Beauty Behind the Madness | ||||
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Released | August 28, 2015 | |||
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Length | 65:06 | |||
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Singles from Beauty Behind the Madness | ||||
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Beauty Behind the Madness is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. The album was executive produced by the Weeknd, DaHeala and Illangelo, and includes production from Kanye West, Stephan Moccio, Ben Billions, DannyBoyStyles, Max Martin, and Ali Payami, among others.
Five singles were released from Beauty Behind the Madness, including two US Billboard Hot 100 number-ones: "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face". The album also includes the Academy Award-nominated track "Earned It", which served as the lead single from the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey . Beauty Behind the Madness received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one in several countries. It marked the Weeknd's first number-one album in the United States, earning 412,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. It was the tenth best-selling album of 2015, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, with 1.5 million copies sold worldwide. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016, Beauty Behind the Madness won Best Urban Contemporary Album and was nominated for Album of the Year.
Following the release of the compilation album Trilogy (2012) and his debut studio album Kiss Land (2013), the Weeknd spoke to MTV about the two projects; describing them as the first and second chapters of his life.
Trilogy was more of a claustrophobic body of work, before it was released I hadn't left my city for 21 years, and I had never been on a plane, not once. I spent my entire life in one setting, that's probably why pieces of the album feel like one long track, because that's what my life felt like. It felt like one long song. Kiss Land is the story after Trilogy – it's pretty much the second chapter of my life. The narrative takes place after my first flight; it's very foreign, very Asian-inspired. When people ask me, "Why Japan?" I simply tell them it's the furthest I've ever been from home. It really is a different planet. [1]
Shortly after Kiss Land, the Weeknd began contributing to film soundtracks and other projects. He appeared on the soundtrack to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) on the song "Devil May Cry" and as a featured artist on Sia and Diplo's single "Elastic Heart". [2] [3] On September 30, 2014, the Weeknd appeared on Ariana Grande's single "Love Me Harder" from her second studio album My Everything . [4] He then made an appearance on the soundtrack to Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) on the songs "Earned It" and "Where You Belong"; with the former track peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. [5] [6]
On July 5, 2015, during an interview on Beats 1 Radio, Ed Sheeran revealed that he had worked with the Weeknd on the album and that Kanye West was also involved. [7] The Weeknd formally announced his second album on July 9 by revealing the album's title and sharing its artwork. [8]
Beauty Behind the Madness has been described by critics as a noticeable shift from the Weeknd's alternative R&B background to a more mainstream pop-oriented sound; with some of his original elements remaining intact. [9] [10]
In addition to its alt-R&B [11] and pop sonics, [12] Beauty Behind the Madness incorporates elements of disco, [13] funk, [14] soul, [15] art rock, [16] blues, [17] and trap. [18] Influences of Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987) are also present throughout the album. [19] Lyrical themes include romance, success, loneliness, self-loathing, and independence. [20]
On June 26, 2014, the Weeknd announced the King of the Fall Tour, which spanned North America in September and October of that year. Schoolboy Q and Jhené Aiko appeared as supporting acts. [21] The tour was announced the day after the Weeknd released the single "Often" on SoundCloud. [21] On August 20, 2015, he announced The Madness Fall Tour, his first arena tour, in support of the album. [22]
On July 4, 2015, the Weeknd headlined FVDED in the Park in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. On July 9, the Weeknd continued to promote the album by headlining summer music festivals, including Lollapalooza in Chicago, the Hard Summer Music Festival in Pomona, California, the Summer Set Music and Camping Festival in Somerset, Wisconsin, Philadelphia's Made in America Festival, Austin City Limits in Austin, and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival. [23]
The first single, "Often", was released on July 31, 2014. [24] The song peaked at number 59 and number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, respectively. [5] [25]
The second single, "The Hills", was released on May 27, 2015. [26] The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. [5]
The third single, "Can't Feel My Face", was released on June 8, 2015, following the performance of the song by the Weeknd at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on the same day. [27] The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. [5]
"In the Night" was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on November 17, 2015, as the album's fourth single. [28] The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. [5]
