By Quedus Babalola
Staff Writer
Almost two years since the release of his last album, “Starboy,” The Weeknd released his new extended play (EP) on Friday, March 30. The EP was a surprise to many fans since the artist did not publicly announce he would drop a new album, but some people expected a different kind of music from the singer. “He’s headlining Coachella on April 13 and hasn’t released any new solo music, so it makes sense why he would drop this EP,” Tiffany Paty, a junior finance major, said. “I’m going to Coachella this year, so this just makes me ten times happier, I have new music to listen to,” Paty said.
The Weeknd teased fans on Instagram in February with a post that showed a notebook in front of a microphone. Written on the notebook was “My Dear Melancholy,” the title of the EP.
“My Dear Melancholy” has a similar sound to his debut mixtape, “House of Balloons,” and his second album, “Beauty Behind the Madness.” It has the dark alternative R&B style that he launched his career with.
Unlike his other albums or mixtapes, The Weeknd didn’t seem to care for any of his radio hits or summer anthems such as “Starboy,” “Reminder”, and “The Hills.” His newest album sounds like an open letter to a former lover or two. Fans on Twitter have been speculating about which ex The Weeknd could be talking about; Selena Gomez or Bella Hadid. “He didn’t drop any names; that’s what makes matters worse. When I try to pin it all on Selena, I listen again and think he’s talking about Bella,” Dorothy Jenkins, a sophomore fine arts major, said.
The opening track, “Call Out my Name,” is reminiscent of The Weeknd’s 2015 hit “Earned it” with a slight twist. On this track, he sings about not being able to leave his former lover, even though he knew she was no good for him, but he still wanted her to need him as much as he needed her. The following track is titled, “Try Me,” and The Weeknd sings about wanting his former lover to leave her current partner for him.
The following track “Wasted Times” might have sparked confusion among fans, because the artist speaks about wasted time with the wrong people, but he doesn’t name anyone. The next three tracks discuss a lover that he would rather be casual with and expresses his will to avoid drugs and alcohol after being driven to them by a previous breakup. “The Weeknd is officially back; no more ‘Starboy, The Weeknd’,” James Baburi, a freshman international business major, said.
The six track EP can be found on all streaming services and purchased on iTunes and Google Play.
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