Golnaz Taherian | Arts Editor
Featured Image: The Weeknd fades into darkness after pouring his all into his new album. | Fatema Ali
The Weeknd’s new album, ‘My Dear Melancholy,’ was released March 30, 2018. According to Billboard’s Xander Zellner, “the Weeknd returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, dated April 14.” This album, as an EP, contains only six tracks, compared to LPs, like ‘Starboy’ that had three times that.
The Canadian singer-songwriter returned to his R&B roots with this album. It’s a very intimate project, centered on themes of heartbreak and anguish. The music elicits strong emotions that derive from his recent breakups.
His hit song “Call Out My Name”, composed in a minor key, projects a melancholy vibe. In it, he sings: “Guess I was just another pit stop/Till you made up your mind/You just wasted my time.” The tune’s about an ex that he had deep feelings for, but she gave her heart to someone else. The music’s dark tone and vulnerable lyrics paint a gloomy atmosphere.
Victoria Canale, second year social work student, considers “Call Out My Name” her favourite song on the album. “The lyrics tell a sad story of a relationship that didn’t work out and breaks down what happened.
“He sings about his support for Selena Gomez, while she was going through tough times, and how he contemplated being her kidney donor,” she says.
In “Wasted Times” the singer pours his heart out by talking about how much he misses his ex and expressing his insistence in wanting to rekindle their relationship: “Who you give that love to now?/Who you pullin’ up on?/Who you gettin’ sprung for now?/And what they got that I ain’t got?/Cause I got a lot.” His repetition of lines and asking questions portray his desperate tone and desire to win her back. Reverb vocals evoke the dissonance in his mind.
“I Was Never There” is the most melancholic song in the album. He talks about the devastating effects of a breakup that caused him to turn to alcohol and drugs: “You’d rather something toxic/So, I poison myself again, again/’Til I feel nothing/In my soul.” The heart of the song is the counterpoint between the haunting, moaning synth melody and the deep thumping bass groove.
In the verses, The Weeknd’s ghostly vocals swirl through a foggy atmosphere, echoing his mental breakdown. “I Was Never There” paints an experience of drowning in a sea of pain and latching onto anything that numbs it.
The Weeknd chose the best title, ‘My Dear Melancholy,’ for his album, as every aspect of this album such as the lyrics, the arrangement, the plethora of minor keys, and the overall ambiance fit perfectly. He expresses his dark emotions like an open book and stays authentic to himself and his art.
