The Weeknd faced the spotlight during his February 2021 Super Bowl performance. Ah yes, the show that led to the circulation of viral memes across social media…

The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye, the popstar-BOY (pardon the pun), has evolved from an enigmatic man who would never show his face to now an omnipresent one. Abel transformed himself into a pop star. He experimented with different sounds and genres such as pop and dance, collaborating with the likes of Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, and more. Throughout his career, Abel has showcased his versatility; from using his dark R&B sound when singing about lustful and drug induced rendezvous, to then rapping with artists such as Future, and singing in Spanish with the well-known Colombian singer Maluma. His rise can be symbolised through his album, ‘After Hours’, which broke the Apple Music record for most pre-saves of an album!

In 2011, The Weeknd dropped the mixtape, ‘House of Balloons’, which shared his stories of: wild parties and afterparties, strip club experiences and sexual escapades. Abel set the tone of the album with the attention-grabbing lyric, ‘you don’t know what’s in store’. This lyric has a double entendre; it alludes to a drug experience, whilst alternatively acting as a metaphor to the listeners who do not know what to anticipate from his music, thus showcasing The Weeknd’s musical forte of escapism. This theme of escapism was also reflected in his Super Bowl performance as viewers were able to vicariously live in his chaotic world.

Abel’s Super Bowl set entailed the artist’s greatest hits, celebrating a decade of his dark R&B sound delving into the mainstream. The set adopted the Lost in Vegas theme from the ‘After Hours’ music videos. The Weeknd incorporated 9 songs in his 14-minute set. His set initiated with his hit song Starboy which then escalated into The Hills, with the choir arrangement elevating the sinister sound of the latter. Soon, Abel was accompanied by a swarm of lookalike dancers in red jackets and face bandages, reconstructing the ‘After Hours’ vibe and persona. The dancers bounced against each other in an eerie hall of mirrors during Can’t Feel My Face, an exhilarating aura which reminded me of The Joker. Following this, The Weeknd performed his 50 Shades of Grey track, Earned It, featuring the heavy sound of violins among the background choir which helped to establish a smooth sexy mood. This transitioned to the early House of Balloons anthem with a military twist, where we see a flash mob of The Weeknd’s dancers marching.

Prior to the performance, Abel spoke to Variety about the symbolism behind the head bandages worn by his backup dancers. It was noted that the bandages echo the toxic Hollywood celebrity culture that manifests in people changing themselves in order to impress others. Abel also confirmed that the music videos in the ‘After Hours’ era reflect the character’s journey which escalates into intensified levels of danger. Abel’s ‘After Hours’ era is dark and iconic, almost reminiscent of his ‘Trilogy’ era. Yet, the songs on ‘After Hours’ adopt ‘80s synth and pop beats which are combined with dark and heartfelt lyrics.

The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance faced complaints from people who expected bigger things, pointing out how Katy Perry once rode in on a CGI lion. I strongly feel that demands for the same level of stunts from every Super Bowl performer only conveys a misconstrue of musical art. The Weeknd is an epitome for what has been depleted from Hollywood culture. His performance intended to be provocative and was not supposed to be for everyone. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed The Weeknd’s performance. What stood out to me the most was the smooth and jaw-dropping transition from House of Balloons to the TikTok hit song Blinding Lights. Considering the circumstances this year, he put on quite the show.

Link to my original article: https://media.lsu.co.uk/?p=44774

Music speaks to us in a rather compelling way. Music artists can convey their personal life in their songs and take their listeners on a journey. This is exactly what Streatham-born 21-year-old UK rapper, David Orabosa Omoregie, aka Dave, portrays through his music. March 2021 marks the two-year anniversary of ‘Psychodrama’, the debut album from Dave.

‘Psychodrama’ is a concept album illustrating Dave’s exceptional storytelling. A body of work that is not full of head-bopping hits but rather, one which requires the listener’s undivided attention so that they comprehend the significant messages. Dave’s vulnerability is presented in this album; he articulates his struggles and successes, his pain and comfort, his blessings and lessons & joys and grief. He explained how this album is influenced by the therapy sessions that took place for Dave’s older brother in prison. What makes ‘Psychodrama’ stand out is its delicate use of piano rather than the conventional grime sound. In addition to this, ‘Psychodrama’ was strongly praised by critics and achieved a Mercury Prize and Brit Award for the Best Album.

In the opening track of ‘Psychodrama’, Psycho, Dave shares his mental health problems. Psycho introduces us to the first therapy session between Dave and a therapist, whose input we hear on other tracks such as Environment. The therapist notes Dave’s personal growth as the albums progresses. Psychodrama is a form of psychotherapy that uses role play and drama to heal from past experiences and traumas. Essentially, Dave invites his fans to this musical therapy session whereby Dave reflects on personal problems, racial oppression and domestic violence.

