The king of R&B is finally back after almost a year and a half. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) has finally released a follow up to his critically acclaimed Starboy titled My Dear Melancholy,. This new project is what appears to be a teaser for an upcoming full-length LP release in the fall.

My Dear Melancholy is a trip down memory lane for many fans, taking them all the way back to his 2011 mixtape House of Balloons. The album is full Tesfaye’s flawless vocals, which have an incredible way of pulling listeners into his head.

Like the title suggests, the six-track EP is one with a melancholic, rather heartbreaking tone. This tone is established immediately and doesn’t waver throughout through the album. Each song is strategically placed on the tracklist to explain the order of thoughts, feelings, and actions which occurred after his breakup.

The Weeknd is the kind of artist who can make anyone wallow in their own feelings, and mourn a relationship that is not even theirs. His versatile and immaculate voice is powerful and alluring. Whether it be in the way his passionate vocals in title-track “Call Out My Name” wrap the listener up in the feelings of abandonment and disbelief, or in the subdued and syrupy croon tinged with heartache in “Privilege”, Tesfaye make anyone’s eyes prick with tears.

The album paints a deeply personal picture of heartbreak and the effects of falling too deeply in love with someone bound to leave. “Said I didn’t feel nothing, baby / But I lied / I almost cut a piece of myself, for your life / Guess I was just another pit-stop / ‘Til you made up your mind, /You’re just wasting my time” sings Tesfaye during “Call Out My Name”, his voice tinged with anguish as he recounts his past love. It’s in lyrics like these that Tesfaye opens wounds for many, his raw emotion tugs at the heartstrings even if they’ve never had their heart broken. For me, as someone who has never had their heart broken, I still found my eyes welling with tears.

My Dear Melancholy is the version of The Weeknd that I have always wanted. Its sound is similar to the game-changing House of Balloons, the styling is rough around the edges and personal, and the lyrics are simple yet powerful. With no need for extravagance, The Weeknd created an EP which was simple yet poetic, one that tugs at the heartstrings of all those who listen to it.

In an industry where albums are stuffed to the gills so they dominate the charts and albums are hyped up way before release, Tesfaye crafted a concise and well-crafted album with no publicity that still made every song chart, not because it was manufactured to do so but rather because the songs were just that good.

Overall, I would rate this album a solid 4.5/5 stars only because I wish the album was at least 2-3 tracks longer. I would highly suggest that those who enjoy R&B listen to this album, specifically the songs “Call Out My Name”, “Wasted Times”, and “Privilege”. For those who enjoy this EP and are unfamiliar with Tesfaye’s older works, I would suggest his 2011 compilation album Trilogy.