Abel Tesfaye, who is better known as The Weeknd, has established a sound that sets him apart from many artists that debuted in the 2010s. With his new album, After Hours, receiving critical acclaim, The Weeknd continues to thrive. His unique aesthetics make all of this work stand out. However, it can be argued that his third studio album, Starboy, was pivotal for him.
His songs manage to incorporate 'recreational usage' in cleverly-conceived lyrics, which also reflect what he did during his younger years. You can hear those references in the song with the album's title. However, there are more interesting facts to share about this iconic record.
Here are some facts you should know about The Weeknd's album, Starboy.
12 Lucky Number Seven
The Weeknd's Starboy featured seven singles, which is the most from any album he's worked on up to this point. They include the titular "Starboy," "I Feel It Coming," "Party Monster," and more. The singles take on genres such as R&B, trap, electronic dance, and pop, giving the songs diverse sounds.
11 An Honorable Inspiration
The album's name was inspired by the late and great David Bowie. Not only does it refer to the English singer's iconic song, Starman, it is also a loving tribute.
What makes Starboy different from Starman's galactic story is the take on The Weeknd's celebrity life - the luxury of it and the calling out of his haters. The lyrics, "Made your whole year in a week," sum up an average person's salary compared to his as an artist.
10 Contributing Artists
The diversity (and talent) of guest artists on the album is truly amazing. Starboy includes big names like Daft Punk, Future, Lana Del Ray, and Kendrick Lamar. To provide examples, the French music duo, Daft Punk, played a huge part in contributing to a handful of the songs, while Lana Del Ray plays a part as the album's 'Stargirl'.
9 Bringing No Shame To His Songs
Given how adult The Weeknd's sound is, he does not shy away from certain topics that children are not old enough to listen to. Other than the recreational usage he subtly alludes to in his lyrics, he also delves into very grown-up situations. For example, he referenced relationships he's had with women, including his on-and-off-again bombshell, Bella Hadid.
8 How Country Music Inspired This Song
It is funny to imagine The Weeknd as a country singer, but there were a couple of artists that managed to inspire his single, "Secrets." Supposedly, the song started off as a country ballad with Dolly Parton and the late Conway Twitty as influences.
Considering that the lyrics to the song are about losing trust in a relationship, it can be seen as a very sad country song.
7 Also Happens To Be His Favorite
And funnily enough, "Secrets" happens to be The Weeknd's favorite song from the album. While on 'Beats 1' with Zane Lowe, he announced that it was his favorite. The song shows that he's a unique person who stepped out of his comfort zone to try different things. With the hard work he put into the song, it's not difficult to see why "Secrets" is his favorite track from Starboy.
6 Short Film Associated With The Album
To promote the album and show off everything it had to offer, The Weeknd made a short film called Mania, with a length of about 12 minutes. It features songs from Starboy, including "All I Know," which features Future, "Die For You," "Party Monster," and a few others. It is quite the visual treat and offers something new that the other albums have not had.
5 Certified Success
Starboy was nothing short of a sensation. It was a huge commercial success and garnered a lot of respectable chartings. For example, it ranked 21 on Billboard's Top 50 Charts of 2016.
The single, "Starboy", made it to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100, while "I Feel It Coming" reached the fourth spot. While the rest of the singles did not reach the same level of success, they still charted.
4 Brought A Comic To Life
Not only was there a short film tied to the album, but The Weeknd also got a comic inspired by Starboy! This added to his growing fame, thanks to Marvel being the publisher. It featured an original story with great art from Eric Nguyen. This is a must-have for comic book fans who also adore The Weeknd's album.
3 Featuring Music Legends
Big names appeared on Starboy, including Lana Del Ray and Kendrick Lamar, but it can be argued that Daft Punk helped out most with the album's hypnotizingly great sound. This record also brought Daft Punk back to the charts.
After the huge success of their album, Random Access Memories, Daft Punk found more success contributing to two of The Weeknd's songs, "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming." As with Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk and The Weeknd are a match made in heaven.
