The Weeknd: The Evolution of a Toxic Lover | Video Essay

⚠️ EPILEPSY WARNING at 21:50-21:57 and 26:05-26:10 ⚠️ In this video, I examine The Weeknd’s discography to better understand the recurring toxic themes/elements of his music. I go through his early days as an unknown artist releasing his mixtapes for free (House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence), to his ascension towards mainstream superstardom (Kiss Land, Beauty Behind The Madness, Starboy), to his more recent albums delving into performance art (After Hours & Dawn FM). Support the channel, if you like ✨: Intro music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio 0:00 Intro 1:04 1 - The Mystery 6:07 2 - The Star 14:31 3.1 - The Performance (After Hours) 21:13 3.2 - The Performance (Dawn FM) Sources mentioned: The Weeknd vs. Abel Tesfaye | GQ The Weeknd: Kiss And Tell (2013 Cover Story) | Complex The Weeknd: A Rising Starboy | WSJ The Weeknd Reveals the Significance of His Full-Face Bandages | Variety