The Weeknd Says Next LP Will Be The “Best-Sounding Album” Of His Career
There’s been a surprising amount of chatter about The Weeknd‘s next album considering its predecessor, Beauty Behind The Madness, is only a year old. The Canadian star has been working with his House Of Balloons architects and possibly even Daft Punk on the project, and now in his VMAN cover story he opens up about the new LP’s direction.
“There are new inspirations on this album,” he tells the mag. “The production feels aggressive but still sexy. 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.”
The Weeknd also says the Ethiopian language “will definitely be key” on the album, as will producer Doc McKinney. He adds: “I’ve been very intrigued by the film Amadeus. I’ll touch on my relationship with religion a little bit and how it ties into my crazy and materialistic life. I’ll touch base on some recent experiences and past experiences that didn’t make the last album. I wrote some of these songs while recording Beauty Behind the Madness. It’s like a fictional book inspired by true events.”
While the singer has been increasingly outspoken about politics and supportive of Black Lives Matter, politics are one thing the album probably won’t touch on. “I wish I could make music about politics. I feel like it’s such an art and a talent that I admire tremendously, but when I step into the studio I step out of the real world, and it’s therapeutic,” the singer explains. “It’s an escape, but recently it’s been very hard to ignore, and it’s also been very distracting. Maybe you’ll hear it in my voice, but it is not my forté.”
Read the full interview here.
