16. Starry Eyes
Favourite Lyric: And you can kick me, kick me to the curb, it’s okay baby, I promise that I felt worse
The fact that this is the weakest song on the album makes everything else sound amazing, as the lyrics are still heartfelt and climactic, similar in ways to Call Out My Name from My Dear Melancholy. Unfortunately, Starry Eyes doesn’t have the same heart-pounding, almost overwhelming melodies and beat drops that Call Out My Name has that makes it so enthralling.
15. Don’t Break My Heart
Favourite lyric: I see you drowning in the purple lights, diamonds shinin’ bright
Don’t Break My Heart is that song that could have easily been an upbeat track after an array of slow tempo tunes, but Abel decided to give it a tune with major similarities to Starry Eyes. Lyrics-wise, however, the first verse is compelling and a classic The Weeknd description.
14. Is There Someone Else?
Favourite lyric: And I don’t want to be a prisoner to who I used to be
The long note silky vocals are what persuaded me to put this song higher than the last two, but even at the second listen I found the melodies and lyrics pretty similar in terms of value. Now on the third listen I am questioning my sanity as to why I put it so far down on the list earlier today, yet am still not prepared to put it ahead of Phantom Regret By Jim.
13. Phantom Regret By Jim
Favourite lyric: All spectres are haunted by their own lack of trust
There’s no doubt I was intrigued by Jim Carrey’s anticipated appearance on Dawn FM, but I can’t say that spoken songs are my favourite. Besides the odd lyric, I don’t think Phantom Regret By Jim contributes much to the album. My favourite lyric above is great and memorable in a one-hit-wonder way, but I personally find the other narrative tracks on the album much more interesting.
12. Out Of Time
Favourite lyric: You begged me with your drowning eyes to stay
Probably the most jazz-like song on the album, Out Of Time is a slow burner to say the least. It’s not as if Abel hasn’t explored this sound before however, what with True Colors from Starboy – another song that took me a while to like – having a blues ambience to it.
11. Dawn FM
Favourite lyric: Make me believe in make-beliefs
Dawn FM is an undeniable great entrance to the album, automatically introducing us to the galactic instrumentals and spoken verses we hear on the next few tracks. Even so, Abel still stays true to the gritty melodies displayed on Trilogy in this song – reassuring his fans that his sound hasn’t completely changed, just developed.
10. Every Angel Is Terrifying
Favourite lyric: Technically and visually stunning, a compelling work of science-fiction
As I’m writing this I’m still unsure as to whether I placed this song correctly, but what drew me to Every Angel Is Terrifying was the expansive variety of adjectives like Provocative, Edgy, Thought-Provoking that were spoken in a dramatic, exciting way, alongside other lyrics that could take you days to analyse or even just understand.
9. A Tale By Quincy
Favourite lyric: If you weren’t raised, you don’t know how to raise, you know?
It looks as if The Weeknd has taken a leaf out of fellow collaborators Daft Punk’s book for this song, who produced the track Giorgio by Moroder which also contains a famous producer telling his life story over a soothing R&B track. Either way, I’m in firm belief that this is the best narrated track on the album, with perhaps the best lyrics too.
8. Gasoline
Favourite lyric: I’m dozing off to R.E.M, I’m trying not to lose my faith
Whilst it didn’t make my top 5, I can confidently admit that Gasoline clearly has the best chorus on the album, with velvet vocals and majestic melodies especially in lines like You spin me ’round so I can breathe. In fact I have no reason to put it halfway through my list, I just happen to enjoy the tracks below a little more.
7. I Heard You’re Married (feat. Lil Wayne)
Favourite lyric: And I know this is a fling, but you’re hidin’ someone’s ring
Here I present you the song that could just about be on any Abel album, therefore being the least surprising track. A relaxing, R&B break was just what I needed after the three tracks before this (that I was really undecided on).
6. Best Friends
Favourite lyric: Oh I love it when we climax, and I would never burn you, I could never hurt you
When I listened to this song for the second time last night, I would have put it at least at number 10. With a messy tune and chorus I’m still trying to find, I was convinced this would be a song I’d skip. Instead I grew to like the careless composition and overall disorganisation of the song, and have now added it to one of my many playlists.
5. Here We Go…Again (feat. Tyler, The Creator)
Favourite lyric: The city dark, city dangerous, your girlfriend’s tryna pair you with somebody more famous
The most After Hours themed track made it quite high up on my ranking, mainly for it’s cascading lyrics that are addictive even on the rap. On the other hand, I couldn’t tell if the rap just didn’t match the verses, or if the transition from verse to rap was poorly executed.
4. Sacrifice
Favourite lyric: So this life’s always with me, the ice inside my veins will never leave
It’s undeniable that this song has the most catchy beat on the album, and I’ve never heard anyone born post-80s produce such an 80s sound. Although unlike the top three, the tune becomes a little repetitive after a few listens and I realised the pre-chorus outshines the chorus.
3. How Do I Make You Love Me?
Favourite lyric: But I can light you up again, like embers of a fire
Initially How Do I Make You Love Me? was my favourite track, but after taking a few more listens it slightly slipped to third place due to Less Than Zero rapidly growing on me and overall realising that Take My Breath is a fantastic lead single. And like Sacrifice, the pre-chorus is what makes the song.
2. Take My Breath
Favourite lyric: It’s like a dream, what she feels with me, she loves to be on the edge
It seems as if Abel has picked two of the best songs as singles so far, with the better of the two being the lead. I was unsure from the release of Take My Breath whether any song could suit his adaptable vocals any better or top the fierce build up to the chorus, and it looks as if only one song has managed to do that.
1. Less Than Zero
Favourite lyric: I try to hide it but I know you know me, I try to fight it but I’d rather be free
Being the Die For You of Dawn FM, it’s no surprise that Less Than Zero is a fan favourite. With an ABBA atmosphere and Pop single written all over it, the song sounds as if it would play at the end of a coming-of-age film.