ homage. That’s one of two songs that Tesfaye made with Swedish pop-polish king Max Martin, probably the closest thing we have to a Quincy Jones in this corroded age. The other Martin collab is the searching, need-driven paranoiac-disco gem “In The Night.” In Jon Caramanica’s great New York Times profile of the Weeknd, there’s a moment when Tesfaye’s publisher hears “In The Night” and immediately gets very excited: “It’s ‘Billie Jean’! It’s ‘Billie f***ing Jean’!” I wouldn’t go that far, but the inspiration is clearly there. But BBTM’s pop moves go beyond its Jackson echoes.

    Stereogum

    What makes this such a banger is that Tesfaye draws from Off the Wall, an album of indisputable danceability, without making “Can’t Feel My Face” feel dated. The bassline, funky and overdriven, evokes the late Louis Johnson but also complements the crispness of the House percussion and synth lines. And in The Weeknd’s rendition of MJ’s signature exhalations and vocalizations, those animalistic sounds of s***or indulgence help propel the love/drugs metaphor.

    The Singles Jukebox

    The Weeknd sounds more like Michael than any of the other twelve hundred dudes who’ve attempted this sound in the past three years. (Which puts him closer to Ne-Yo than Jacko, but we’re grading on a curve.) The track is a series of brownouts. The flashes and choruses of party-go-lucky disco lixx take up less time than the parts where Abe groans through synths that sound like hangovers taste; like a song’s bridge, if that bridge was almost too f***ed-up to stand.

    Katherine St. Asaph| Pitchfork

    There are moments on the album when The Weeknd really crosses the line into Michael Jackson territory. Granted, it’s a comparison we’ve heard far too often, but Jackson’s influence is especially strong on “Can’t Feel My Face” and “In The Night”. He conveys Jackson’s vocal angst and desperation while interpolating his own dark and sometimes disturbing subject matter. It’s Jackson reimagined for the loveless generation of Tinder soul-searchers in 2015.

    LYFSTYL

    The Weeknd has found new ways to mix darkness and light. Over its danceable backbeat, “Can’t Feel My Face” equates cocaine addiction with a love affair. “In the Night,” an even more upbeat Max Martin collaboration (with a triplet undercurrent like Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel”) sketches the story of a girl damaged by child sexual abuse.

    The New York Times

    Then we have ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ the album’s chart topper co-written by Max Martin which was leaked after memorial day. The track brings on a Michael Jackson vibe and is essentially an ode to cocaine, driven by a deep danceable funk. The Weeknd channels MJ again on the opening track to the album, ‘Real Life’ as well as in ‘In The Night’.

    Lipstiq.com


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    In The Night

    Tesfaye admires, even emulates, trailblazing black pop giants. One of his prime role models, along with Prince, is Michael Jackson: When he first read the lyrics to “Dirty Diana,” which he covered on Trilogy, Tesfaye says, “I got emotional — it’s when I first knew I wanted to write songs.” Indeed, critics have compared the bubble and flow of “Can’t Feel My Face” to Jackson, and Savan Kotecha says the groove of “In the Night” was inspired by the “swing” of Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

    Billboard

    The Weeknd has found new ways to mix darkness and light. Over its danceable backbeat, “Can’t Feel My Face” equates cocaine addiction with a love affair. “In the Night,” an even more upbeat Max Martin collaboration (with a triplet undercurrent like Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel”) sketches the story of a girl damaged by child sexual abuse.

    The New York Times

    There is nothing on Beauty Behind The Madness that has “hit” stamped on it like ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ but ‘In The Night’ comes close. Even closer to a Michael Jackson song that Tesfaye’s ‘Dirty Diana’ cover, ‘In The Night’ is an infectious and dancefloor filling anthem. The chorus is made for drunken attempts at hitting impossibly high notes while the verses are designed for Jackson-esque hip thrusts.

    Kettle Mag

    The evocative, dark undertones are especially prevalent in one of the songs, “In the Night.” The track tells the story of a young girl living in a new city, who is sexually assaulted by her superior. The upbeat tempo of the song conceals the ulterior meaning, and has thus been repeatedly compared to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. Much like Billie Jean in the classic song, the character in “In the Night” undergoes trauma from which she feels powerless. Lyrics include “In the night when she comes crawling/Dollar bills and tears keep falling down her face/She’ll never walk away (I don’t think you understand)”. The quote shows how, like Billie Jean, she feels as if she just wants a friend in the world, someone to understand her. The song is probably the most optimistic of the songs on the album despite its tragic content.

    The Georgetown Voice

    "In The Night" is a direct homage to Jackson, telling the story of a survivor of childhood sexual abuse over some electric '80s-inspired pop. The tension between dark content and bright, uptempo hooks gives the songs an intriguing internal tension and depth that's rarely found on today's big pop albums. It's challenging in a way that only the most memorable pop classics tend to be.

