The Highlights
A neon-soaked retrospective tracing the shadowy ascent from the underground to the spotlight.
Released on February 5, 2021, it gathers the most significant tracks from his initial trilogy of concept albums—the dark, hedonistic 'Trilogy' era and the sleek, noir-infused 'Kiss Land'. It functions not merely as a greatest hits collection, but as a narrative bridge connecting the chaotic rise of the protagonist to the polished, introspective phases that would follow.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Weeknd
- Released
- 5 February 2021
- Recorded
- 2010–2020
- Genre
- Alternative R&B
- dark wave
- new wave
- dream pop
- Length
- 77:55
- Label
- XO; Republic
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The compilation acts as an emotional archive, filtering out the noise to focus on the core emotional beats of the early saga. It acknowledges the pain and pleasure that fueled the character's transformation from a nameless figure in the shadows to a global icon. By revisiting these sonic landscapes, the narrative suggests that while the protagonist has evolved, the ghosts of his past remain an integral part of his identity, haunting him even as he steps into new dimensions of reality.
Reader's Guide
The aesthetic of this era is defined by a blend of gritty realism and stylized noir, transitioning from the chaotic energy of the club scenes to the lonely isolation of the city streets. Plot progression moves through a linear timeline of excess and consequence, starting with the raw party anthems that introduced the world to Abel's alter ego and culminating in the more introspective ballads that hinted at his internal struggle. Key albums included are the original sources from which these tracks were drawn, effectively summarizing the 'Trilogy' and 'Kiss Land' narratives without introducing new plot points. This collection advances the overarching mythology by solidifying the foundation of Abel's character arc, ensuring fans understand the origins of his demons before he enters the more surreal, dream-like landscapes of his later work.
Track listing
Standard edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Save Your Tears (from After Hours, 2020) | Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Quenneville, Karl Martin Sandberg, Oscar Holter | 3:35 |
| 2 | Blinding Lights (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Sandberg, Holter | 3:23 |
| 3 | In Your Eyes (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Sandberg, Holter | 3:57 |
| 4 | Can't Feel My Face (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha, Martin, Peter Svensson | 3:33 |
| 5 | I Feel It Coming (featuring Daft Punk; from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Martin McKinney, Henry Walter, Eric Chedeville | 4:29 |
| 6 | Starboy (featuring Daft Punk; from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Bangalter, de Homem-Christo, McKinney, Walter, Quenneville | 3:50 |
| 7 | Pray for Me (with Kendrick Lamar; from Black Panther, 2018) | Tesfaye, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Adam Feeney, Quenneville, McKinney | 3:31 |
| 8 | Heartless (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Leland Tyler Wayne, Carlo Montagnese, Andre Proctor | 3:21 |
| 9 | Often (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Benjamin Diehl, Quenneville, Balshe, Danny Schofield, Ali Kocatepe, Sabahattin Ali, Osman İşmen | 4:09 |
| 10 | The Hills (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Emmanuel Nickerson, Montagnese | 4:02 |
| 11 | Call Out My Name (from My Dear Melancholy, 2018) | Tesfaye, Feeney, Nicolas Jaar | 3:48 |
| 12 | Die for You (from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Prince 85, Dylan Wiggins, Magnus Høiberg, William Thomas Walsh | 4:20 |
| 13 | Earned It (from Fifty Shades of Grey, 2014 and Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Stephan Moccio, Quenneville, Balshe | 4:37 |
| 14 | Love Me Harder (with Ariana Grande; from My Everything, 2014) | Martin, Kotecha, Svensson, Payami, Tesfaye, Balshe | 3:56 |
| 15 | Acquainted (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Schofield, Montagnese, Diehl | 5:48 |
| 16 | Wicked Games (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Montagnese, Rainer Millar Blancheur | 5:25 |
| 17 | The Morning (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Montagnese | 5:15 |
| 18 | After Hours (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Balshe, Montagnese, Mario Winans | 6:01 |
| Total length | 77:55 | ||
Digital deluxe edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Die for You (from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Prince 85, Dylan Wiggins, Høiberg, William Thomas Walsh | 4:20 |
| 2 | Starboy (featuring Daft Punk; from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Bangalter, de Homem-Christo, McKinney, Walter, Quenneville | 3:50 |
