Behind The Disguise (feat Marina Quaisse
- Closing) (1:22)
Review: An essential work in the trip-hop landscape, now reissued to offer a fresh chance to experience its cinematic soundscapes and genre-crossing influences, weaving samples from jazz, hip-hop, soul and film scores into a cohesive, evocative sonic tapestry. Tracks like 'Que Sera', 'Ungodly Fruit', and 'How I Feel' showcase his unique ability to craft lush, atmospheric beats reminiscent of RJD2 or Portishead's Geoff Barrow. A key part to the success of this release, is the use of samples - ranging from classic hip-hop to cinematic dialogue - with some tracks, particularly those featuring orchestral arrangements, stand out for their unusual intricacy, with 'Hypnosis Theme' and 'Our Dance' exemplifying Wax Tailor's mastery of blending classical elements with laidback rhythms.
Review: Following the massive success of his 2021 debut album Gratidao, French producer Wealstarcks returns with another standout record, this time called Valeu Obrigado.' Once again he skilfully blends house and electro sounds with the vibrant energy of Funk Carioca culture to make for a collection of tracks that are filled with soulful grooves and irresistible dancefloor anthems guaranteed to get any crowds moving. Most notably these sounds showcase Wealstarcks' knack for creating fresh, dynamic grooves that work on modern ears but also maintain a deep connection to authentic Brazilian funk influences. It comes as a limited edition release that will no doubt be a longtime favourite in any collection.
Review: Shockingly, "(Hurry Up Tomorrow) is probably my last hurrah as the Weeknd." With speculation that this could mark the final release under his stage name, Abel Tesfaye returns with his sixth studio album, doubling as the soundtrack for an upcoming psycho-thriller film of the same name, where film and album are to be released in tandem. A known cinephile, and widely applauded for his screen debut in the OPN-scored Safdie Brothers sensation Uncut Gems, Tesfaye's upcoming directorial collaboration with Trey Edward Shults presents an insomniac musician on the verge of a mental breakdown, pulled into an existential odyssey against his best volition. 'Timeless', 'Sao Paulo' and 'Cry for Me' lead the charge, in the aftermath of a vocal injury sustained on tour in 2022. Blending r&b, synth-pop and trap with flourishes of Brazilian funk and hip-hop, the new record doubles as the film's soundtrack, and pushes the Weeknd's palette ever further out into unsettling neon pop territory, contradictorily into the early hours of the weekday.
Review: Canadian singer The Weeknd has just been announced as the half time act for this year's Super Bowl, which is another crowning glory for an artist who has made a remarkable rise to the top. One of his early standout achievements was his Beauty Behind The Madness album, which is re-released here on its fifth anniversary. It was his sophomore long player and feature big guest like Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Ray which helped it debut at number one in several countries around the world. Filled with some harder truths than previous music yet with plenty of catchy hooks and singalong choruses, it prove The Weeknd was more versatile than people thought.
Review: Devoted fans of Abel Tesfaye were left in a spin when the latest The Weeknd album dropped out of the blue, offering up lead singles 'Sacrifice' and 'Gasoline'. The expansive reach of Tesfaye's musical world knows no bounds, straddling pop, rap, electro and much more besides on a quest for life-affirming, show-stopping songs that burrow straight into your heart. The cast of collaborators on this record is staggering, from Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, and Oneohtrix Point Never to Jim Carrey and Swedish House Mafia, would you believe. Through it all, Tesfaye's dazzling persona shines through, making for another classic from one of the most unique artists in the premier league of contemporary RnB.
Reflections Laughing (feat Travis Scott & Florence & The Machine)
Enjoy The Show (feat Future)
Given Up On Me
I Can't Wait To Get There
Timeless (feat Playboi Carti)
Niagara Falls
Take Me Back To LA
Big Sleep (feat Giorgio Moroder)
Give Me Mercy
Drive
The Abyss (feat Lana Del Ray)
Red Terror
Without A Warning
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Review: Scarred by a high-profile breakdown, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weekend has spent much of the last three years rebuilding his mental health - a process reflected in the introspective and surprisingly open lyrics at the heart of Hurry Up Tomorrow, his sixth studio album. Said to be the final part of a semi-autobiographical trilogy, the two-disc set is a dizzyingly varied and star-packed affair that confidently strides between squelchy synth-pop (Justice collaboration 'Wake Me Up'), thrillingly bass-heavy Baille funk (Anitta hook-up 'Sao Paolo'), attack-on-the-senses EDM-pop ('Until we're Skin & Bones'), heavily orchestrated slow jams (' Reflections Laughing' with Travis Scott and Florence and the Machine), head-nodding R&B ('Enjoy The Show' with Future), 80s pop revivalism ('Take Me Back To LA'), and shimmering analogue synthscapes (Giorgio Moroder collaboration 'Big Sleep').
Review: The Weeknd's latest album takes the form of a concept about a radio station that is listened to on a car journey towards the end of days. It features a number of guests such as Tyler & The Creator, Jim Carrey and Lil Wayne as well as production from Calvin Harris. The album's standout single is 'I Heard You're Married' which is a gloriously catchy disco-dance beat with singable choruses and epic synth lines. The whole thing is a mix of dance, electro and pop with more wax and textural beats next to the sentimental songs. It's one of his most adventurous and a real return form.