    Mic

    The real meat of the album, I believe, is the tenth song entitled “In the Night.” The Michael Jackson comparisons that one might have had a taste of earlier in the album are fully realized here, as the upbeat score and vocals are eerily similar to the King of Pop. The explosion of passion and electric vocals are an obvious homage to Jackson and where many have failed, “In the Night” passes as a ballad full of MJ tribute, from the “Way You Make Me Feel” baseline all the way to the passionate “Billie Jean”-style vocal range.

    The Baylor Lariat

    “Can’t Feel My Face,” an ebullient disco kick that swells with surgical precision. He finds a similar high on “In the Night,” a confident strut that sounds like a lost jam from Thriller.

    Entertainment Weekly

    There are definitely some bright spots on the back half, though. The up-tempo “In the Night” is another convincing Off the Wall throwback, and somehow — though I truly don’t understand it — the bluesy, bromantic duet with Ed Sheeran (“Dark Times”) actually works.

    Vulture

    ”In The Night”: The comparisons to Mike can’t stop, won’t stop, especially when The Weeknd delivers snappy gems with a story like this. The concept was birthed inside the walls of Marilyn Monroe’s old home, which now serves as Max Martin’s studio and in the Weeknd’s mind, a Joe DiMaggio sperm bank.

    VIBE

    “In the Night,” Martin’s other contribution to the album and—probably not coincidentally—the only other song you can imagine exciting lawyers at Neverland Ranch, is no doubt meant to be The Weeknd’s next big hit.

    The Atlantic

    "In the Night" may blatantly rip off (excuse me, pay homage) to Michael Jackson — with its '80s pop production and lyrics, Jackson could have sung about a girl coming of age in the city — but the hooks are so sharp and the Weeknd's vocals so smooth that "Night" becomes the best Michael Jackson song Michael Jackson never made.

    JSOnline

    With major Michael Jackson vibes peeling through my speakers with this track, “In The Night” is about a girl who is the victim of childhood sexual abuse. In the song’s hook, “She hears him calling” is most likely a traumatic memory of her aggressor sneaking into her room to perform the act.

    Coog Radio

    Then there's "In the Night", a MJ-esque disco stomper and guaranteed hit single that sounds like nothing he's done before.

    Pitchfork

    Owing a lot to “The Way You Make Me Feel,” the pulsing rhythms of “In the Night” recall mid-’80s Genesis at their most radio-friendly

    The Daily Beast

    “In the Night” sounds like a song from The Who, or an amazing interpretation of “Billie Jean” that’s too forthcoming and obvious. It’s clearly an ’80s-inspired songsthat could’ve fit perfectly in Scarface as a coked up Al Pacino stares at Michelle Pfeiffer dancing the night away? also known as pop-radio gold.

    The Urban Daily

    Michael Jackson’s funky 80’s sound is revisited on In The Night. The pop laced tribute to the late King Of Pop isn’t mistakable. From the vocal delivery to the production, Abel transcends time and it almost feels like those early mornings in the 80s when you’d dance to MJ’s experimental R&B tunes, except that I hadn’t heard him until the 90s. I imagine if MJ were to be alive, he’d want to jump on a remix of this track right away.

    Cultured Vultures

    It isn't until "In The Night" where the album picks back up. If you were unsure about the Michael Jackson comparisons, this song is your answer. Maybe it's the "Way You Make Me Feel" baseline or the sharp "Billie Jean"-esque vocal range but on this track you can tell that The Weeknd is no longer shying away from his MJ comparisons, but instead using them to his advantage.

    HotNewHipHop

    Tesfaye’s vocal model here is clearly the Michael Jackson of Thriller and Bad. Often his Michael moves feel less like influence than impersonation — but there’s plenty of Eighties love to go around, from the Tracy Chapman-like coffee-shop croon on “Shameless” to the Phil Collins-esque power-ballad tsunami “Angel

    Rolling Stone

    “In the Night” is a front-runner for my favorite track from Beauty Behind the Madness. Another gift from Max Martin, it comes off as a Michael Jackson clone in every sense of the word. The lyricism, Abel’s vocal inflections, and the strong, uptempo beats scream his influence on Abel’s work, particularly “Billie Jean”. Abel has covered “Dirty Diana” on the Echoes of Silence mixtape, but this track could definitely give that cover a run for its money. It’s definitely the highlight of the latter half of the record.

