The Weeknd has announced his follow up to last year’s stellar Beauty Behind The Madness, sharing the first details about his new album, entitled Starboy.
Here’s the cover art, which he shared via Twitter:
NEW ALBUM COVER / TITLE shot by NABIL #STARBOY pic.twitter.com/tkZuVQ2SY5
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) September 21, 2016
Although we don’t have many more solid details on the new release, The Weeknd has been dishing out clues over the past few months. Real name Abel Tesfaye, the Canadian star recently shared some information about the direction and influences of his new album. Speaking to V Man, he said, “There are new inspirations on this album. 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. 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.”
He’s also spoken about how his new record has been created with the production team he worked with when he first emerged back in 2011 with the brooding Take Care, and that the influence of producer and “mentor” Doc McKinney will be felt throughout.
Tesfaye has been working hard on his new album, having cancelled many of his live appearances throughout 2016 – including a support slot on Rihanna‘s world tour – to spend time in the studio. ““Creatively, some magic is happening right now, and I don’t want to lose it,” he told Vogue back in May. “It could be an album or it could be something else, but whatever it is, music is being made.”
No more information as yet about new singles or release dates for the sultry musical enigma, but we’ll keep you posted when more is available.
The cover image, by the way, was captured by Nabil, one of the most important, respected photographers and videographers in the music industry. Nabil started out by shooting Kanye’s early press shots, and has later gone on to shoot everyone from Frank Ocean to Bon Iver. He’s also directed a myriad incredibly high profile video clips, for artists including Kanye, Frank Ocean, Foals, Vince Staples, Mos Def, James Blake and FKA Twigs.
Image: INEZ & VINOODH