There's a definite This Is Going to Be Really F*cking Good vibe surrounding the kickoff to the Weeknd's new chapter.
Case in point, we now have a trio of studio-set Instagram updates from Abel. Some possible Weeknding, as embedded for your convenience below, also popped up in an Instagram Story update over on DaHeala's page. The Weeknd and DaHeala previously linked for My Dear Melancholy, and Kiss Land.
The latest project from the XO co-founder follows last year's six-track Melancholy, which notably boasted fresh Columbia Records recruit Gesaffelstein on the highlight "I Was Never There." The Weeknd's most recent traditional full-length was his Grammy-winning 2016 album Starboy. The hour-plus Beauty Behind the Madness follow-up features Future, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, and Daft Punk and was ultimately supported by six singles, including "Party Monster" and the ubiquitous-at-the-time title track.
Shortly after introducing us to that welcomed batch of melancholia, the Weeknd revealed that he had originally penned an album's worth of songs with the exact opposite unifying mood. "Prior to Melancholy, I had a whole album written, done," he toldTime in May. "Which wasn't melancholy at all because it was a different time in my life . . . It was very upbeat—it was beautiful."
Though that project will likely never see an existence, the Weeknd is clearly stoked on what's to come. "I want you guys to be the first to know that I'm working on my new album right now," he told a Toronto audience back in November. "Chapter six coming soon. Let's get it."
