Starboy

Starboy is the third studio album by Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on November 25, 2016, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. As the album's executive producers, the Weeknd and Doc McKinney enlisted a variety of producers such as Diplo, Cashmere Cat, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Labrinth, among others. Starboy was supported by seven singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 number-ones "Starboy" and "Die for You" (which topped the chart following a remix with Ariana Grande), and the top-five single "I Feel It Coming". It received generally favorable reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 348,000 album-equivalent units (209,000 of which were pure sales), becoming the Weeknd's second consecutive number-one album. It also debuted at number one on Billboards Canadian Albums Chart. Starboy won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in 2018, marking the Weeknd's second win in that category. As of April 2022, the album is certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2023, the Weeknd released a deluxe version that contains three additional previously remixed releases: "Starboy" (Kygo remix), "Die For You" (with Ariana Grande), and "Reminder" (featuring ASAP Rocky and Young Thug). Background After the commercial success of his previous album Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), the Weeknd hinted at the release of his third studio album on March 12, 2016, with an Instagram post calling it the next "chapter" to his music. On August 24, the executive vice president of Republic Records Wendy Goldstein confirmed during an interview with Billboard that the Weeknd would be collaborating with French electronic duo Daft Punk. On September 7, the Weeknd revealed during an interview with VMan that the album was in production and was influenced by Prince, the Smiths, Talking Heads and Bad Brains. He later revealed the album's overall theme and additional influences during his own interview with Billboard: The Weeknd formally announced his third studio album on September 21, by sharing its title and release date of November 25. The album cover was photographed and designed by Nabil Elderkin, and its CD booklet features eleven portraits of the Weeknd shot by Elderkin.