With his debut studio album, Abel Tesfaye did a great job of expanding his distinctive sound.
It’s exciting, it’s exquisite, it’s beautiful, and it is none other than The Weeknd’s debut studio album, Kiss Land. When he released Trilogy in 2012, a compilation of his first three mixtapes (House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence), The Weeknd introduced his own genre to the broader music world. Though each of the mixtapes had its own theme, the release of Trilogy brought Tesfaye's mix of dream pop, alternative themes, and a ghastly R&B-like sound to the mainstream music world in a way that hadn't been heard before. Kiss Land, released on September 10th, 2013, had a slightly different sound, but not quite a mainstream one. With Kiss Land, Tesfaye continued to shy away from a pop dynamic, strengthening his own unique sound. A few years later, he would begin to conform to a more widely appealing R&B sound, but Kiss Land, which was inspired by the singer's traveling experience in Tokyo, Japan—and also happens to be his least streamed work—was, and still is, a testament to staying true to one's roots.
It's hard to know exactly where to start when it comes to reviewing this album, but I'll begin by saying that listening to it from start to finish certainly enhances the experience of each song. The opening track, "Professional", is unlike any of his previous work. I still remember my first time hearing it like it was yesterday. The first part made my mind expand, and the transition to the second part, where Tesfaye is joined in an authentic style by a female co-part, was beautiful. I knew I was in for something special, but I was definitely not ready. The phrase "Honey please" is probably all that needs to be said regarding "The Town", which is one of my favorite songs on Kiss Land, but you have to hear the song to understand the reference. Though I don't think Tesfaye will ever top his 3-song transition from "Montreal" to "Outside" to "XO/The Host"—as I would call that a personality-changing 15 minutes—the transition from "Adaptation" to "Love in the Sky" feels like something out of a superhero movie; it sounds like a heroic scene. The album has a movie-like feel to it, which is why I would say it's his best work. This sort of cinematic sound experience is emphasized on songs like "Belong to the World" and "Kiss Land". I would argue that this strategy is implemented best on the album's ninth track, "Pretty", as listening to this song makes feel like you're experiencing isolation in Tokyo yourself. The Weeknd often incorporates real-world sounds on this album, like birds chirping, rain, thunderstorms, etc., which could likely be inspired by The Beatles. Some songs incorporate intriguing instruments, like the use of the violin on "Belong to the World" and the Theremin on "Kiss Land". If I could describe this album in one line from it, it would be: "She had no recollection of the life she had without me," which he sings on "Tears in the Rain", a song where he expresses sorrow over the unfortunate similarity in each girl he's been seeing. There's no shortage of borderline 10-minute songs on this album either. Honestly, I could have described a few of those songs a lot more, but I do think one should let the music speak for itself. I don't think the last song, "Odd Look", is particularly great compared to the rest of the album, as there are some weak lines, but no artist is perfect. Practically all of these songs are versions of demos from very early in his career, which is interesting. What I like most about the album is that, though the lyrics seem like he's just talking about all the sex he's been enjoying, a deep dive into many of the lyrics shows him expressing himself as being dead on the inside, constantly chasing thrills (women, drugs, money), and still struggling to find life or happiness in anything. There isn't really one happy line on the album. To me, Kiss Land is a great depiction of Tesfaye at his best: when he's not covering up how he actually feels about his life.
This one is definitely a personality changer, if I'm being honest. I've been listening for years, and a lot of the songs still make me feel just as alive, and almost as perplexed, as I did the first time I heard them. Overall, Kiss Land should be appreciated for what it is: the most unique and intriguing artist ever at a noble stage in his career.
Related Posts
