The Weeknd, “Starboy”

Dark R&B prince The Weeknd framed his latest as a tribute to David Bowie. But beyond its cinematic flourishes via slick production, little here insinuates Bowie’s boundless creativity (“If it ain’t XO then it gotta go/I just won a new award for a kids show”). Tesfaye still has the same problems that he’s had since his first mix tape (which feels like forever ago here): Drugs and sex are mere cover-up for indelible scars. The album is dumb fun, but the themes aren’t tragically hip anymore — they’re just tragic. — Dylan Owens