    TUNED UP


  • Aug 17, 2021
    ·
    edited

    Acquainted

    Mama caught me cryin', cryin', cryin', cryin'
    'Cause I won't find somebody that's real, yeah (she wants somebody that's real)
    'Cause every time I try to, try to, try to run
    The fast life keeps gaining on me, s*** (the fast life keeps gaining on me)
    But ever since I met you (ever since I met you)
    I couldn't believe what you did
    So comfort me babe (comfort me babe)
    Ain't no rush from me babe, ooh (ain't no rush from me babe)

    This track has its share of heart pounding bass thumps. Most of the rhythms and sounds you can hear are post-hip-hop, with quick high-hat tips with cinematic effects. A light bongo-like melody supports the soft-easy going production. With The Weeknd’s Michael Jackson-like singing voice and the simplistic instrumental, “Acquainted” is a great song

    Kevin Cabanayan


    As You Are

    The album’s love song “As You Are” is the one track off the record that gives an early ‘90s vibe of Jackson or his sister Janet. Nevertheless, the song is simple and sweet, and displays a different side of the artist who’s known for his sultry style.

    LSUReveille

    And say whatever you will about the merciless overplaying of “Can’t Feel My Face,” but when heard in its full-length context, embedded dead center in the LP, it’s still an absolute banger. It’s not the only time that Tesfaye wears his MJ influences on his sleeve either, as one listen to the mid-90s MJ-biting “As You Are” will indicate.

    Spectrum Culture


    Shameless

    Ironically, the most potentially compromised tracks, the three overseen by Martin, provide the album's peaks. "Shameless" uses an acoustic guitar, and a stronger melody than Tesfaye can manage on his own, to warm the synth-soaked sound. "In The Night" (the s***abuse song) and "Can't Feel My Face" (the coke ode) approach the dance-floor brilliance of prime Michael Jackson.

    NY Daily News

    After these songs, the album then slows down a bit with the songs “Shameless,” “In The Night” and “Dark Times”. The Weekend displays his R&B side on these songs and the listener can clearly see that he is not shying away from his Michael Jackson comparisons, but using them to his advantage instead.

    The Bel Air Argus

    Shameless is lush spacious business as usual, with an almost prog guitar solo adding to the impression of this music as something-for-everyone - a latterday Thriller, with the potential to appeal to R&B and rock fans.

    The Guardian


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    edited

    Dark Times (Feat. Ed Sheeran)

    ‘Dark Times’ is a duet with Ed Sheeran. Matter of fact, it sounds like something Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson would make… (Feel free to slap the hell out of me).“Dark Times” is organic, it’s soulful, it’s the new age blues. It’s a track that will make you feel like being a scoundrel on purpose.

    Ratings Game Music

    Losers (Feat. Labrinth)

    What can you show me
    And my heart don't know already

    We make our own sins
    You're qualified to me

    Overall, “Beauty Behind the Madness” provides a good balance of easy pop tunes and hard-hitting lyrics. It’s an admirable record that won’t alienate fans of his darker mixtape material, but Tesfaye still needs a little bit more time to experiment with his sound and become more comfortable in his new skin.

    Daily Bruin


    “These kids, you know, they don’t have a Michael Jackson. They don’t have a Prince. They don’t have a Whitney. Who else is there? Who else can really do it at this point?”

    The New York Times

    Anyone who’s heard the Weeknd sing or seen his stage moves knows the debt he owes to Michael Jackson. He often says it was Jackson’s music that made him want to be a singer, and the lyrics to “Dirty Diana” that made him want to write songs. But Jackson was even more important to his family than to most, because of their East African roots. “People forget — ‘We Are the World’ is for Ethiopia,” he says. “At home, if it wasn’t Ethiopian music, it was Michael. He was our icon.”

    Rolling Stone

    "I found my falsetto, because of Off The Wall. I always use Michael as, first and foremost, a vocal inspiration, and Off the Wall was definitely the one that made me feel like I could sing."

    Michael Jackson - ‘Bad’: “It’s really special to me. It was Michael at his best in my opinion.” - The Weeknd on his favorite album

    Recording Academy / GRAMMYs


    Disclosure - Nocturnal (Feat. The Weeknd)

    The album kicks off with a six-minute Michael Jackson-inspired jam featuring The Weeknd called "Nocturnal," written with the singer at Jungle City studios, where the pair were once again met by vistas of Manhattan. "We had this ­amazing view of New York, and the sun was going down as we were writing," recalls Guy, explaining that the song ties into the album's title, which refers to a wildcat that hunts its prey at night.

    Billboard

    "Nocturnal" sounds less like Disclosure and more like Junior Boys remixing The Weeknd for Top 40 rotations. And while that's not exactly terrible—after all, those incandescent pads compliment Abel Tesfaye's faux-Michael Jackson falsetto fairly well

    RA Electronic music online

    The Weeknd continues his Michael Jackson-influenced vocal delivery on the sleek "Nocturnal."

    Newsday

    The Weeknd gets the flashy, airbrushed Michael Jackson treatment ('Nocturnal');

    Drowned In Sound

    The album starts off with a slow burn rather than a bang. The first track, “Nocturnal” is a slow jam that creeps into a full-on banger. The Weeknd’s Michael Jackson-esque vocals purr over a beat that recalls the synth-pop vibes of the group’s first album, though safer and more deliberate.

