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Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, has discussed in great depth his intentions for his new album 'Kiss Land' which he reveals 'is like a horror movie.'
Last year the musician worked seemingly non stop on his music and released three mix tapes showcasing a large amount of material. Now, the rising star is gearing up to release his follow up, Kiss Land. Despite the romantic sounding title however, Tesfaye claims the album is a dark experience, inspired by horror movie directors.
"I didn’t want to call it Dark World or something so generic," he tells Complex magazine. "The title came from a conversation that I overheard and those words stuck out. Someone said, 'Kiss Land' and I thought, 'That’s going to be the title of my album.' It sounds so ridiculous."
"When I think about Kiss Land, I think about a terrifying place," he continues. "A lot of it is inspired by filmmakers like John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Ridley Scott, because they know how to capture fear.'
He admits that he is going to places he hasn't been before, adding: "When you hear the screams in the record and you hear all these horror references and you feel scared, listen to the music because I want you to feel what I’m feeling. Kiss Land is like a horror movie.
Listen to The Weeknd - 'Kiss Land' below:
Tesfaye makes it clear that he is not particularly influenced by R&B , which he is often labelled as.
"The only thing R&B about my shit is the style of singing," he continues. "My inspiration is R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, and Prince, for the vocals anyway. My production and songwriting, and the environment around those vocals are not inspired by R&B at all."
'Kiss Land' will be released on August 27th, and The Weeknd will be on tour in the UK in November, dates are listed below:
22 - NIA Birmingham
23 - O2 Apollo Manchester
26 - O2 Arena London
For more information visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.
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