By DONNA BALANCIA
In time for his Coachella headlining appearance, The Weeknd has released a new EP, My Dear Melancholy, and it’s aptly named.
The 6-song album is a synth-drenched, somber, ode to heartbreak and is a sweeping effort that could enable genre crossover appeal, if mellow and dark is what EDM and hip-hop listeners seek.
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The record is innovative and beautiful, but represents a true departure from the 2016 album, Starboy, by The Weeknd, which won a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album last January.
Check out “I Was Never There” via YouTube:
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My Dear Melancholy is co-executive produced by Weeknd and Frank Dukes.
There’s a roster chock full of powerful and singularly named masters on the recording: Mike WILL Made It, DaHeala, Marz, Cirkut, Skrillex and Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Two songs enlist renowned French EDM artist Gesaffelstein as collaborator. He’s worked with Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, ASAP Rocky and Phoenix.
The latest will likely be compared with The Weeknd’s 2011 release House of Balloons.
The timing is smart on the latest work. The Weeknd gets top billing on Friday nights at Coachella, April 13 and April 20 in Indio, Calif.