    Daily Emerald


  • Aug 17, 2021

    STARBOY (2016)

    Starboy

    The devious dance through the apartment further exemplifies the comparison between The Weeknd and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. With shorter hair and a cockier attitude, The Weeknd evokes Jackson’s image by spinning around, shaking his shoulders, and bobbing his head.

    BC Heights

    Over the course of the video, he smashes his framed records with a pink fluorescent cross, destroys an upscale apartment, and drives off into the night with a black panther riding beside him. The Weeknd’s musical style has long been compared to that of Michael Jackson, but here he takes it even further aesthetically: This bleak focus on celebrity and transformation, and with the ominous large cat to boot, seems clearly drawn from the King of Pop.

    Slate


    I Feel It Coming

    The second Daft Punk collaboration, “I Feel It Coming,” is one that can immediately be identified as a hit from the late Michael Jackson. Personally, this song is my favorite on the entire album, largely because of its nostalgic and euphoric sound, plus it leaves the listener on nearly the same note as the first track with the high collaborative production value given by the French electronic duo.

    The Advocate Online

    Ending Starboy with “I Feel It Coming,” Tesfaye rediscovers his Michael Jackson side. The sexually charged closer reminding all of us listening that while the old Weeknd, d****, mystery and all, is still in there — the shadow he’s hiding in is that of a new, risk-taking Weeknd.

    The Gateway

    “I Feel It Coming” is the Daft Punk-produced feel-good hit that’s been difficult to find in this LP. Ever since covering Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” on the Echoes of Silence section of his Trilogy collection, many have compared the two artists’ voices. This may be the only song on the album that is reminiscent of the late King of Pop, and I expect it to be a fan favorite.

    UD Review

    He might have achieved it with ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ (which was so big it wound up getting lip-synced by Tom Cruise), were it not for the fact that his new single, ‘I Feel It Coming’, is even better.

    Playing out his new album Starboy, it was co-written with Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and sounds pretty damn Michael Jackson, The Weeknd’s vocal hooks coming over an infectious disco beat. Like all the best pop songs, it has a sadness to it. The joy in the melodies would probably be too much, were it not for a melancholy keyboard line that throws the song off kilter.

    The Independent

    Remember the first time you heard ‘King Kunta’ and it was all happy funk, only for the guitar line to wound it and add a darkness? There’s similar stuff at play here, the Daft Punk-featuring track initially falling in with Michael Jackson and Toto on a Venn diagram but, crucially, being thrown off kilter by a melancholy keyboard line low in the mix in the chorus. Could definitely become an iconic track.

    The Independent

    Starts with Daft Punk, ends with Daft Punk. Genius. This song is the closest the Weeknd has sounded to MJ on this song. That first verse really had me feeling like Michael was still alive. It’s a feel good way to end the album. Daft Punk’s touch on this is great too, especially when they add to the vocals of the hook.

    Pops Culture

    If the Weeknd’s old “Dirty Diana” cover and the more recent “In the Night” were designed to approximate the heavier, overwrought stretch of his hero MJ’s emotional range, then “I Feel It Coming,” the Weeknd’s second single featuring Daft Punk, is his appropriation of Michael’s lighter side; the song simply could not exist without Off the Wall and “Human Nature.”

    The Ringer

    The Weeknd unleashed not one, but two brand new singles while you were blissfully sleeping Thursday night and one of them may as well have said “featuring Michael Jackson.” I am of the opinion that there was no way the King of Pop’s ghost wasn’t in the studio when Abel got in the booth and recorded “I Feel It Coming.”

    The Starboy’s vocals on the Daft Punk-produced track are so similar to Jackson’s that it’s almost frustrating to think of what could’ve been if Jackson hadn’t passed away in 2009. Nevertheless, like “I Can’t Feel My Face,” “Coming” is a straight up dance jam perfect for your weak attempts at recreating MJ’s footwork in the comfort of your bathroom.

    Uproxx

    On "I Feel It Coming," The Weeknd channels Off the Wall era Michael Jackson, reassuring a woman "who's scared of love" with the sweetness of his reedy vocals and a Daft Punk instrumental vaguely reminiscent of Toto’s “Africa.”

    XXL Mag

    “I Feel It Coming” features a danceable, urban contemporary groove. The pop-soul sensibility should give this record great crossover appeal. The overall production employs a warm sound – pads and rhythmic, soulful guitars. The Weeknd delivers clear vocals. He sings effortlessly here, never breaking a sweat. The Michael Jackson comparisons are legit on a mid-tempo record like this one.

