Pen'D Music🎵🎼🎤🎹: The Weeknd Wicked Games

The first time I heard Wicked Games I'll tell you it was the best way to hear a newcomer's song for the first time- reviewing music for Slice The Pie www.slicethepie.com/. If you don't know, let me be the first to tell you Kool World. If you love music and want to share your two cents on music that hasn't fully been released yet then check out this platform. You never know who you can be listening to ;)

For me it was Ethiopian-Canadian born Abel Tesfaye

It's exciting to know I was listening to this guy sing. Gaining worldwide accolades for his self-released EPs Echoes of Silence, Thursday, and House of Balloons where this track came from. I'll tell you exactly what my response was while listening to this song...

It was so good melodically, harmonically, tonally, and lyrically that I literally left myself for a moment. I was like, who...the h* is this???!!!

It thrilled me so much after listening to it 2x I typed as much of the song as I could and just cut and pasted it into the search engine Google. And what were the results? The Weeknd Wicked Games.

This may come as a surprise but I had no idea who The Weeknd was at that time and this was October 2012. From listening it sounded like a group.

Listen ma, I'll give you all I got

Give me all for this.

I need confidence in myself

It may just well be a play on variations of his vocals to create the illusion there are numerous singers in the background singing the bridge and hook with him. To realize it's only him is even more astonishing. BTW in my head I'm hearing lyrics that are not what I'm discovering on the Internet with Metrolyrics, AZLyrics, or RapGenius lol. We're all culprit to it when we don't have lyrics at our disposal to know exactly what an artist is singing. I know I'm not the only one! Okay this is what I thought. Where it says Listen ma, I'll give you all I got, I thought he was saying, This is my heart, I'll give you all I got. The production is sick regardless. Some of the best I've heard in a long time. I'm trying to wrap my head around untangling it in this repetitious pop mainstream thing. Pulling it out of a coma into something more profound.

I left my girl back home

I don't love her no more

And she'll never f* know that

These f*ing eyes that I'm staring at

Let me see that ass

Look at all this cash

And I emptied out my cards too

Now I'm f*ing leaning on that

Bring your love baby I could bring my shame

Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain

I got my heart right here

I got my scars right here

Bring the cups baby I could bring the drank

Bring your body baby I could bring you fame

And that's my motherf*ing words too

Just let me motherf*ing love you

Listen ma I'll give you all I got

Get me off of this

I need confidence in myself

Listen ma I'll give you all of me

Give me all of it

I need all of it to myself

woah

So tell me you love me

Only for tonight

Only for the night

oh, oh

Just tell me you love me

I'll give you what I need

I'll give you all of me

oh, oh

Let me see you dance

I love to watch you dance

Take you down another level

Get you dancing with the devil

Take a shot of this

But I'm warning you

I'm on that sh*t that you can't smell baby

So put down your perfume

Bring your love baby I could bring my shame

Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain

I got my heart right here

I got my scars right here

Bring the cups baby I could bring the drank

Bring your body baby I could bring you fame

And that's my motherf*ing word too

So let me motherf*ing love you

Listen ma I'll give you all I got

Get me off of this

I need confidence in myself

Listen ma I'll give you all of me

Give me all of it

I need all of it to myself

So tell me you love me

Only for tonight

Only for one night

Even though you don't love me

Just tell me you love me

I'll give you what I need

I'll give you all of me

Even though you don't love me

Abel's voice carries with a 'wailing echo' many critics have stated. It's just awesome how he really uses his voice as an instrument. What artists can you say out here in mainstream land have taken the time to explore their vocals and really put it to the test??? Isn't being an Artist about taking risks and taking on new challenges to grow and evolve? The growth in an Artist's perspective teaches us as listeners as well. It's not just good music, It's life lessons. We're seeing all their situations as up close and personal flies on the wall. The same sh*t we don't want to admit in our own lives. Artists are actual examples whether it's by circumstance or not. Personally I figured he was addressing his disinterest in his girl friend and decided he didn't care about the relationship anymore. The result? Get drawn in to any random female that catches his eye. From reading a couple reviews and listening to the song over, it's possible he just wandered into a strip club and wants to be overwhelmed and lost in the allure of women dancing on a stage for men's pleasure. And perhaps in this environment he can find love and his token of affection will return it to him.

