As someone who ranks Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as one of the greatest albums to ever be recorded, I was thoroughly captivated upon discovering The Weeknd in 2011. He was a small-scale R&B artist from Toronto, with a sound that could only be described as nightmarishly entrancing. In addition, his voice appeared to be nearly identical to Jackson's. As I delved deeper into this newfound music, I came across a mixtape, "House of Balloons," and it was like nothing I had ever heard before. He painted vivid pictures of drug-fueled, meaningless relationships, as well as self-isolation and retreat into his own mind. The content was undoubtedly dark and ominous, but I simply didn't care; frankly, I enjoyed it. Like the drugs that he spoke of in his music, I was hooked.
Fast forward to 2017, The Weeknd is a worldwide sensation. With three mixtapes, four studio albums, six headlining tours, and three chart-topping singles under his belt (so far), he's clearly gone above and beyond merely making a name for himself. Through the years, he has monumentally grown as an artist, flourishing into a musical icon with boundless potential.
Having watched The Weeknd progress to from the shadows to stardom made assembling this list agonizingly difficult, but alas, here you have it; The Weeknd's top 10 greatest tracks.
10. Initiation
"Don't mind all my writings on the wall."
9. A Lonely Night
"Why would you want to bring something between us? There's nothing between us."
8. Adaptation
"Now my madness is the only love I let myself embrace."
7. The Morning
"The higher that I climb, the harder I'mma drop."
6. The Zone (featuring Drake)
"I don't want to die tonight baby, so let me sip this slow."
5. High For This
"Open your hand, take a glass. Don't be scared, I'm right here."
4. D.D. (Dirty Diana)
"She says there's no turning back, she trapped me in her heart."
3. Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)
"Unlike you, I got nothing to hide. I don't pretend to have any shame."
2. The Party & The After Party
"They don't want my love. They just want my potential."
1. Rolling Stone
"I hope I'm not different, and I hope you'll still listen."