    The Musical Hype

    Adriane Pontecorvo: There’s no question that the Weeknd is best when he’s feeling romantic, and “I Feel It Coming” showcases his smoother side (along with Daft Punk’s, though the duo owes us no more proof of its versatility at this point). The graphic side of things matches perfectly: soft sunset lights, picturesque nebulae, and a glittering cosmos add grandeur to the song’s low-key velvet grooves. The Weeknd sounds more like Michael Jackson than ever as he glides up to those high notes, and this time around, at least, he sounds effortless. 8/10

    Chris Ingalls: In his second collaboration with Daft Punk, the Weeknd unabashedly channels ’80s era Michael Jackson, right down to the retro music video. Sonically, this hits all the right “Thriller” notes, from the robotic mid-tempo beat to the gleaming synths and the Weeknd’s smooth R&B croon. Daft Punk adds their own sound to the mix with some typical Vocoder effects. Ultimately, it’s more style over substance: more of a tribute than a meaningful tune. But it’s a fun diversion, and the King of Pop is likely looking down on this and smiling (and moonwalking). 7/10

    PopMatters

    Listen to that bass pop like a Greg Phillinganes cameo, the light touch on the production, the ease with which the Weeknd sings it. This could be an unreleased track off of Thriller, based purely on its sound. And sure, Cirkut and Doc McKinney are involved here, just as they were on “Starboy,” but I choose to give the bulk of the credit for this to its credited Frenchmen, because no one but no one worships the sound of Thriller and its ilk more than the guys who made Random Access Memories. The relaxed groove of “I Feel It Coming” makes it even more perfectly MJ than “Can’t Feel My Face” — bottom line, this is utterly lovely. I firmly expect it to be a bigger international hit than in the U.S.

    The Singles Jukebox

    Clapping beat aside, “I Feel It Coming” might have been recorded by Michael Jackson backed by Toto. Better, the self-pitying cipher singing this track sounds as winsome as he wanted to. What Daft Punk offers beyond a few bars of vocoder-ized slime I’m not sure — maybe they snatched Abel Tesfaye’s mirror. I can’t deny how beguiling its surface; it’s all surface.

    Humanizing The Vacuum


  • Aug 17, 2021

    A Lonely Night

    “A Lonely Night” – The Weeknd has drawn comparisons to Michael Jackson, but no song sounds more like the king of pop than “A Lonely Night”. Musically, vocally, and lyrically, this song takes clear influence from MJ’s hit, “Billie Jean”. “A Lonely Night” builds up a mysterious mood, particularly on its stormy chorus. The Weeknd describes a romantic encounter that was meant to be a one-time thing. He apologizes for any confusion about what their brief romance meant. When the girl wants suggests having a baby to bring them together, The Weeknd has to draw the line. “There’s nothing between us”. It’s a definite standout on Starboy.

    Hidden Jams

    "A Lonely Night" is a post-disco inspired electro-funk song with a prominent staccato bassline and a drum beat reminiscent of that used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". It is composed in a G Minor.

    owlapps

    I’ve always thought The Weeknd’s voice was basically a softer version of Michael Jackson’s. “A Lonely Night” really sounds like an 80’s boogie track MJ would make, and I think it’s an interesting concept

    tjTODAY

    A Lonely Night. The Weeknd’s claim that Prince influenced the sound on the album may be true but, the vocal style executed on this track alludes to Michael Jackson and the 80s synth movement.

    Cultured Vultures

    That’s The Weeknd in a nutshell: street but sweet. The enigmatic Gallic duo also co-produced the ­closer, I Feel It Coming, which is also joyous. That track and the chunky synths of A Lonely Night are such unapologetic Michael Jackson homages that you can almost picture the white socks.

    The National

    A Lonely Night once again channels a lot of Michael Jackson influence and album closer I Feel It Coming contends seriously for the catchiest track on the whole record.

    feedbackr

    “A Lonely Night”: Getting some major MJ vibes on this song. I can almost see myself moonwalking, yelling “cha’mone” and hip thrusting whenever I listen to it. (Secret: I actually do all of this). He is clearly denying his connection to a one-time lover, who wants more. Protip: when he says, “We’re no good for each other,” take his advice. If he don’t claim you, he ain’t the one.

    Georgetown Radio

    “A Lonely Night” literally sounds like every Michael Jackson song, with a drum beat exactly like the one in “Billie Jean.” The Weeknd had to have at least one token Michael Jackson like song; he loves to do that style and to mix it with his own.

    Sonoma State Star

    Possessing a fragile falsetto, occasionally Auto-Tuned here, Tesfaye has long showed his affinity with Michael Jackson. He’s covered Dirty Diana, a (dodgy) soft metal song about groupies off Bad. With the d***gy, Martin-stamped smash Can’t Feel My Face, Tesfaye styled himself as a corrupted Jackson to Ocean’s nihilistic Prince. A Lonely Night, again from Martin’s camp, should be a mega, mega-anthem.

