The Alternative/R&B 22-year-old artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is based out of Toronto. Although he has been a mysterious character, The Weeknd gained fame with the release of his first album, "House of Balloons." His claim to fame can be attributed to popular rap artist Drake and his crew. The artist and crew were given mass support through online mediums such as Twitter, causing The Weeknd to explode onto the music scene. In August, he made several appearances on Drake’s album, "Take Care."

“Crew Love” (a track he was featured on) reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Chart. A few months later, The Weeknd appeared on Wiz Khalifa’s song, “Remember You.” Since, he has been featured in Rolling Stone magazine, on MTV news and more. His new album has already reached the US charts with “Wicked Games,” a track off the first part of the album.

The album is a good mix of Alternative and R&B with heavy use of the synthesizer, but introduces more classic rock-based instruments such as the guitar, drums and tambourine in just enough tracks to mix it up. 

"The Trilogy" is infused with dub-step club beats and a heavy bass line overlaid with fleeting falsetto and talk rap. The lyrics host a nihilistic attitude where in every case, no one is ultimately happy. Overcome with a constant sense of discontentment and complacency, The Weeknd creates a twist of anecdotes to unearth every murky truth from the depths of human nature. 

From luxury, to lust, to love, The Weeknd tells a tale of addiction to desire. He narrates the fragility of sugar-cased luxury and chronicles the fall from the high to compensate heartache where love was inexplicably thrown away. It’s a three-part story about him, about others, but ultimately about you.

Listeners will also like: Trey Songz, Drake, Frank Ocean, Wiz Kalifa and Chris Brown

Rating: 4 out of 5