The Weeknd’s new album, Starboy, drops tomorrow (or, more likely, late tonight); we’ve already heard a few tracks, watched a creepy short film, and seen the track list. In the meantime, the Canadian musician also known as Abel Tesfaye sat down with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe in a chat posted to Apple Music to talk about making the record, his process, and his life right now. The most interesting parts touch on working with Kendrick Lamar (on the track “Sidewalks”), in which Mr. Tesfaye talks about wanting to keep Lamar’s presence on the record a secret, citing the sad loss of romance in an era when you learn about a collaborator before a release instead of discovering them on a first listen. He also calls Kendrick “a genius,” and praises his contribution to “Sidewalks” as “not just a random Kendrick Lamar verse. It was something special.” The Weeknd also tells Lowe about the benefit of keeping your old friends close, especially when trying to maintain your sobriety. Watch both excerpts, and then count the hours until Starboy’s official release.
