When most people talk about The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, they often discuss his hair and ignore the musical talent he possesses. After dropping out of high school, he became addicted to drugs and was homeless for a while, but since then he has crawled his way to the top.

The first song on his new album, entitled “Beauty Behind the Madness,” is “Real Life,” which is The Weeknd’s reflection on love, life and how he has dealt with the two being tangled together. The beginning of the song sets the tone of the album with an electric guitar, sending the message that this is not his typical R&B and soul album.

The album as a whole reflects The Weeknd’s life struggles and everything he has overcome, including being in love, having a drug addiction, dropping out of high school and being homeless. “Beauty Behind the Madness” is all about overcoming those obstacles and returning to the music.

With a new sound and new music, The Weeknd has once again climbed to the top, with his album already at number one on iTunes. He takes a contemporary direction with his music in this album, incorporating various takes on R&B and soul.

He has also reinvented his sound by giving it more of a jazz feel, especially in the song “Tell Your Friends.” The drums are a prominent instrument in this song, while in other songs, such “Losers,” a dominant trumpet solo at the end completes the song.

The song “Losers” focuses especially on when The Weeknd dropped out of high school, with the first line of the song being “Only losers go to school.” At the end of the song there is a trumpet solo, which is accompanied by a few other instruments you would find in a marching band that give the song a school-themed feel.

Not only does the album have a mixture of soul, R&B, jazz and blues, but there are several songs that feature an electric guitar solo, including “Shameless.” It picks up the beat of the song, letting it end with a bang.

Besides the authentic sound of this album, fans were most excited about the collaborations. They have especially been looking forward to The Weeknd’s collaboration with Lana Del Rey, so it is not a surprise that “Prisoner” featuring Lana Del Rey has already reached the Top 10 on iTunes. This song is a perfect balance of the two artist’s styles, which is R&B mixed with a slow, seductive alternative. It is exactly what fans were hoping for.

The album also features “Dark Times,” a guitar-heavy collaboration with Ed Sheeran. The two artists have two completely different sounds, so this made for an interesting match-up. Of all the songs on the album, this one relates most to blues with a unique hint of soul.

With his latest album, The Weeknd proved that he is not a one-hit wonder like many previously thought, and that he is more than just his hair. “Beauty Behind the Madness” features many songs that are already top hits, and they will continue to be popular for years to come.