Rumour has it that 21 year-old Torontonian RnB ghost The Weeknd will be releasing a new mix tape on Monday (24 October) - his third full length release this year. It will be titled Echoes Of Silence, and it follows from debut House Of Balloons and Thursday, which was released in August.
Both records were released entirely for free, and were promoted via sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Youtube. Echoes Of Silence may be with us on Monday, but equally it may not see the light of day. We don't know - though admittedly that equally applies to the artist as much as it does his release schedule.
This year The Weeknd has become something of an example of how an artist can now gain recognition and success, yet has completely circumnavigated the traditional label system.
After leaking a few tracks onto Youtube, with only his own 'label' XO and a link to his gloomy Tumblr page (titled XO Til We Overdose...) as a reference point, he captured the attention of rapper and fellow Canadian, Drake, who tweeted some of his lyrics and linked to one of his videos.
And with just those social media sites and the admiration of his peers and fans alike, the anonymous singer has become one of the most talked about artists around - who needs release dates?
Not that The Weeknd isn't attracting the music industry's attention. Reviews have been glowing, while reportedly he's already been offered $25,000 to play shows - all without actually selling a single album. So what next? Will he take the money? Will he sign with a major? Will he remain a ghost in the machine? And for now, when exactly will his next free album be released?
What currently makes The Weeknd so enticing is that no one really knows. The only information there is about him is a meager biography on The-weeknd.com, which provides nothing more than his 'name' and location - and even that we just have to take his word for.
He hasn't done any interviews to date, yet new material continues to stream out directly to an ever growing group of fans. So whether you discover The Weeknd six months after someone else, you still will only know just as much about it as they do
And it's that irony - one of 2011's most talked about artists has said less than anyone else this year - that makes the The Weeknd so enticing, because be it hearsay, rumour or - and the devil will be skating to work when this happens - even a press release, a growing legion is waiting to see what The Weeknd's next move reveals.
Joe Bishop
Head to The-weeknd.com for more (possibly).
2:36 PM | 21/10/2011
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