"Acquainted" was serviced to US urban contemporary radio on November 17, 2015, as the album's fifth and final single. [29] It was also serviced to US rhythmic contemporary on February 16, 2016. [30] The song peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. [5]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10 [31] |
Metacritic | 74/100 [32] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
The A.V. Club | B [33] |
Chicago Tribune | [34] |
The Daily Telegraph | [35] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [36] |
NME | 7/10 [14] |
The Observer | [37] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [13] |
Rolling Stone | [19] |
Spin | 7/10 [38] |
Beauty Behind the Madness was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 26 reviews. [32] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [31]
Sheldon Pearce of The A.V. Club said, "It expertly and carefully closes the gap between the Weeknd's perception and his reality". [33] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said, "He's aiming for harder truths, creating pop that also works as a commentary on choice and consequence". [34] Mackenzie Herd of Exclaim! said, "Beauty Behind the Madness proves that the Weeknd can thrive in the mainstream, and while the lyrics aren't overtly profound, he's proven that he is more versatile than previously thought, which is perhaps of greater importance at this stage in his career". [39] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "Anyone looking for a collection of homages to the King of Pop will be disappointed. Those masterpieces ["Can't Feel My Face" and "In The Night"] are outliers, and they end up making Madness' missteps all the more jarring.... In the middle of those two poles lies a series of bass-heavy throb-and-moan blasts with the signature oddness (shape-shifting melodies, twitchy percussion) that makes the Weeknd a compelling artist". [36] April Clare Welsh of NME said, "He may have softened his edge, upped the production and pulled in the stars, but the Weeknd remains an outsider". [14] Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork said, "In the end, enjoying the Weeknd requires a certain suspension of disbelief, and that remains true on Beauty Behind the Madness. You really have to buy into his bad-guy persona.... For newcomers, there's a whole world to explore, and on Beauty Behind the Madness it's richer and smarter than ever". [13]
Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone said, "If the sound has widened and even brightened in spots, the Weeknd still rocks a serious Eeyore vibe for much of Beauty Behind the Madness". [19] Harley Brown of Spin said, "Beauty Behind the Madness is front-loaded with fresh directions for the Weeknd that achieve the impossible: make it sound like he's actually enjoying himself". [38] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "The commercial strides are obvious. The creative advancements are less apparent, obstructed by some unappealing measures, but they're in there". [11] Helen Brown of The Daily Telegraph said, ""Real Life" builds up to a pitch of doomed drama from a corrosive slash of guitar as Tesfaye confides that even his "Mama called me destructive". But Ed Sheeran fails to rescue him on the tedious "Dark Times" and Lana Del Rey—who ought to be his perfect partner in pop-noir—adds nothing but a bored spritz of vocal perfume to the lethargic "Prisoner"". [35] Andy Gill of The Independent said, "Beauty Behind the Madness leaves one feeling just as estranged from Abel Tesfaye's depraved character as previous releases boasting less adhesive tunes". [40] Kitty Empire of The Observer said, "The Weeknd's most conventional songs thus far are Sheeran's boringly retro "Dark Times", and "Shameless", a guitar ballad unredeemable even by its deranged guitar solo. Elsewhere, the step up is more convincing, if not always easy to listen to". [37]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | 25 Best Albums of 2015 | 18 | |
Complex | Best Albums of 2015 | 23 | |
Digital Spy | The 25 Best Albums of 2015 | 17 | |
Exclaim! | Exclaim!'s Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2015 | 4 | |
Mojo | Top 50 Albums of 2015 | 45 | |
The New York Times | The Best Albums of 2015 (Jon Caramanica) | 2 | |
NME | NME's Albums of the Year 2015 | 19 | |
Now | The Top Toronto Albums of 2015 | 8 | |
Pitchfork | Best Albums of 2015 (Reader's Poll) | 43 | |
Rolling Stone | 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 5 | |
20 Best R&B Albums of 2015 | 2 | ||
500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020 Revision) | 442 |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | American Music Awards | Favorite Soul/R&B Album | Won | |
GAFFA Awards (Sweden) | Best Foreign Album | Won | ||
MOBO Awards | Best International Album | Nominated | ||
Soul Train Music Awards | Best Album of the Year | Won | ||
2016 | Grammy Awards | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Won | |
Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
Billboard Music Awards | Top R&B Album | Won | ||
Top Billboard 200 Album | Nominated | |||
ECHO Music Awards | Best International Hip-Hop/Urban Album | Nominated | ||
iHeartRadio Music Awards | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
Juno Awards | Album of the Year | Won | ||
R&B/Soul Recording of the Year | Won | |||
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Album | Nominated | ||
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Album | Nominated | ||
Polaris Music Prize | Polaris Music Prize | Longlisted | ||
2017 | Guinness World Records | Most Streamed Album in One Year | Won |
