by Jackson Hongtong ’21

The Weeknd recently came out with “My Dear Melancholy,” an extended playlist with six songs. The Weeknd’s most recent work ‘were songs on the recent “Black Panther” album and his solo album hit, “Starboy,” which went double platinum. The new EP is mostly about Selena Gomez, his ex-girlfriend, who broke up with him recently. The playlist contains the same chill and heartfelt vibe like most of his older material. Some listeners are rather disappointed with the lack of exhilarating and uptempo songs within “My Dear Melancholy,” however, true fans should appreciate the album and understand the songs and their meanings. 

The biggest hit so far from the EP is the first song, “Call Out My Name,” which has been on the charts ever since it came out. It starts out slow, and builds to a strong and powerful chorus. The majority of the song is directed towards Gomez, which is addressed throughout the rest of the EP. He says, “I put you on top,” and “I claimed you so proud and openly.” These, along with other lyrics, show what he believes he did and what happened from his perspective in the relationship.

Other exceptional songs on the EP include “Try me,” “Wasted Times,” and “Hurt you,” featuring Gesaffelstein who appears on two songs. These songs give fans a familiar Weeknd that everyone is used to and loves. They all contain good beats and flows that catch the audience’s ears.

“Privilege,” and “I was never there,” also featuring Gesaffelstein, are rather underwhelming compared to the rest of the EP due to the similarity of vibes and previous songs from The Weeknd.

“My Dear Melancholy,” has received decent reviews and ratings but not as favorable compared to The Weeknd’s previous works. The album delivers on a few songs but hopefully The Weeknd can bounce off of this album and give us fans something new to be excited about and look forward to.