Island Vinyl & CDs

Review: After his last album incorporated neon and darkwave stylings into his ever-expanding musical fold, we unanimously agreed back at the beginning of 2021 that it was high time The Weeknd put out a 'greatest hits' album. In February, our wish was granted in CD form, and now, 'The Highlights' has seen an official rerelease on double gatefold ultra-heavy vinyl, doing thorough justice to The Noise's cosmic collabs with Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande. Spanning cuts all the way through from 'Thursday' to 'After Hours', this album does a remarkable job of unifying the best tracks from this devlishly suited, R&B hitmaker's career.

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.