On August 31, 2015, Billboard estimated that Beauty Behind the Madness would sell approximately 300,000 copies during the first week of its release in the United States. [66] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 412,000 album-equivalent units; it sold 326,000 copies in its first week, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting its streaming activity and track sales. It marked the Weeknd's first number-one album. [67] It remained atop the chart for the next two weeks and was the first album to spend three weeks at number one consecutively since Taylor Swift's 1989 . [68] [69] The album also remained in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 for a total of 21 consecutive weeks. [70] According to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, Beauty Behind the Madness was the tenth best-selling album of 2015 worldwide. [71] As of August 2017, the album has earned 3.7 million equivalent album units in the United States, of which 1.23 million are in traditional album sales. The set has also generated 2.05 billion on-demand audio streams for its songs. [72] It was the most-streamed album of 2015, and the fifth most-streamed album of 2016 on Spotify. [73] [74]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Real Life" |
| 3:43 | |
2. | "Losers" (featuring Labrinth) |
|
| 4:41 |
3. | "Tell Your Friends" |
| 5:34 | |
4. | "Often" |
|
| 4:09 |
5. | "The Hills" |
|
| 4:02 |
6. | "Acquainted" |
|
| 5:48 |
7. | "Can't Feel My Face" |
| 3:33 | |
8. | "Shameless" |
|
| 4:13 |
9. | "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" |
|
| 4:37 |
10. | "In the Night" |
|
| 3:55 |
11. | "As You Are" |
|
| 5:40 |
12. | "Dark Times" (featuring Ed Sheeran) |
| Illangelo | 4:20 |
13. | "Prisoner" (featuring Lana Del Rey) |
|
| 4:34 |
14. | "Angel" |
|
| 6:17 |
Total length: | 65:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Can't Feel My Face" (Martin Garrix Remix) |
|
| 4:12 |
16. | "The Hills" (featuring Eminem) |
|
| 4:23 |
17. | "The Hills" (featuring Nicki Minaj) |
|
| 4:02 |
Total length: | 81:43 |
Notes
Sample credits
Credits adapted from album's liner notes. [75]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [153] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [154] | Gold | 7,500* |
Canada (Music Canada) [155] | 7× Platinum | 560,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [156] | 4× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [157] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [158] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [159] | Platinum+Gold | 90,000‡ |
Norway (IFPI Norway) [160] | Gold | 15,000* |
Poland (ZPAV) [161] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Singapore (RIAS) [162] | Gold | 5,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [163] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [164] | 2× Platinum | 652,956 [165] |
United States (RIAA) [166] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 28, 2015 | [167] |
The discography of Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd consists of five studio albums, nine extended plays, three mixtapes, three compilation albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, 75 single releases, and 13 promotional singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Weeknd has accumulated 18.5 million certified album units and 113 million certified digital single units in the US, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of January 2024.
The discography of British musician and producer Labrinth consists of three studio albums, two soundtrack albums, two extended plays (EPs), twenty singles and fourteen music videos.
Trilogy is the first compilation album and major label debut by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on November 13, 2012, through XO and Republic Records. It is composed of remixed and remastered versions of the songs contained in his 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, and three previously unreleased songs, "Twenty Eight", "Valerie", and "Till Dawn " were included as bonus tracks.
Kiss Land is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on September 10, 2013, through XO and Republic Records. The album was supported by the lead single of the same name, as well as "Belong to the World", "Love in the Sky", "Live For", "Pretty", and "Wanderlust". The album's production was primarily handled by DannyBoyStyles, the Weeknd himself and DaHeala, among others.
"Earned It", alternatively titled "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)", is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. The song was released as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey and was included on the Weeknd's second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015).
Fifty Shades of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the film of the same name adapted from E. L. James's eponymous novel that was released through Republic Records on February 10, 2015. It was the seventh best-selling album of 2015 with 2.2 million copies sold worldwide.
"The Hills" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on May 27, 2015, as the second single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was written by the Weeknd alongside producers Emmanuel "Mano" Nickerson and Illangelo, with Belly receiving additional writing credits.
"Can't Feel My Face" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was released on June 8, 2015, as the album's third single. It was written by Max Martin, Peter Svensson, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha and the Weeknd, and produced by Martin and Payami.
