Sorry, but The Weeknd is creepy. Ever since he emerged a few years back I've felt like he's here just to sum up the unchecked misogyny that's running rampant in certain types of hip-hop and R&B. I'm not hating on him, I'm sure he's being tongue-in-cheek on some level (I hope) and musically what he's put out has been plenty interesting. But creepy is definitely what Abel Tesfay is going for.
Take his 2011 song "What You Need." He's comparing himself to an addictive and destructive drug, completely tantalizing yet totally the last thing someone actually needs. Creepy melodies and Tesfay's clouded voice narrate his victim's spiral into inescapable Weeknd-addiction. It's a damn good song, but man when you concentrate on The Weeknd's music you really start to wonder about some things.
Anyway, around the time "What You Need" came out, Jacques Greene made an edit of the track that was used in his live sets. As he tends to do, Greene takes the moody R&B and directs it into dancier territory, adding an energizing body around the original in the form of revitalized percussion and extra bass. Today he decided to share the track as a free download "for the late nights."
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The Weeknd
"What You Need" (Jacques Greene edit)
