UPDATE 11/17/16: The Weeknd revealed the full tracklist for his upcoming album Starboy. It will be 18 tracks long, and include features from Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. You can check out the whole tracklist below.
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Fans have been anxiously awaiting news about what The Weeknd had in store for the follow-up to his smash-hit album Beauty Behind the Madness. Now, it looks like they have their answer.
Wednesday, The Weeknd revealed the cover art and name for his next album. Titled Starboy, the cover, which was shot by Nabil, shows The Weeknd in dark black and blue, flanked by a bright red background and yellow lettering. He's also wearing a crucifix on the cover. One thing fans are sure to notice is the fact that it appears The Weeknd has cut off his signature hair, appearing instead with a short hairstyle. You can check out the cover art above.
Not much is known about the contents of the album, but The Weeknd did reveal some details about his creative process recently. “There are new inspirations on this album. The production feels aggressive but still sexy," he told VMAN. "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."
"Even though I’ve been putting out bodies of work for years, Beauty Behind the Madness felt like the beginning,” he went on to say. “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.”
Starboy follows Beauty Behind the Madness, which was by far The Weeknd's most commercially successful album to date. It spawned the hits "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face," and went on to be one of the best-selling albums of 2015. It even picked up a pair of Guinness World Records, becoming the most streamed album on Spotify in a single year and earning the most consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 by a male solo artist.
There's no release date for Starboy yet, but with this cover reveal, The Weeknd is clearly kicking off the album's promo. We can't wait to see what comes next.