"Acquainted" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). It was sent to urban contemporary stations on November 17, 2015, by XO and Republic Records, serving as the album's fifth single. He wrote and produced the song with DaHeala, DannyBoyStyles, Illangelo, and Ben Billions.
"In the Night" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song was written by the Weeknd, Max Martin, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha, Peter Svensson, and Belly. Martin and Payami produced the song with co-production from the Weeknd. The song was serviced to contemporary hit radio through XO and Republic Records on November 17, 2015, as the album's fourth single.
"Prisoner" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, featuring American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, from the former's second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). They co-wrote the song with Illangelo, who co-produced it with the Weeknd. It is the first of the four collaborations between the two artists, being followed by "Party Monster", from the Weeknd's third studio album Starboy (2016).
"Stay" is a song by Norwegian DJ and record producer Kygo, featuring American singer Maty Noyes. The song was produced by Kygo with fellow Norwegian, William Wiik Larsen, who also wrote it with Noyes. It was released as the fourth single from Kygo's debut studio album, Cloud Nine (2016). An official music video for the song was released on 18 February 2016.
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is the second studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 2, 2016, through Grand Hustle Records and distributed by Epic Records. It exclusively premiered through Travis Scott and Chase B's radio show Wav Radio on Beats 1 and Apple Music. The album features guest appearances from André 3000, Blac Youngsta, Kid Cudi, Nav, 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, Bryson Tiller, Young Thug, Quavo, K. Forest, and the Weeknd. Production was handled by a number of record producers, including Nav, Vinylz, Mike Dean, Cardo, Frank Dukes, Allen Ritter, and Murda Beatz, among others.
Starboy is the third studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, released on November 25, 2016, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. As the album's executive producers, the Weeknd and Doc McKinney enlisted a variety of producers such as Diplo, Cashmere Cat, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Labrinth, among others.
"Starboy" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd featuring the French electronic duo Daft Punk. It was released on September 21, 2016, through XO and Republic Records, as the lead single from his third studio album of the same name (2016). The artists wrote and produced the song with Doc McKinney and Henry "Cirkut" Walter, with Jason "DaHeala" Quenneville receiving additional credits. It is an R&B and electropop song that reflects themes of extravagance and celebrity life.
"Stargirl Interlude" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd featuring American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Dubbed as an "interlude", the track comes from the Weeknd's third studio album, Starboy (2016). The track's title itself is a direct reference to the album's titular character, Starboy, with the lyrics focusing in on a female counterpart, named Stargirl. The song was written by the two artists alongside producers Martin "Doc" McKinney and Labrinth.
Luv Is Rage 2 is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Lil Uzi Vert. It was released through Generation Now and Atlantic Records on August 25, 2017. The album features guest appearances from The Weeknd, Oh Wonder, and Pharrell Williams. Production was handled by a variety of record producers, including Lil Uzi Vert themself, Cubeatz, Don Cannon, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Illmind, Maaly Raw, Metro Boomin, Pharrell Williams, The Weeknd, Pi'erre Bourne, TM88, WondaGurl, and among others. The album serves as a successor to their third extended play, Luv Is Rage 1.5 (2017), and their debut commercial mixtape, Luv Is Rage (2015). Luv Is Rage 2 was supported by three singles: "XO Tour Llif3", "The Way Life Goes" and "Sauce It Up".
My Dear Melancholy is the debut extended play by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on March 30, 2018, through XO and Republic Records. Primarily produced by Frank Dukes, who serves as an executive producer alongside the Weeknd, it features contributions from Gesaffelstein, as well as Mike Will Made It, DaHeala, Skrillex and Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, among others.
After Hours is the fourth studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on March 20, 2020 by XO and Republic Records. Primarily produced by the Weeknd, it features a variety of producers, including DaHeala, Illangelo, Max Martin, Metro Boomin, and OPN, most of whom the Weeknd had worked with previously. The standard edition of the album has no features, but the deluxe edition features Ariana Grande and the remixes edition contains guest appearances from Chromatics and Lil Uzi Vert. Thematically, After Hours explores loneliness, self-loathing, and escapism.
The Highlights is the second greatest hits album, and first one released globally, by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on February 5, 2021, and follows the release of his fourth studio album After Hours (2020) and his first greatest hits album The Weeknd in Japan (2018). It was released in anticipation of his performance at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.
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