The Weeknd releases new single, ‘Often’
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On The Weeknd’s new single, Abel Tesfaye starts the song by singing “I usually love sleeping all alone.”
Who is he kidding?
Tesfaye has one of the most nihilistically sexed-up catalogs in contemporary R&B (and that’s saying something). His new single “Often” fits into that history -- it’s typically narcotized slow-jam brightened up by some Kanye-ish pitch-shifted vocals samples.
Listen to it here (but do note its typically Weeknd-ish racy lyrics).
“Often” is actually more of a major-key mood for him though, and recalls his citymate Drake with its mix of boastfulness and a tender delivery. Sure, he’s inviting a conquest to bring her friend over for an evening, but compared with some prior tunes, this request feels almost gentlemanly by comparison.
Since last year’s “Kiss Land” and a well-regarded amphitheater tour, Tesfaye’s project has been fairly mum when it comes to new material. “Often” might be a look at where his sound is going -- a little stranger in the production, a little more pillow talk in the vocals.
That’s not exactly a way to start sleeping alone more, though.
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