Going Deeper

Kiss Land

2013

Kiss Land, the Weeknd’s official debut, made the best of a ready-for-prime-time iconoclast’s predicament. Inevitably, some listeners would see a glossy major-label album by a singer who prided himself on innovating from the shadows as a betrayal. But “Wanderlust,” with its four-on-the-floor pulse and haunting melody, was a harbinger of stickier megastar moments to come. “Live For,” which featured then-XO label associate Drake, is a best-ofall-possible-worlds bonanza of endless hangovers and promiscuity over hypnotic strings. The Weeknd would have a more assured vision to offer in the future. But these 10 songs hold up as an able introduction.