The Weeknd: How This Mystery Man is Changing R&B

The days of R&B that included the likes of Sam Cooke and the Motown era have long gone and mostly been replaced by sex driven lyrics and hip hop production.  Like many other genres of music that have undergone reformations, a few artists remain that stick to the classic R&B formulas but for the most part younger artists have taken what was and flipped it 2012 style.

In comes the mysterious Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd. I first discovered him about two years ago when the Aaliyah's Rock the Boat sampled single  What You Need showed up in my inbox. Not to fall for an artist from one single, I immediately found and listened to his mixtape "House of Balloons". What I discovered was music fueled by sex, drugs, and rock n roll that was mystifying and unique among other things.  His music is comprised of a mystic aura that lulls the listener into a smoke filled wonderland with his soft voice leading the way. 

Though his feature on Drake's single Crew Love is most likely his most commercial success, The Weeknd has built a following by releasing three free mixtapes that were stronger than many label albums. Still not the artist to follow tradition, Weeknd plans a November release of both new and unreleased singles with the backing of Universal Republic in collaboration with the grassroots XO team based out of Toronto, Canada.

Still not much is known about the Weeknd outside of what can be deciphered from his music. Rarely can an artist remain as conspicuous as he has in today's social media age yet he has without his music suffering. Overexposure kills artists after a little while so maybe it is his way of ensuring longevity. One can only hope that we will have Weeknd albums years from now but only time will tell.

The Weeknd is currently on a Fall Tour around the States with a stop in Charlotte, NC on Saturday, October 20th at the Fillmore. All three mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence can be found at http://www.datpiff.com/mixtapes-search?criteria=the%20weeknd&sort=relevance

To preorder Trilogy and for more tour dates visit the-weeknd.com.   

Personal favorites include the singles Wicked Games, The Knowing, Montreal, The Fall, and What You Need.