    Music Feeds


    Love To Lay

    Regardless of what thematic additions ‘Love To Lay’ provides, it’s also just a killer song, danceable as anything he’s produced, percussion slapping hard, smacking across the face and driven by incredible, distortion-breeding synths. For all it adds to his overall storytelling and commentary on modern relationships, it’s unabashedly pop, Michael Jackson-influenced and immediately hooking in its charms, enduring in its structure and deceptive simplicity

    HeadStuff

    Too often The Weeknd repeats himself or goes into Michael Jackson mode with mixed results; ‘Love To Lay’, for instance, is great fun but c’mon man, don a red leather jacket of your own.

    Drowned In Sound

    Yet, notwithstanding the salutes to the King of Pop, ‘Starboy’ finds its strength in these very moments when it unashamedly embraces the pop-R&B divide on tracks such as the synth-funk ‘Love to Lay’ and slow-burner ‘Nothing Without You’

    Clash Magazine


    Rockin'

    Another 80’s vibe type track. The Michael Jackson influence is strong in this one. I f***s with the message of this song which is to basically live in the moment and enjoy the time you’re having with someone else

    Pops Culture

    In addition to Daft Punk, Max Martin and his longtime partners in sound(Ali Payami,Peter Svensson,Savan Kotecha) feature multiple times:Their deft simulations of the sound Quincy Jones once arranged for Michael Jackson strike true on “Rockin'” and “A Lonely Night.”

    Vulture

    Max Martin reprises his role as co-writer/producer on a handful of songs, most of which are among the album's best ("Rockin'," "Love to Lay," "A Lonely Night"). Like "Can't Feel My Face," the Martin compositions have The Weeknd unleashing his inner Michael Jackson in ways he only showed on his "Dirty Diana" cover during the early days. On Starboy, he sounds like futuristic outer space MJ, compared to "Can't Feel My Face"'s straightforward retro MJ.

    BrooklynVegan

    Heavily indebted to Michael Jackson, his biggest hit to date, “I Can't Feel My Face,” was co-produced by Max Martin and Payami, who here made “Rockin,” a beat which could have been credited to Disclosure, or more interestingly to Darkchild and Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World.” In fact, “Rockin” sounds eerily like a cranked-up version of “You Rock My World.” Other similarities abound.

    OkayAfrica


    Secrets

    ‘Rockin’ and ‘Secrets’ maintain this new more electronic and synth sound, with ‘Secrets’ a more pop-sounding track and bouncy beat that is reminiscent of Michael Jackson, a noticeable influence on the Weeknd.

    Vulture

    “Secrets,” a less exciting tune, did not spark critics’ taste as much as others. The Rolling Stone referred to the track along the lines of a sugary eighties disaster comprised of repetitive synth beats. This method also holds true for “A Lonely Night” which imitates Michael Jackson’s sound, someone who Tesfaye previously referred to as an inspiration.

    The Panther

    The influence of Michael Jackson on Tesfaye’s melodic choices and vocal delivery has been much commented on and it is certainly present in ‘Starboy’. ‘Secrets’ feels like an ‘80s Michael Jackson dance floor mash-up, whilst ‘A Lonely Night’ is so overtly MJ-influenced in its chorus it is almost tongue-in-cheek.

    Clash Magazine

    There is a distinct ode to the 80’s in Starboy, with nods to both David Bowie and early Michael Jackson, evident in tracks like Rockin’, Secrets and A Lonely Night.

    Forte Magazine

    Abel spends half of ‘Starboy’ making his case for mainstream dominance, exploring new wave, soul, and 80’s style funk on songs like ‘Secrets’, ‘A Lonely Night’, and his glorious Daft Punk collaboration ‘I Feel It Coming’. That Michael Jackson influence that crept on to some of last year’s singles is something he’s wearing quite proudly on his sleeve now, right down those percussive vocal tics MJ would do between lines.

    Brig Newspaper


    Full of tributes to Michael Jackson, the album has been compared to Thriller. “He’s a part of my family,” Tesfaye says. “When I was born, that was the music my mother was listening to. Michael Jackson is a third parent to me.” Even Quincy Jones, who produced Thriller, was impressed when he met Tesfaye in Las Vegas last year: “He has a sincere appreciation of his roots,” Jones says. “And frankly, he doesn’t lead with his ego.”

    Vogue

    "Michael, man, that guy was the star. He invented the star. There will never be another Michael," he said. "I want to make it very clear that I’m not trying to be Michael. He’s everything to me, so you’re going to hear it in my music. 'Off the Wall' was the album that inspired me to sing."

    The L.A. Times


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    edited

    Pray For Me (with Kendrick Lamar)

    Who’s gonna save me from this hell?” the Weeknd laments. “You need a hero, look in the mirror,” Kendrick Lamar vows. “If I gotta be sacrificed for the greater good, then that’s what it gotta be.” This melancholy but resolute track from “Black Panther” faces and overcomes a hero’s self-doubt, in a production that glances back toward Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” while it makes synthesizers sound like African hand drums.

