LOST ARCHIVES: Forever Abel
How The Weeknd Surpassed Frank Ocean (Originally Published May 2023)
I wrote this piece back in 2023 reflecting on my experience as a Weeknd fan in contrast to my experience as a Frank Ocean fan. I’m currently writing a review of Abel Tesfaye’s last tour as the Weeknd. I wanted to share this old piece before that review comes out.
Intro
It's a hot night in August. The stadium is awash with bright lights flickering like stars. Abel breaks the silence of the crowd “I’ll always be less than zero!” This is the last song on his After Hours till Dawn show. A million fans are singing along as their wristbands are flickering. This is how you end a stadium show. This is how you show up for your fans.
Last week I told you about the shit show at Coachella. I talked about how disappointed I was in “he who shall not be named”. No, not Voldemort; Frank Ocean. I know it's confusing since they both like playing with wands. Thinking about Frank reminded me of the artists that started the same time as him: Miguel and the Weeknd.
2011 was an interesting time for music, especially for R&B. R&B has a rocky past that peaked in the 90s. Everyone agrees that 90s R&B was stellar. Yet, ever since this golden era of R&B, people keep saying R&B is dead. 2011 started a new era of R&B music. Drake dropped Take Care his lauded sophomore album. Frank Ocean dropped Nostalgia Ultra and started a movement of intimate, hazy R&B music. Miguel released the Art Dealer Chic series, a modern reimagining of R&B pioneered by Prince. The Weeknd released three mixtapes of dark, angry R&B that would be later dubbed the Trilogy. R&B was alive and well in 2011.
2011: The R&B Mixtape Era
This will be part 2 in my series looking at these R&B artists who revived the genre in 2011; starting with the Weeknd. It's 2011, and the musical landscape looks very different. Drake was working on his anticipated sophomore album. Childish Gambino released his first studio album Camp.
Then out of nowhere, something fresh materialized in R&B music. It was a Childish Gambino interview where I first learned about House of Balloons. Childish recounted “I was in a boutique in LA and they were playing this angry R&B."
I heard that interview in April, right after Abel released his first mixtape of 2011. House of Balloons was the first time I heard the Weeknd. Yet, the hype around him had been building for months.
Drake's October's Very Own crew caught the Weeknd early. My guess is because Toronto's R&B scene was pretty small back in 2011. Drake’s manager Oliver posted the Weeknd's first single to the official OVO blog. Drake's cosign gave Abel the extra push he needed. It also started Drake & Abel's tumultuous relationship.
I don’t think Abel needed Drake’s cosign that much because he was hungry. I say that because in 2011 he dropped three mixtapes. Each mixtape in a different season, each mixtape with a different vibe. These mixtapes would later become The Trilogy and be the foundation of his music catalog. To this day, several Weeknd fans say Trilogy is still their favorite project. I disagree but the nostalgia makes sense.
The Trilogy Is Born…
In the spring, we received the House of Balloons mixtape. Late summer/ early fall we received the Thursday mixtape. In December, right in time for Christmas, we received the Echoes of Silence mixtape. Every die hard Weeknd fan knows this but looking back, I took it for granted in 2011.
It's easy for fans to become demanding of the artists they enjoy. We love their music and we want more. In hindsight, I’m grateful because the Weeknd poured out to us without hesitation. And that is the stark contrast between the Weeknd and Frank Ocean. Frank Ocean fans beg for music and receive silence, even disdain. Abel’s fans get regular drops of music.
In those early days, it was hard to see the Weeknd live because he played in small intimate venues. These venues are great for experiencing an artist but they have limited capacity. Abel fixed this on later tours because he played in stadiums. Stadiums allow all his fans to see him at various price ranges. Frank Ocean cannot compete with this because he has only done one full tour. Hence the hysteria around his failed Coachella appearance.
Soundtrack Gems
The Weeknd didn't stop releasing music after the Trilogy album. Since the trilogy, he has released five albums and one ep. Five albums! Frank Ocean's fans are still begging and pining for Frank’s third album. Well it's Frank's fourth album, Apple music subscribers can hear the songs on Endless. There's also the one off songs the Weeknd has done for film and tv soundtracks.
Many of these songs are average but a few of them are amazing. “Earned It” from the 50 Shade of Grey soundtrack is a bona fide classic that expanded Abel’s fan base to an older crowd. This song also showed his range to sing over more paired down instrumental beats. Abel was also on the song Power is Power created for the eighth season of Game of Thrones.
