For the past 10 years, The Weeknd’s hit album “Starboy” has been of major significance. Everyone has either heard the album or heard of the album, whether it be through DJs’ party mixes or simply scrolling through their TikTok or Instagram feed.
Since its release 10 years ago, this album has been nominated for 8 awards. In 2017, The Weeknd won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards, and in 2018, won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammys. “Starboy” was on Billboard’s 50 best albums list, at No. 21. Looking back at The Weeknd’s discography, in 2015, “Beauty Behind the Madness” reached for the stars, being The Weeknd’s most successful album at the time. The album had been No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 for three weeks and was the 10th-best-selling album worldwide in 2015.
In 2016, when “Starboy” was released, The Weeknd changed the diction of this album, representing a rebirth in the discography. In an early 2016 interview with VMAN, The Weeknd talked about going back to faith while having a materialistic lifestyle. Testfye also mentioned how the upcoming album would be influenced by artists such as Prince, Talking Heads, The Smiths and Bad Brains.
“Starboy” isn’t “Starboy” without its feature artists and 18 producers that brought the vision to life. One of the producers was Daft Punk, who was also featured on two songs: “Starboy” and “I Feel It Coming”. The album was released under The Weeknd’s label, XO Republic. The features on “Starboy” are some of the most iconic features that have carried on, even after 10 years.
In the original “Starboy”, the song “Stargirl Interlude (ft. Lana Del Ray)” had an impact on the fans throughout various social media apps in early 2022. Many fans created an aesthetic called “Stargirl” or “Starboy” associated with the overall vibe the song and the album give. The aesthetics of “Starboy” are almost like an exclusive after-party, where you’re in downtown late at night and walking into a classy black tie event with numerous high-class people.
Another way to interpret “Starboy” is as everything before a party. Where friends are getting ready together and singing the songs as loudly as possible. Though it could be staring at the night sky, when you’re playing the songs and experiencing post-party depression from an event.
The album hit the fashion scene quickly, with many men and women wearing chic streetwear, embracing the darker colors for a night out. Pinterest and TikTok have created certain looks for Starboys and Stargirls, painting a picture of the nightlife in a major city, partying till midnight and being in full glamour. Things like huge leather jackets, fur coats, high boots, sunglasses at night and all things gold or silver.
In 2022, “Starboy” awakened once again through TikTok, where the 17th song on the album, “Die For You”, made a comeback. In response to this resurgence, The Weeknd released a “Starboy” deluxe album in March of 2023. The deluxe album featured the original 18 songs and added three extra songs to the legacy: “Die For You (Remix)” with Ariana Grande, “Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) [Kygo Remix]” and “Reminder (Remix) [feat. A$AP Rocky & Young Thug]”. The collaboration with Grande, in particular, gained popularity, being released in February of 2023 and hitting no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by March 11, 2023.
The Weeknd wanted this album to be an inner experience of how fame actually is and how life isn’t private anymore for a luxurious celebrity with an expensive lifestyle, showing it off with lavish cars and humongous mansions, portraying him as a “playboy,” which is where the name “Starboy” came from. The Weeknd plays with the word as he is telling a story throughout the album, interpreting that the lush life isn’t always as perfect as it seems. The Weeknd dives deep into how there is always a hollow feeling and small cracks in his life where he can’t always keep this image alive.
The Weeknd’s faith plays a huge role in this album. “Starboy” was released when The Weeknd was struggling with his faith and life as a celebrity. The Hollywood lifestyle would make him question his relationship with God. In most of the songs in the album, The Weeknd would reference certain verses, like “P1 cleaner than your church shoes” or “We don’t pray for love, we just pray for cars,” expressing feelings about the contrast of The Weeknd’s character as a Christian and shifting to caring more about a materialistic life instead.
The Weeknd’s Ethiopian background has a big part in “Starboy”, as well. In many of the songs, he uses a traditional style of Ethiopian music called Tizita music that represents nostalgia and longing, contributing to the album’s overall mood.
The Weeknd has released three studio albums since “Starboy” over the last 10 years. He most recently released “Hurry Up Tomorrow” this year and released “The Highlights” in 2024, exploring famous songs through his discography. Though a decade has passed since its release, the impact “Starboy” had on the fans will always feel timeless.
