It’s finally here. After teasing the album by releasing several hit singles throughout the summer, Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, has officially released his second studio album: Beauty Behind the Madness. The album features guest appearances from Ed Sheeran, Lana del Rey, Labrinth, Kanye West, and more. With hit records like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Often”, this was one of the most highly anticipated projects of the year. Now with a wave of momentum to his advantage and the public yearning to listen to the album, let’s see if the hype was worth while.

Born in Scarborough, Canada, The Weeknd first stepped into the music industry in 2011 with his first mixtape, House of Balloons. With the release of this mixtape, The Weeknd established his own sound: dark, mysterious R&B. This project received rave reviews, earning a rating of 87/100 from Metacritic. Following this release, The Weeknd added two more mixtapes to his collection within the year: Thursday and Echoes of Silence. His fanbase began growing, and the release of his first studio album was inevitable. Kiss Land, his debut studio album, was released in September 2013, and for the most part wasn’t positively received by critics. The project received mixed reviews and the general consensus was average. The Weeknd didn’t let this faze him though, and he began recording Beauty Behind The Madness just a month later. The two year process came to fruition on August 28, 2015 when the album was released.

In the album, The Weeknd explores the topics of fame, family advice, dream chasing, the lifestyle of a mainstream artist, drug addiction, relationships, childhood abuse, and more. A track that really grabbed my attention was “Tell Your Friends”. With great production by Kanye West, The Weeknd holds nothing back. Whether he’s talking about the women he’s been with or chasing fame, he had nothing to hide. Another song that interested me was “The Hills”. If you’ve listened to The Weeknd before, you know he likes to make music based his relations with women. Unsurprisingly, the beat was off the hook and his ability to create a chorus you can sing along to rendered this song as a hit.

This album was destined for commercial success, and according to HDD has officially sold 415,236 units, plus streaming, in its first week. Compared to the 95,000 units (according to Complex) his previous album Kiss Land sold in its first week, The Weeknd’s journey into stardom has been worthwhile.

Below is a compilation track consisting of short samples of songs from the album, via The Weeknd’s official SoundCloud page.

Overall, The Weeknd delivered with this project. With exceptional production and The Weeknd’s ability to tell a story in his music, I feel safe giving this album a rating of 8.5/10. This album isn’t perfect, but The Weeknd provided us with a great listen that can be considered as an Album of the Year candidate.