My Dear Melancholy
| The Weeknd
My Dear Melancholy
My Dear Melancholy, is the first extended play (EP) by Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd. It has been referred to alternatively as an album and a mini-album, with the project's liner notes simply describing it as an "official studio recording". It was released on March 30, 2018, by XO and Republic Records. Primarily produced by Frank Dukes, who serves as an executive producer alongside The Weeknd, it features contributions from Gesaffelstein, as well as Mike Will Made It, DaHeala, Skrillex and Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, among others. The project has been described as a return to the darker style of The Weeknd's earlier work, such as Trilogy and Kiss Land and focuses on the Weeknd's past relationships with model Bella Hadid and singer Selena Gomez. The EP was supported by the lead single, "Call Out My Name". My Dear Melancholy, received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
The Weeknd’s new six-song album finds him in limbo between the bleary-eyed vibe of his early mixtapes and the bulletproof pop stylings of his last two albums.
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Rolling Stone
Abel Tesfaye’s latest recalls his earlier, darker work and finds a new level of honest romantic affliction
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Hot New Hip Hop
"My Dear Melancholy," bills itself as "House of Balloons Pt. 2" but is instead an investigation into whether The Weeknd has any business catching feelings.
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High Snobriety
It is a much-needed reminder of his well-honed talent.
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The Guardian
Features ghostly and gorgeous production but lyrics that are suffocatingly solipsistic
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NME
The disco-damaged R&B lothario returns to his roots on this sporadically thrilling six-track EP
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Pop Matters
My Dear Melancholy exposes two problematic paths for the Weeknd's music
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The 405
My Dear Melancholy is a promising output
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Variety
“My Dear Melancholy,” feels more like a transition
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DJ Booth
While My Dear Melancholy, is The Weeknd’s shortest project to date, there’s a lot to like in the ephemeral EP.
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Spin
The Weeknd’s My Dear Melancholy, Is Just the Same Old Blues
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Vulture
My Dear Melancholy shoots quickly and directly
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Consequence of Sound
Abel Tesfaye sounds distant and non-committed on his latest batch of songs
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The Daily Nexus
The work as a whole seems to reflect his inner quarrel between grief and love
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The Globe and Mail
My Dear Melancholy, a return to The Weeknd’s murky, mysterious works
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Spectrum Culture
The music is more gloom than glitz.
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Atwood Magazine
The Weeknd’s My Dear Melancholy, breaks the vulnerability barrier with Trilogy-inspired tracks of lost-love and personal devastation.
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University Observer
With a hint of vulnerability, the Weeknd is back.
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The Daily
“My Dear Melancholy,” beautifully captures the torrents of emotion that follow a harrowing breakup.
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Her Campus
There isn’t one part of the project where I don’t feel like I’m listening to anything short of a masterpiece.
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Hip Hop DX
The lack of innovation doesn’t seem to take away from the concise, focused, conceptual nature of this well-produced R&B gem
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Affinity Magazine
The Weeknd makes almost all of the 21 minutes worth it.
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Soul Feeder
You can finally listen to The Weeknd without feeling into a giant shopping mall.
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Star2
A return to his gloomy minor-key roots.
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First Post
It's more of a personal project rather than a release rooted in attaining commercial success or scoring chart hits.
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Stereo Gum
It’s Tesfaye’s miniature tabloid opus
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Sputnik Music
Truthfully, whilst it all goes some ways towards making My Dear Melancholy, one of the better and more meaningful albums to come from The Weeknd on a major label, it has an overwhelming tendency to feel completely discomfiting and trite.
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The Collegian
‘My Dear Melancholy’ is some of The Weeknd’s best work
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The Young Folks
My Dear Melancholy, is probably his least ambitious record to date.
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Now Toronto
The Toronto R&B superstar (mostly) trades misanthropy for vulnerability on his latest release, a bland collection of breakup songs
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The Hoya
Characterized by moody beats and pained crooning.
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Daily Lobo
The Weeknd tightens up and changes tone on "My Dear Melancholy,
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The Breeze
The Weeknd's 'My Dear Melancholy' recaptures his dark side
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The Sentry
Tesfaye has unapologetically shown his audiences another side of himself.
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Ocolly
Meets its mark of a drawn out, dark Alternative-R&B sound that was (and maybe still is) the hallmark of Abel Tesfaye.
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NPR
The EP operates like the soundtrack to a fuzzy, lovesick and ill-advised Ambien trip.
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The Student Playlist
'My Dear Melancholy' sees Abel Tesfaye leaning a little more towards his origins and away from the fanbase-splitting 'Starboy'.
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Erie Reader
My Dear Melancholy is the rarest form of fan service that actually incorporates the artist's past just as well as their present, revealing thrilling opportunities for the future.
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Exclaim
The EP adds yet enough layer of complexity to an already diverse discography
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Earbuddy
This EP is kind of pointless.
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We Plug Good Music
The Weeknd knows how to target his fans through his heart-breaking lyrics and doesn’t hold back either.
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Exeposè
Tesfaye firmly returns to the dark, beautifully gloomy sound that saw him redefine the R&B genre at the start of this decade.