The mix of R&B with some rock nostalgia marries the two genres together in a brand new way that is appealing and hard edge. I'm not sure if the cursing necessarily gives it that all around hard edge feel but it does aid in it! The sly and the slick elements give Mr. Abel a bad boy persona that emanates throughout the song. From what I understand, a lot of his work. It's just his theme and Artistic approach and style. I haven't listened to all his work yet but did browse through some the night before. There's a dark realm he meanders through in his despair or "joy". His choice. But it's enough to make you groove and feel the meaning behind his lyrics. Global Grind writer Brittany critiqued it similarly, So what sets [him] The Weekend's music apart from other R&B singers? "Quite frankly it's the production and themes surrounding his music. Drug induced lyrics and stripper-inspired melodies encompassing the perils of relationships and woes of a young bachelor".

Then lo and behold a video graces the tv set! I was hoping there would be one but didn't have any idea what it would be like. Black and white is spiffy ;) Can dig that for sure. MTV Jams is the spot where I saw it for the first time. The girl dancing in the video is enough to have you visualizing girls in the club dancing salaciously on stages for the hungry onlookers to feast their eyes on. A stripper's anthem? Possibly. It is rather seductive enough to have you grooving in front of a mirror or exploring tantalizing body movements, if you're a lady. Guys you visualize your lady giving you a lap dance or swirling around a pole. I'm creating a visual here folks. Whatever it is you see the music creates the mood for you. And isn't that nice for a change? To be entranced without predicting what comes next? You're hearing the song in your mind long after the first listen or the millionth listen.

Is it just me or does anyone else see the re-enactment from a scene in Bram Stoker's Dracula??? Didn't I say he's dwelling in the darkness? lol. It's the girl's hairstyle and her shadow. Appearing as though she is grabbing his face with her hand. Like a dark entity stealing a soul. Yup pretty dangerous. If you haven't seen the movie, check it out if you can handle vampires. It is after all the well-known story of Dracul or Dracula.

Throughout the video The Weeknd is in the dark with only remnants of his image visible for viewers with the little light. It reminds me of past videos or pictures of other Artists who have used this approach to narrating.

Bone Thugs N Harmony Crossroads Album cover
AND
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody

In my interviews it's very hard to avoid mentioning the similarities my Guests have with their Artistic contemporaries in the music world. The same goes for me when discussing the hottest music artists out here. Here we have a guy who has Ethiopian roots, born and raised in Canada. I don't know what you think Kool World but he reminds me physically of Lennie Kravitz with a generous helping of Travie McCoy from GymClass Music Heroes. This is just my connection, you may think otherwise, but at least you've heard it from me first lol. I'm feeling the rugged look with the facial hair and the loose, free dreads. The contrast is interesting because he sings passionately with a tone that is not deep and baritone. That isn't to say he can't reach that low register, let's wait and see if he will surprise us ;) Watching the video over and over again has confirmed my attraction. He is not bad-looking! He may look "high" to some people, but he may just well be. What's new?!? Wikipedia credits him with vocals similar to Sting. After learning this I can agree there are similarities there. I can't quite suggest any other Artists, but that's a good thing. Even though there's no harm in addressing this observation from what I already know, an Artist with his/her own unique sound is quite Special. At least as a listener you're not comparing 100% There's no biased opinion, you can just take it or leave it.

Overall, this is Great and I'll be listening to his other work. You should too! That's why I added it here for you. Check it out and share your thoughts with me. Anyone this great deserves major discussion ;)

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