The Weeknd tapped a wide-ranging group of inspirations on the follow-up to his breakthrough Beauty Behind the Madness album, some of which might surprise you. Speaking to VMAN magazine, the singer gave an intriguing snapshot of a work in progress that pulls from punk, new wave and classic R&B.
First off, Abel is placing some rather high expectations for the LP, tentatively titledStarboy, saying he feels it will end up being his best-sounding album ever.
“The production feels aggressive but still sexy. The Smiths, Bad Brains, Talking Heads, Prince, and DeBarge play roles. We wrote it all in Los Angeles. I think it’ll be the best-sounding album I’ve ever done. It’s hard to label the sound because, when I first came out, nobody would label it R&B. I just want to keep pushing the envelope without it feeling forced.”
The singer added he is especially inspired by movies, including the 1984 movie Amadeus based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rivalry with another composer. Even though The Weeknd has been around for much longer than the average radio listener might assume, he says he’s looking forward to building off the success of last year’s LP.
“Even though I’ve been putting out bodies of work for years, Beauty Behind the Madness felt like the beginning,” he says. “My purpose is to make exciting music, and I feel like I’ll be doing that for the rest of my life, so there’s no pressure. Nothing is stopping me from doing what I love to do.”
Read the entire interview with The Weeknd at VMAN.
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