The Weeknd’s new melancholy

Just in case you have been wondering about it, I can say truthfully that that comma is no typo error.  I mean the one in the title of The Weeknd’s new album, My Dear Melancholy,. Check out that comma. Maybe, the hip-hop starboy from Canada thought of his aIbum as a sort of letter or journal about a sad experience. Hence, a title like My Dear Melancholy, and with a comma before the message.

Of course, the instant reaction is that the album is about The Weeknd’s love life. This means the two beautiful, prominent celebrities he was lately involved with, Bella Hadid, daughter to Yolanda and sister to Gigi, who lost him to pop singer Selena Gomez, who is said to have left him to go back to Justin Bieber, but with whom she has since then also broken up.

Any way, just like the legend says, that happened to Frank Sinatra when he lost screen siren Ava Gardner, (he came up with that now iconic recording of I’m A Fool To Want You), The Weeknd, has released My Dear Melancholy, and it is dripping with sadness. Check out the track titles: Call Out My Name, Try Me, Wasted Times, I Was Never There featuring Gesaffelstein, Hurt You also with Gesaffelstein and Privilege.

Despite his youth, he is only 28 years old, The Weeknd has always had a dark, sad vibe in his music. Credit that to his difficult teenage years. Remember his Kiss Land and I Belong To The World? I think of the result as a dark type of alternative R&B. But My Dear Melancholy, is the darkest of all. His falsetto singing now chants over slow jams of pain. It must be the first torch hip-hop album ever made.

But melancholy or not, The Weeknd remains on a roll. This kid who was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye on the wrong side of Toronto and who formerly shoplifted to support his drug habit, is now one of the biggest-selling hip-hop acts in the world. Fans might miss the pop bursts that fuelled his Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy to the top. But there is a serious artist creating from his hurt in My Dear Melancholy, and that is something that can only lead to better, more meaningful work.

There is still no budging detected from Drake’s camp so he stays on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 but The Weeknd has made remarkable inroads in the charts with his new releases. Incidentally, it was fellow Canadian Drake, who gave The Weeknd several big breaks in touring and recording. Check out the lists.

The Top 20 of the Hot 100 are: God’s Plan by Drake; Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line; Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign; Call Out My Name by The Weeknd; Look Alive by BlocBoy JB feat. Drake; The Middle by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey; Perfect by Ed Sheeran; Finesse by Bruno Mars & Cardi B; Freaky Friday by Lil Dicky feat. Chris Brown; Walk It Talk It by Migos feat. Drake.

Havana by Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug; Mine by Bazzi; Plug Walk by Rich The Kid; Never Be The Same again by Cabello; Pray For Me by The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar from the Black Panther soundtrack; Be Careful by Cardi B; Stir Fry by Migos; Sad! by XXXTentacion; All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar & SZA also from Black Panther; and Ric Flair Drip by Offset & Metro Boomin’.

The Top 20 sounds in the Top 200 Albums list are: My Dear Melancholy, (EP) by The Weeknd; The World Is Yours by Rich The Kid; ? by XXXTentacion; Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves; The Greatest Showman, the movie soundtrack by Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya and others; Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By by Kendrick Lamar and other artists; Culture II by Migos; Stoney by Post Malone; ¸ Divide by Ed Sheeran; Bobby Tarantino II by Logic.

Evolve by Imagine Dragons; Expectations by Hayley Kiyoko; Camila by Camila Cabello; Hamilton: An American Musical by the Original Broadway Cast; DAMN by Kendrick Lamar; reputation by Taylor Swift; American Teen by Khalid; 24K Magic by Bruno Mars; Kane Brown by Kane Brown; and Luv Is Rage2 by Lil Uzi Vert.