It doesn't feel like it's been all that long since Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) emerged into the music world back at the beginning of the new decade. His distinct sound paired shadowy, intense electronic production with his own divine vocals harboring darkly provocative, drugged-out lyrics. By releasing three highly acclaimed mixtapes that were later accumulated into a compilation album called Trilogy, Abel became one of the biggest new forces in the world of R&B. About two years ago, Abel released his debut album, Kiss Land, which was a strong project, but it still felt like a less-enticing continuation of his projects that came before. Now, however, he's returned with Beauty Behind the Madness, which is undoubtedly his biggest, most complete project yet. Although it's technically his sophomore release, it certainly feels like his debut, and that's because it shows his music in a more polished and widely appealing light than ever before. We're hearing The Weeknd break free from his previous sound on the new work here, opting to foray into crisper, cleaner, and more easily agreeable realms. Even with his past popularity, he's never actually exported a radio-ready hit, but now, with funk-infused "Can't Feel My Face", orchestral "Earned It", and Michael-Jackson-esque new track "In The Night", he's accomplished that without a doubt. Although there are songs here that sound like they could fit right into one of his old mixtapes ("The Hills", "Acquainted", and perhaps the Lana Del Rey-assisted "Prisoner"), even these cuts feel more refined. Perhaps the most remarkable track on the album is "Tell Your Friends", which sees The Weeknd take on a relaxed instrumental of warm piano chords and a laid-back drum kit to boot. In Beauty Behind the Madness, it's true that The Weeknd departs a bit from the sound that his die-hard fans have grown to love; however, in order to cement himself as a truly significant artist in a broader public sphere, Beauty Behind the Madness simply had to go through. Fortunately for him and all of his support, it did so with unquestionable success. Listen to the full album on Apple Music and/or buy a copy of it on iTunes now.

Written by Cole Ryan