Album Review: The Weeknd - Trilogy

If The Weeknd has already given us House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes Of Silence for free, why, we might ask, should we be buying Trilogy? Don't we already own these songs? Yes, and no. Yes, 27 of the 30 tracks you get with Trilogy are already safely tucked away in your music library. No, you don't (yet) own Twenty Eight, Valerie, or Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun). That's not the important conversation, so let's get it out of the way; so much of the joy you'll have listening to Trilogy is an echo of the joy you have already had listening to its component parts. If you're paying for three more songs, skip this.

But, by gee, it is tough to fault a release with so much excellence. High For This is as thrilling a way to open a record now as it was nearly two years ago. The Birds Pt. 1 stands as a beacon to other artists; a show of the magic that can happen when you think critically about your drums. D.D. is still the compelling cover of Dirty Diana it was when we first heard it. Loft Music is untouchable as one of the best songs there has ever been. Ever. And then there's The Knowing with Life Of The Party just around the corner. It's intoxicating. Hypnotic. Immersive. Haunting. Impossible.

So much excellence, but where does this leave Trilogy? Well, if you missed The Weeknd's mixtapes, you ought to join the party, urgently. If you've got the tapes, you've heard the best. There's nothing new of note here, just a chance to renew your vows.