| 3 | Save Your Tears (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Sandberg, Holter | 3:35 |
| 4 | Blinding Lights (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Sandberg, Holter | 3:23 |
| 5 | In Your Eyes (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Sandberg, Holter | 3:57 |
| 6 | Wicked Games (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Montagnese, Rainer Millar Blancheur | 5:25 |
| 7 | Can't Feel My Face (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Payami, Kotecha, Martin, Svensson | 3:33 |
| 8 | I Feel It Coming (featuring Daft Punk; from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Bangalter, de Homem-Christo, McKinney, Walter, Chedeville | 4:29 |
| 9 | Pray for Me (with Kendrick Lamar; from Black Panther, 2018) | Tesfaye, Duckworth, Feeney, Quenneville, McKinney | 3:31 |
| 10 | Heartless (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Wayne, Montagnese, Proctor | 3:21 |
| 11 | The Hills (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Nickerson, Montagnese | 4:02 |
| 12 | The Morning (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Montagnese | 5:15 |
| 13 | Call Out My Name (from My Dear Melancholy, 2018) | Tesfaye, Feeney, Jaar | 3:48 |
| 14 | Often (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Diehl, Quenneville, Balshe, Schofield, Ali Kocatepe, Ali, İşmen | 4:09 |
| 15 | Love Me Harder (with Ariana Grande; from My Everything, 2014) | Martin, Kotecha, Svensson, Payami, Tesfaye, Balshe | 3:56 |
| 16 | Earned It (from Fifty Shades of Grey, 2014 and Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Moccio, Quenneville, Balshe | 4:37 |
| 17 | Acquainted (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Schofield, Montagnese, Diehl | 5:48 |
| 18 | After Hours (from After Hours, 2020) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Balshe, Montagnese, Winans | 6:01 |
| 19 | One of the Girls (with Jennie and Lily-Rose Depp; from The Idol Episode 4, 2023) | Tesfaye, Michael Dean, Samuel Levinson, Lily-Rose Depp, Rebecca Fisher | 4:04 |
| 20 | Popular (with Madonna featuring Playboi Carti; 2023) | Tesfaye, Jordan Carter, Wayne, Dean, Tommy Rush, Levinson, Michael Walker, John Flippin | 3:35 |
| 21 | I Was Never There (with Gesaffelstein; from My Dear Melancholy, 2018) | Tesfaye, Mike Lévy, Feeney | 4:01 |
| 22 | House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, McKinney, Montagnese, Susan Ballion, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch, Steven Severin | 6:47 |
| 23 | Less than Zero (from Dawn FM, 2022) | Tesfaye, Martin, Holter | 3:31 |
| 24 | Is There Someone Else? (from Dawn FM, 2022) | Tesfaye, Lopatin, Martin, Thomas Brown, Peter Lee Johnson | 3:19 |
| 25 | Party Monster (from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Diehl, McKinney, Balshe, Lana Del Rey | 4:09 |
| 26 | Stargirl Interlude (featuring Lana Del Rey; from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Del Rey, McKinney, Timothy McKenzie | 1:51 |
| 27 | Tell Your Friends (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Kanye West, Christopher Pope, Montagnese, Carl Marshall, Robert Holmes | 5:34 |
| 28 | Sacrifice (from Dawn FM, 2022) | Tesfaye, Martin, Hedfors, Angello, Ingrosso, Carl Nordström, Holter, Kevin McCord | 3:08 |
| 29 | Reminder (from Starboy, 2016) | Tesfaye, Nickerson, McKinney, Dylan Wiggins, Walter, Quenneville | 3:38 |
| 30 | In the Night (from Beauty Behind the Madness, 2015) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Payami, Kotecha, Svensson, Martin | 3:55 |
| 31 | Wasted Times (from My Dear Melancholy, 2018) | Tesfaye, Brittany Hazzard, Sonny Moore, Feeney | 3:40 |
| 32 | Take My Breath (from Dawn FM, 2022) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Andrea Di Ceglie, Luigi Tutolo, Martin, Holter | 5:39 |
| 33 | Moth to a Flame (with Swedish House Mafia; from Paradise Again, 2022 and Dawn FM (Alternate World), 2022) | Tesfaye, Angello, Ingrosso, Nordström | 3:54 |
| 34 | Out of Time (from Dawn FM, 2022) | Tesfaye, Lopatin, Martin, Holter, Tomoko Aran, Tetsurō Oda | 3:34 |
| 35 | King of the Fall (2014) | Quenneville, Tesfaye | 5:01 |
| 36 | High for This (from House of Balloons, 2011) | Tesfaye, Adrien Gough, Walter | 4:07 |
| Total length | 151:22 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The album cover features a stylized portrait that pays homage to the visual identity of the earlier eras while signaling a new chapter.
- It was released specifically to serve as a greatest hits compilation for The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show performance.
- The tracklist excludes deep cuts, focusing strictly on the songs that defined the public perception of the protagonist's early life.
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