Power Is Power
While the final season of GoT disappointed, Power is Power did not. The Weeknd takes on the roles of Jon Snow then sings about the upcoming battle with the Night King. Abel captures Jon Snow’s lifelong struggle for justice in his verse.
[Verse 1]
I was born of the ice and snow
With the winter wolves, in the dark, alone
The wildest night, I became the one
And you'll know you're mine when the silence comes
[Chorus]
A knife in my heart
Couldn't slow me down (Couldn't slow me down)
'Cause power is power ('Cause power is power)
My fire never goes out
I rise from my scars
Nothing hurts me now (Nothing hurts me now)
'Cause power is power ('Cause power is power)
Now watch me burn it down
This is the point I want to emphasize: The Weeknd made amazing songs that average fans don't even know about.
This is where it gets controversial. The average Frank fan will say Frank makes better music so he doesn't need to release as much music. The old quality over quantity argument. I wish it applied here.
I admit Frank Ocean makes moving vulnerable music. I admit his music has shaped major moments of my life. The thing is, so has the Weeknd's music. And because Abel remains present he has had a bigger impact.
One Catalogue, Many Eras
The Weeknd has reinvented himself over the course of his five albums. He has taken bold risks and annoyed lots of fans by his changes in sound. His second album Beauty Behind The Madness saw him experiment with top 40 pop. Who doesn't remember "Can't Feel My Face"?
His next album Starboy went deeper into electronic music. Daft Punk produced the lead single for that album. They also produced the final track "I Feel It Coming".
On My Dear Melancholy, he took his music into the territory of industrial techno and synthpop. Unknown French producer Gesaffelstein brought his music back to its darker roots. He also worked with producer DaHeala, from his Kissland project.
After Hours saw him go deeper into synth pop and explore 80s influences even more. His massive hit blinding Lights is so popular because it captures a radio friendly 80s sound. On his most recent album Dawn FM, he made a full dance album.
Merch Master
It doesn't stop with the music. The Weeknd even does merch better! I have zero Frank Ocean merchandise and there's two reasons. It's always sold out or it's expensive. Frank Ocean likes expensive merch so much that he launched a luxury jewelry brand. “Don't worry guys & gals, I know all my t-shirts are gone, but you can buy a $1,000 dollar tennis bracelet.” Franks jewelry line is so expensive that Drake raps about it on his song Sticky. “Homer hanging on my neck. The bracelet matches the set”. If Drakes raps about it, it's not designed for people in my tax bracket.
Then there was the Blond magazine fiasco. Frank released limited edition magazines with his album Blond. They had articles, art, and commentary. They astonishing for the fans who got them. It was a limited release in major cities like NYC and London. You could buy them online but scalpers dominated that. I spent $100 for one of these magazines and never received it. I guess Frank Ocean has been disappointing me for years.
Here's the thing that several Frank Ocean fans have noticed: he loves exclusivity. Limited runs, limited releases, and exclusive drops. Exclusivity is cool for building hype. But, after being a fan for years, I wish I could buy merchandise without all the hassle.
This isn't a problem for the Weeknd. Abel will take as much money as I want to spend and he has a XXL t-shirt that fits. His team has a higher level of care. The Weeknd does anniversary releases. On the 10th anniversary of the Trilogy album he released a special merch line.
There were items commemorating each mixtape in his original Trilogy. This year he released a merch line for the five year anniversary of My Dear Melancholy. This allows new fans to get in on the action and it respects the nostalgia of longtime fans. Let's say you met your spouse right after the Thursday mixtape came out and it's part of the memory. Someone could buy merch from the anniversary line to honor a personal anniversary. It could be a stretch. Everyone isn't as sentimental as I am. Yet, the option isn't even there for Frank Ocean fans.
Being a Weeknd fan doesn't feel like torture. It doesn't feel like I’m neglected or abused. It feels good to hear music I love. It feels good to be able to see the artist I love live in concert on a regular basis. It's even better that I can afford the Weeknd's merchandise. I’ve never met the Weeknd but our relationship has real lasting potential.
♥️ Thank You
As always, I'm grateful you took the time to read. Send any feedback you have.
📝PS.
You should start your own newsletter. Youtuber Ali Abdaal inspired me to make the plunge.
Also the fastest way to find your tribe is put out content online.