Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name “The Weeknd,” continues his rise to the top of the music world after he dropped his second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness. The record includes three singles: “Can’t Feel My Face,” which has been able to reach the number one spot in the American charts, “The Hills,” and “Earned It,” a song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The album is truly unique because it solidifies The Weeknd’s style, his falsetto, the powerful synthetic bass hits, and the slow tempos coupled with his powerful lyricism. His inspirations: Prince, Michael Jackson, and R. Kelly, have clear impacts on his sound.

He is able to couple those inspirations with his own lyricism, comprised of a slowed down, modern beat. He is able to combine all these to create a cohesive sound that is very simple, yet powerful. On the 12th track of the album, “Dark Times,” featuring Ed Sheeran, the two artists are able to mesh their sounds effectively and alternate verses, while simultaneously exhibiting their own identity and style.