When you think of an album by The Weeknd, which one comes to mind? Of course, there are the classic mixtapes with House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, all compiled into Trilogy. Then, there are the albums that made him an undeniable star, like Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy. Maybe you’re more inclined to think of his more recent output in After Hours, Dawn FM, or Hurry Up Tomorrow.
But people rarely ever consider Kiss Land, his debut album and the follow-up to his trilogy of tapes. It’s much darker than even his hedonistic work prior, stitching in records with off-kilter synths and jarring screams. The Weeknd even likened it to a horror movie at the time.
“A lot of it is inspired by filmmakers like John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Ridley Scott, because they know how to capture fear. That’s what Kiss Land is to me, an environment that’s just honest fear,” he told Complex in 2013.
But why don’t people talk about it? Both fans were pretty lukewarm on the album’s execution, even if the ideas were compelling. Even the artist, born Abel Tesfaye, isn’t completely satisfied with it. Consequently, he teased a remaster of the album on the way.
The Weeknd Teases a New Version of an Underrated Gem in His Discography
In a joint interview with GQ Singapore and GQ Hong Kong, the Toronto pop and R&B star teased that he’s been incredibly drawn to the color green when thinking of new music. Then, he fondly looked back at his 2013 debut album and revealed that he’s currently remastering it to his liking.
“I’ve been obsessing over that album recently,” The Weeknd shared. “I’m in the process of remastering it because it’s the one project I never felt I executed exactly the way I envisioned. I’m excited to go back under the hood and finally make it into what I always knew it could be.”
Whether he continues making music under his iconic moniker or under his birth name Abel Tesfaye is the real question. Back in 2025, he teased the idea of letting his name go, even outright retiring. But back in August 2026, The Weeknd changed his tune entirely. That doesn’t mean he’s ruled out making something under his real name either.
“The Weeknd was never a mask I wore to hide from myself; Abel was always there. It was simply a lens I chose to tell certain stories through,” he told the outlet. “If I create under my own name one day, it won’t be about leaving anything behind. It’ll just be another evolution.”
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images for Live Nation
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