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Sophomore slumps are more than alliterations.

When a rookie releases his/her first project they are concealed by a cloak of anonymity. Creativity is allotted free run of the mind and artists are often most hungry for success – plus the novelty of hearing their song on the radio (or even blasting from a set of speakers other than their own) has not worn off.

It’s fitting that Drake would refer to The Weeknd as a “voice” (see my ’2^nd Annual OVO Fest Highlights’ – the last couple minutes of part 5 for visual evidence). When the “young man’s” songs sporadically sprouted up on Youtube he was just that, a voice – convincing us that this aural infatuation is ‘What [We] Need‘. Whether a premeditated marketing tactic or simply stylized minimalism – not a single photo of the singer was available – leading fans to only assume the identity of the voice.

I must admit, it was refreshing to watch a buzz grow off the strength of music quality as opposed to the overexposed physical appearance of the musician.

But ofcourse, all that was black and white is now color (literally, the debut mixtape, ‘House of Balloons‘ featured a greyscale cover this one’s printed RGB).

We’ve become use to his face, the mystery has faded.

With notoriety and an endorsement from, arguably the most popular (certainly in our city) musician – the expectations are running high for The Weeknd. Yet there’s no telling if he feels the pressure – his M.O. is one of indifference.

With lyrics that paint a portrait of over-indulgence, substance abuse and addiction – only time will tell if fame is the only drug he can’t handle.