Review: The Weeknd's upcoming release marks the final chapter in the trilogy that began with After Hours and Dawn FM, bringing his signature fusion of nocturnal R&B and cinematic synthwave to new emotional depths. Highlights include 'Timeless', a brooding collaboration with Playboi Carti, and 'Sao Paulo', a sultry track featuring Anitta, blending Latin rhythms with atmospheric production. Thematically, the album explores redemption and self-reflection, with Abel Tesfaye's haunting falsetto weaving through stories of loss and longing. Fans can experience this new chapter live at a one-night-only show at Pasadena's Rose Bowl, a fittingly grand stage for what promises to be an unforgettable closing act.
Review: The Weeknd's latest project continues to push boundaries, but it's the quieter moments that really leave a mark. Take 'Dancing in the Flames'iit starts with muted synths, almost tentative, like something trying to find its footing, before blossoming into a dense, emotionally charged soundscape. Tesfaye's falsetto feels particularly vulnerable here, a perfect match for lyrics that seem to teeter between hope and resignation. On 'Timeless (feat Playboi Carti),' the mood shifts entirely. Carti's jagged verses cut through the lush production, creating a tension that makes the track feel alive and unpredictable. And then there's 'Sao Paulo (feat Anitta),' which bursts out with a vibrancy that feels like a releaseia rare moment of pure celebration. Overall, the album's impact lies in its restraint, in the contrasts and the spaces between moods where it truly resonates.
Review: The fourth studio album from Canadian R&B pinup The Weeknd (released last March) was produced, in the main, by the artist himself. Previous collaborators like DaHeala, Illangelo, Max Martin, Metro Boomin and OPN also stepped up to give a hand and between them, the four singles 'Heartless', 'Blinding Lights', 'In Your Eyes,' and 'Save Your Tears' topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum making the album another hugely successful one. After Hours explores the themes of promiscuity, overindulgence and self-loathing which help to make it one of his finest to date.
Review: Cast your mind back to 2011 if you can, when Canadian legend The Weeknd was just making his debut appearance with the House Of Balloons mixtape. He set out his stall quickly as a vital new voice in the field of RnB, producing everything alongside Illangelo, Cirkut and Doc McKinney and laying his life down in the most ear-snagging bars. There are some audacious samples which have only been cleared since his star rose and he had the clout to make it happen, and so now this highly-anticipated 10th Anniversary Edition lands and you can hear The Weeknd's opening salvo how it should be heard.
Review: It may have been released digitally six months ago, but Kanye West's "Jesus Is King" album - his 12th solo set in total - has finally made it on to vinyl. By now, most will have already heard it, but for the uninitiated "Jesus Is King" sees West meditating on Christianity, offering up a tight 27-minute set of tracks that draw influence from (or explicitly sample) gospel music in all its forms. It's still a hip-hop album of course, it's just that the beats, musical choices (gospel choirs, loops from killer records by gospel soul act The Whole Truth etc) and lyrics are closer to the black American gospel tradition than anything West has released before.
Review: Sixth months after it first dropped on streaming platforms, the expanded 'deluce' version of Kanye West's 10th studio album finally drops on CD. Less over the top and strutting than its predecessor, Jesus is a King, the double-disc set continues the iconic artist's infatuation with blending cutting-edge contemporary hip-hop (and nods to his musical roots in the '90s rap scene), R&B and his beloved gospel, resulting in a grandiose and entertaining set that makes use of a huge roll call of guests and collaborators *Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Jay Electronica, Travis Scott, The LOX, Kid Cudi, Fivio Foreign, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Playboi Carti, Jay-Z, Shenseea, DaBaby, Pop Smoke and Andre 3000 all feature). It's basically stadium hip-hop blended with reflective soul and R&B; given that nobody else does it quite as well as Kanye, it's no surprise that Donda hits home hard.
Review: The ever divisive Kanye West dropped this 10th album Donda on streaming platforms back in August 2021. He has already served up an expanded 'deluxe' version on CD and now it comes on limited edition vinyl. Less over the top than its predecessor, this record continues the iconic artist's infatuation with blending cutting-edge contemporary hip-hop (and nods to his musical roots in the '90s rap scene), R&B and his beloved gospel, resulting in a grandiose and entertaining set that makes use of a huge roll call of guests and collaborators *Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Jay Electronica, Travis Scott, The LOX, Kid Cudi, Fivio Foreign and many more.
Review: It may have been released digitally six months ago, but Kanye West's "Jesus Is King" album - his 12th solo set in total - has finally made it on to vinyl. By now, most will have already heard it, but for the uninitiated "Jesus Is King" sees West meditating on Christianity, offering up a tight 27-minute set of tracks that draw influence from (or explicitly sample) gospel music in all its forms. It's still a hip-hop album of course, it's just that the beats, musical choices (gospel choirs, loops from killer records by gospel soul act The Whole Truth etc) and lyrics are closer to the black American gospel tradition than anything West has released before.
Kanye West's new collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, VULTURES 1, feels unexpectedly cohesive and fully realizedia surprising change of pace for West's recent output. Known for raw and often incomplete releases, this time he brings clear production and a crisp, polished mix. Ty's smooth delivery contrasts with Kanye's own verses, blending effortlessly on tracks like the Donna Summer-sampling 'Good (Don't Die)'. Rhythmic, industrial beats provide a dynamic backdrop, especially on tracks like 'Paid' and 'Carnival,' giving this album a depth that stands out in West's complex, ever-evolving catalogue.
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