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Vidette Online
His power resides in his ability to tug at a listener’s heart-strings.
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Epigram
significant enough to be remembered as having the complete, lasting effect of a full studio album.
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Immortal Reviews
It's minimal and not overbearing, feeling intimate and very raw, which suits his style perfectly.
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Chicago Tribune
Make sure you listen with a tissue box in hand.
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McGill Tribune
The songs feature excellent production, and Tesfaye’s trademark vocals don’t disappoint, despite the problematic lyrics.
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Los Angeles Times
Early Weeknd prioritized vibe over melody and storytelling. But here he draws vivid dramatic scenes...
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Crossfader
Allows me to once again appreciate and respect The Weeknd’s niche in the hip hop community
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The Chimes
This EP is laced with heartache, sadness and piping hot tea.
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Fourth Estate
It’s safe to say that the Weeknd is entering a new chapter in his career, one where he keeps making and releasing music of this caliber.
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Mandalay Social Club
Abel went back to his roots yet still exhibited a tremendous growth.
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It Djents
This is beautifully damaged music, worth your time if you’re not turned off by the subject matter and crave something catchy and raw.
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Metal Lifestyle
What My Dear Melancholy, lacks in ambition it makes up for in incredibly consistent songs.
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Daily Trojan
“My Dear Melancholy,” is undoubtedly a project for the fans, but it lacks the fire and songwriting prowess to stimulate a larger and more diverse audience.
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Rubicon
Tesfaye has proved he has the lyricism and vocals to take listeners on a bus of emotions with him
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Nevada Sage Brush
The songs aren’t immediately catchy, but they insidiously creep into your DNA.
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The Tufts Daily
The Weeknd has married the aesthetic of “Trilogy” (2012) to the accessible melodies and lovelorn lyrics akin to newer releases.
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Amherst Wire
“My Dear Melancholy” is a near-perfect blend of old and new Weeknd.
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CoogRadio.com
The Weeknd is back with a 6-track project titled My Dear Melancholy. It’s not exactly Wicked Games era, but it’s so good we can only hope that a longer 15-track album follows shortly.
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Surviving the Golden Age
This project in its entirety feels skippable.
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USD Student Media
The glory seems just short of being recaptured...
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34th Street
Although revealing, he failed to break new ground with this album.
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The Signal
Overall, the project is a good dose of The Weeknd to hold fans over until he comes out with a more developed studio album.
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The Quinnipiac Chronicle
The subdued nature of “My Dear Melancholy,” doesn’t undercut from the concise and focused nature of the R&B production.
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Medium
This is one of those records you listen to at 2am in your car, driving on the freeway, and crying with the windows down.
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The West Georgian
All in all this album is wonderfully nostalgic.
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KSSU
Every song delivers a hit...
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The Yale Herald
I applaud the honesty with which he confronts these tensions while working within the musical style for which he is known — lazy, sultry music...
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Acid Stag
The synergy of all six tracks is perfect.
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Unherd
And as My Dear Melancholy, dives back into Tesfaye’s familiar pre-pop world, its offerings will certainly satisfy those who missed that older era.
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Sound Digest
The music is relatable and an immaculate display sentiment.
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Teen Ink
An absolute must listen
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The Little Hawk
The Weeknd is back and better than ever.
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Sacred Exile
This album shines darkly...
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mxdwn
The true merit of the album lies in its production value.
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103.3 WZND
The Weeknd is known for putting out different sounds on each project, but I do not think he lived up to that with My Dear Melancholy.
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The Perfect Tempo
Some of The Weeknd’s best material to date.
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Press Play OK
The Weeknd might finally justify his star status once and for all.
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Kettle
The Weeknd has not failed to deliver.
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Earthings
For every “Wasted Times” which strikes the balance nicely there’s a “Hurt You” that you force yourself to sit through.
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Hey Nineteen
More fodder for the ‘Chill’ playlist on your Spotify that is intended for anything but.
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411 Mania
An essential departure point in The Weeknd’s once one-dimensional story.
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Vashtie
Sensual and satisfying in both the lyricism and production, the Weeknd paints sorrow into aesthetic poetry.
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A Bit of Pop Music
The Weeknd dropped a perfectly consistent and coherent body of work that is a welcome addition to his discography.
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The Collegio
“My Dear Melancholy” is a step in the right direction.
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Spectrum Pulse
Only recommended to diehard fans.
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Cliche
A nice breath of fresh air...
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Phaze
The Weeknd takes listeners back to the sound of 2011, but with an experience of heartbreak and maturity that anyone can relate to.
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AXS
Melancholy eschews the pop of Starboy for industrial hip-hop beats and electronica-tinged R&B.
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SofloSound
The pros slightly outweigh the cons, but the consistency throughout is lacking.
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Sunday Times
The Weeknd that his Day One fans missed while he was off being fabulous has returned with an EP worthy of the legend
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London Club Nights
The Weeknd is back and better than ever.
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Digital Diamond
This album is much more than just a breakup album
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The Collegian
Not one of the songs feels out of place...
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