    The New York Times


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    edited

    AFTER HOURS (2020)

    Heartless

    On “Heartless,” you get a version of The Weeknd that is as savage as a Mortal Kombat character, a version of The Weeknd that is braggadocios, a version of The Weeknd that is pretty damn soulful (He sings like a rogue Michael Jackson on the trap beat), and most importantly, a version of The Weeknd that is back to his stone-cold hip-hop s***.

    Ratings Game Music

    The Weeknd channeled major Michael Jackson and Prince vibes for his first ever performance of recent single “Heartless” on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Dressed in a red retro suit and dancing in the backstage hallways of the Ed Sullivan Theater, the three-time Grammy-Award winner had some fun with the impromptu music video, his first performance in a two-night takeover of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

    Variety

    In Your Eyes

    “In Your Eyes” exquisitely channel the rhythms and atmosphere from when Michael Jackson dominated the airwaves.

    The Cultured Nerd

    As if to escape the long shadow of Michael Jackson comparisons hovering over his career, he chose to immerse himself in ’80s broadly.“In Your Eyes” may just be the most kitschy thing The Weeknd has ever done, replete with a sax solo fresh out of 1987.

    Paste Magazine

    For this listener, however, the real gems start coming after the peerless “Blinding Lights” when The Weeknd hits us with the sax-laden La Roux-meets-Michael Jackson bounce of “In Your Eyes”

    The Arts Desk

    “In Your Eyes” is a good example of the ’80s and Michael Jackson influence. Keyboard sounds from “Save Your Tears” resemble the ’80s and early 2000s electronic band Depeche Mode.

    ELAC Campus News

    The majority of “In Your Eyes” is just another iteration of Abel Tesfaye’s tried-and-true Michael Jackson pastiche, but there are two specific moments that take this over the top for me. First, and most obviously, major points are deserved for the sax solo which closes out the track: the aural incarnation of sex, intoxication, and drama. And second, not to be overlooked, is the way the chorus builds so slowly and delicately into the post-chorus rush of adrenaline: “I’m blind! I’m blind!”

    The Singles Jukebox

    Building on the momentum of this track, Tesfaye somehow manages to go even more unabashedly ‘80s on “In Your Eyes.” Driven by an outrageous synth bass riff, the track finds Tesfaye, at moments, subtly channeling Michael Jackson, as he has often done adeptly. Two-thirds of the way, a saxophone enters, which should get the point across, regarding how subtle the ensemble has been with their retro indulgences

    Entertainment Voice

    Repeat After Me (Interlude)

    It's been too long, you changed up over time
    Why you, why you gonna even try to hide?
    It's natural to find someone to treat you right
    But it ain't right if you f*** him out of spite

    The beat slows down in this interlude. Similar to the other tracks, The Weeknd’s voice takes center stage again here. The Michael Jackson vibes return on this one. Beautiful track.

    The Painted Lines

  • Aug 17, 2021
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    edited

    The Weeknd & Calvin Harris - Over Now

    Stop callin' me back around, back around
    Oh yeah
    Ooh, oh girl
    (Please stop callin')
    Oh yeah
    Stop callin', stop callin'
    Ooh

    The Weeknd shared a throwback Instagram post where the two artists are seen hanging out with a bunch of cups, adding the typical caption, “Don’t get too confused…” That, in fact is part of the hook. “Cause it’s over now / Don’t get too confused, girl, it’s over now / No comin’ back around / Nothin’ left to lose, girl, it’s over now,” Abel sings in a style reminiscent of Michael Jackson.

    HipHop-N-More

    There’s something about “Over Now” that reminds me of ’90s Michael Jackson, which is obviously a very good thing. And probably not a coincidence given the Canadian superstar’s appreciation for The King Of Pop.

    Idolator

    ‘Over Now’ has an irresistible groove with The Weeknd crooning about finally letting go of a relationship in his sultry trademark falsetto; the track feels reminiscent of 70’s and 80’s disco/funk sounds, with Michael Jackson and Prince influences permeating the song.

    The Edge


    But this is part of his After Hours, his fourth studio album, costume and he explained the meaning behind his song,”Blinding Lights,” which has a similar message to “Dirty Diana”: "How you want to see someone at night, and you’re intoxicated, and you’re driving to this person and you’re just blinded by streetlights, but nothing could stop you from trying to go see that person, because you’re so lonely. I don’t want to ever promote drunk driving, but that’s what the dark undertone is."

    It wasn’t a subtle transition to what the media dubbed his “Michael Jackson phase,” a comparison that didn’t sit well. “There was like a backhanded thing to the comment that didn’t feel genuine. It felt like they were setting me up for disaster,” Tesfaye says. “I wanted to transcend. I wanted the music to transcend.”