The third song on the album, Black, is the history lesson we were never taught in school. The British education system did not acknowledge Britain’s pivotal role in the perpetuation of anti-black racism. Black explores the uncomfortable realities that comes with being black. ‘The blacker the killer, the sweeter the news’; in this powerful line, Dave highlights the stereotypes that generalise black people as violent. The album intentionally only has a few features; Dave’s collaboration with J Hus on Disaster encompasses prideful lyrics. The more up-tempo song, Location, features Burna Boy; this song was arguably the summer anthem of 2019!

Moreover, the ninth song on the album, Lesley is powerful and emotive. The 11-minute track narrates the tragic story of a woman stuck in an abusive relationship with a man. As Dave states in this track, Lesley is ‘a message to a woman with a toxic man’. Dave is begging for them to ‘get support’ if they feel ‘lost or trapped’. He highlights his ability to empathise as he exclaims, ‘I understand that I can never understand and I ain’t saying that it’s easy, but it must be right’. The final track, Drama, features a phone call from Dave’s older brother Christopher. In the verse, Dave acknowledges his brother without the presence of a therapist. Dave vents his thoughts to Christopher like a therapy session. Drama mirrors the haunting production of the intro track Psycho. Both tracks are cohesive with each other; they fulfil the ‘Psychodrama’ story as they commence and conclude the album.

Overall, ‘Psychodrama’ is an iconic masterpiece that clearly demonstrates Dave’s impeccable writing prowess at such a young age. Dave comes across as a British version of J Cole, a young man trying to voice the injustices and problems he has witnessed around him. He was dedicated to creating an album that was a work of art rather than a typical album full of hits aimed for the charts. Dave is only getting started, and I am here for it! In the future, I hope to see Dave release more albums as extraordinary as ‘Psychodrama’. It would be great for him to experiment with slower R&B ballads like his track Purple Heart.

Psychodrama’ is all about the psychological hold that trauma has, which is an uncommon message in UK rap albums. Therefore, I hope to see more albums like ‘Psychodrama’ from UK rappers, predominantly covering dark emotional themes that provide food for thought. I expect Dave to pave the way for more rappers and encourage them to share experiences of sensitive matters such as racial oppression and mental health, which were deeply ingrained in ‘Psychodrama’.

Link to my original article: https://media.lsu.co.uk/?p=44804

2020 has been tough. The year began with bushfires in Australia and then we were faced with the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Towards the end of May, George Floyd was murdered while he was in US police custody in Minneapolis. This was caught on video. There have been many more recent cases of racial injustice towards black people, which in turn sparked many protests around the world. Unfortunately, racial injustice and oppression is STILL ongoing. The racial injustices that have occurred this year have made us reflect more about white supremacy and white privilege. It has also led to peaceful protests, thus highlighting the importance of social solidarity. To combat injustice, we must work together and use our voices. 

Sadly, the lockdown has meant that domestic violence increased globally. There has also been a large increase in anxiety and depression for many individuals. People who were already dealing with depression might be feeling even more depressed due to the social isolation. This might indicate the need for more mental health awareness in our society.

Perhaps, this year could change the way we treat each other. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, it was easy to act in self-interest, without considering the needs of others. This year has given us a better understanding of the significance of public health. Due to the pandemic, people are more frequently washing their hands and wearing face masks. It has also been established that many job positions can effectively be done from home. Therefore, there might be more opportunities for remote and hybrid working. Perhaps 2020 is the year where we can try to change our attitudes and approaches towards climate change. 

Prior to the pandemic, many of us were ‘too busy’ to pay attention to the important things and people in our lives. We were constantly scrolling on our phones rather than paying attention to what was going around us. This year has given many of us the opportunity to reset. During April, I was able to slow down and get back into mindfulness. I have been able to read more books and listen to more podcasts. I can proudly say that I have reduced the screen time on my phone. I have realised how therapeutic phone detoxes can be. It’s refreshing to put your phone away for the day. Doing this can enhance productivity levels and make you more mindful about what is going on around you. 

While this year has been an absolute madness, I believe 2020 might have been the wake-up call that we all needed. 2020 has made us pay attention to what we have neglected. We MUST reflect on what we have learned. We MUST actively make changes.  2020 is NOT ‘cancelled’, as they say on Twitter. This year has simply highlighted that we must WAKE UP. We must stand together. We must evaluate our approaches towards important social, economic, environmental and political issues. Finally, we must prioritise our mental health and take care of ourselves.