The Weeknd’s New Album Inspired By Prince, Singer Can’t Help But Get Political Over #BlackLivesMatter

The Weeknd announced that he has a new album in the works that draws inspiration from the sounds of Prince, The Smiths, and Talking Heads in an interview with VMAN. He also discussed the Black Lives Matter movement and why he cancelled his performance on Jimmy Kimmel when he found out Donald Trump would be there.

The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye, spoke with VMAN about his new album that is in the works. The album will follow The Weeknd’s record-setting album, Beauty Behind The Madness.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKBZwAwhpIF/?taken-by=abelxo&hl=en

The Weeknd is out to prove that his success will not be short-lived. He has easily become one of the biggest names in music today.

“The production feels aggressive but still sexy. The Smiths, Bad Brains, Talking Heads, Prince, and DeBarge play roles.

“We wrote it all in Los Angeles. I think it’ll be the best-sounding album I’ve ever done. It’s hard to label the sound because, when I first came out, nobody would label it R&B.

“I just want to keep pushing the envelope without it feeling forced.”

The Weeknd credits a lot of his style and musical vibe to some cinematic influence as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ1zPN3hdxQ/?taken-by=abelxo&hl=en

He is inspired by movies like the 1984 film, Amadeus based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rivalry with another composer.

“David Lynch, alongside David Cronenberg, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese play a huge part in my brand, my looks, my sound, and my aesthetic.

“At one point, my hair looked like Eraserhead.”

Some of the influences that The Weeknd credited, like the Smiths and Prince, have been a part of his sound for a while now. The Weeknd’s sound can be described as a combination of disco-funk, pop classicism and futurism vibes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKBX3wCh-G1/?taken-by=abelxo&hl=en

The Weeknd plans to incorporate more of a hardcore punk and new wave feel into the mix of his new album.

The Weeknd also dove into some politics during the interview and discussed why he cancelled his performance on Jimmy Kimmel when he found out Donald Trump would appear in the same episode.

The singer spoke out on Twitter to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement.

enough is enough. it's time to stand up for this. we can either sit and watch, or do something about it. the time is now. #blacklivesmatter

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) July 7, 2016

The singer told VMAN that he broke a promise to himself when he let politics get in the way of the music.

“I promised myself that I would never tweet or talk about politics and focus on the music, but I was just so bewildered that we lost more of our people to these senseless police shootings.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that there are people who can’t or won’t see what Black Lives Matter is trying to accomplish. I wish I could make music about politics.

“I feel like it’s such an art and a talent that I admire tremendously, but when I step into the studio I step out of the real world, and it’s therapeutic. It’s an escape, but recently it’s been very hard to ignore, and it’s also been very distracting. Maybe you’ll hear it in my voice, but it is not my forté.”

Other artists like The Game have taken a stand against social injustices after multiple black men were shot by the police. He and Snoop Dogg successfully lead a peaceful rally to meet with LAPD police officers back in July, according to HipHop DX.

The Weeknd explained that he cancelled his performance because he did not want to share the stage with Trump. The singer has stated that he completely disagrees with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s views.

The Weeknd was also set to perform with rapper, Belly, who had similar feelings about cancelling the performance.

“I feel like the way I was raised was to be able to see through all the titles in this world — from religion to race.

“I just didn’t want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that majority of us don’t agree with.”

The Weeknd has since decided to use his platform to raise awareness for political issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2LomKANwfY

[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Stringer/Getty Images]