    Esquire


    Super Bowl LV halftime show

    Again, Diana Ross is my favorite performance so I watched her over and over again. I loved Prince’s obviously, Michael Jackson, Beyonce —they’re all amazing, but Diana is definitely my favorite.

    NBC

    This was the year the Super Bowl halftime show could have done with an all American hero such as Bruce Springsteen or an escapist pop star in the vein of Lady Gaga. Instead, the honour of lighting up the Raymond James Stadium stadium in Tampa, Florida went to The Weeknd, the Canadian pop star who sounds a bit like a cyberpunk Michael Jackson and whose performance radiated a brooding allure perfectly attuned to the weird circumstances in which it unfolded.

    The Telegraph

    In the show’s earliest moments, in which he adopted a diet version of the fluid, rhythmic dancing style of Michael Jackson, The Weeknd found himself surrounded by mothmen, a handy metaphor for the pop star as a blank canvas on which onlookers project societal hangups.

    The FADER

    But beyond The Weeknd’s signature red jacket — which took a reported 250 hours to make — the pyrotechnics, a nod to Michael Jackson’s 1993 Super Bowl entrance, moves and the dozens of bandaged backup dancers, the Super Bowl performance came with an impactful message. As he explained to Variety last week, it was intended to be a continuation of his year-long narrative involving the “Heartless” video’s character who was “having a really bad night.”

    HipHopDX

    The Weeknd has frequently drawn comparisons to Michael Jackson, one of his biggest artistic influences, and the scene gave off a definite “Thriller vibe,” with the choreography getting progressively more unhinged and erratic

    Vox


  • Aug 17, 2021
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    edited

    Save Your Tears | One More Chance


    THE DAWN? (2021)

    Take My Breath (2021)

    Out now, new single 'Take My Breath' is a grandstanding return, packed with disco-tinged energy and that insistent, funky beat. Shades of Michael Jackson's 'Off The Wall' permeate the song, but as with The Weeknd a veneer of darkness touches every single note.

    Clash Magazine

    Provided ‘Take My Breath’ isn’t a massive red herring, it looks like the former. The track is a delicious mix of Michael Jackson-indebted pop, funk, dark, lasering synth-wave and the kind of classy disco sounds that wouldn’t be out of place on a Giorgio Moroder or old-school Daft Punk record

    NME

    The Weeknd spoke a bit about his new music in an interview with GQ published Monday, August 2nd. In the piece, he described the sound of his new album as “Quincy Jones meets Giorgio Moroder meets the-best-night-of-your-fucking-life party records.” He added, “It’s the album I’ve always wanted to make.”

    Rolling Stone

    How do you feel about being compared to Michael Jackson?
    It’s a roller coaster, because Michael is somebody that I admire. He’s not like a real person, you know? When I started making music, that’s all I wanted to aspire to, just like every other musician. So then when I started getting those types of comparisons, I invited them, because it’s like who wouldn’t want that? But I guess the older I got, and the more I started understanding who I was, it was very important for me to realize: How do I become that for someone else? Because I know James Brown was that for Michael. And I’m not trying to say I’m Michael’s successor or whatnot. But I’m excited to be the first Weeknd.

    GQ

    The Weeknd’s verse vocal features a call-and-response format reminiscent of peak-era Bee Gees, and his subtle melismatic delivery on the line “you’re way too young to end your life” in the second verse evokes Thriller-era Michael Jackson.

    Stereogum

    Take My Breath | Who Is It


  • Aug 18, 2021
    ·
    1 reply

    Jesus Christ, Thrice absolutely crushed this. How long this take you, fam?

  • Aug 18, 2021

    man I was bummed that the first thread was gone at first but holy s***, well done

  • Aug 18, 2021
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    1 reply

    Thrice simultaneously the greatest hater and fan of all time.. duality of man personified.. RESPECT

  • Aug 18, 2021
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    1 reply

    U got an R Kelly one too by any chance?

  • Aug 18, 2021

    killed this

  • Aug 18, 2021
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    2 replies

    You forgot about the homage to They Don't Care About Us at the Super Bowl (HoB intro).
    Great work

  • Aug 18, 2021

    crazy thread

  • Aug 18, 2021

    Just simply incredible work ITT

  • Aug 18, 2021

    👑

  • Aug 18, 2021

    I don’t listen to Weeknd enough to tell you lol

  • Aug 18, 2021
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    1 reply

    Another one is the P.Y.T falsetto that even lines up completely with the same timestamp in TMB

    3:20

  • Aug 18, 2021
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    1 reply
    Abyssus

    You forgot about the homage to They Don't Care About Us at the Super Bowl (HoB intro).
    Great work

    @Thrice I think I should have specified which TDRCAU version I was referencing... It's The Drill from This Is It that he pays homage to in the Super Bowl... Also the whole Light Man from This Is It