Music
The Weeknd
SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Four stars
Although there was no special appearance from Drake at his Hydro gig (Glasgow will have to wait until later in the month for the Canadian colossus to finally grace us with his postponed presence), The Weeknd promised the biggest party in the city - and delivered. His 'Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour' was pretty stylishly packaged with an overhead lighting rig in the shape of some kind of intergalactic interloper, although reports on social media suggest the gimmick really affected the sight lines of those in the upper level of the Hydro's own "spaceship" arena.
The rise to fame of 27-year-old Abel Makkonen Tesfaye might seem quite stratospheric superficially, but the Ontario-born singer, songwriter and record producer has put in the graft and now works with the best in the business since uploading his "mix tapes" to YouTube in 2010. Having been nominated for an Academy Award for an original song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack to performing at the Grammy Awards with his most recent collaborators French House duo Daft Punk, the R&B media playboy's star is definitely on the rise.
Arguably, the first half hour of the set was a little pedestrian until more anthemic Can't Feel My Face lifted proceedings into promised party territory; a bold and rousing Earned It really showcased the talent of the small, slick band - especially cracking drummer Ricky Lewis. I Feel It Coming is the best thing Daft Punk has co-produced since 2013's anthem Get Lucky and it is sure to continue to dominate the summer scene. Vocally, The Weeknd cites Michael Jackson as an influence and homage was paid in his more falsetto moments. With Party Monster bringing him back on message for the encore, it will be interesting to see his future sparkling trajectory.
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