2021 greatest hits album by the Weeknd
The Highlights Released February 5, 2021 (2021-02-05 ) Recorded 2010–2020 Genre
Length 77 :55 Label
The Highlights is the second greatest hits album , and first one released globally, by Canadian singer the Weeknd .[ 4] It was released on February 5, 2021,[ 5] and follows the release of his fourth studio album After Hours (2020) and his first greatest hits album The Weeknd in Japan (2018).[ 6] [ 7] It was released in anticipation of his performance at the Super Bowl LV halftime show .[ 8] [ 9] The track list is composed of songs from his three Billboard 200 number one studio albums: Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), Starboy (2016), and After Hours (2020), his debut mixtape House of Balloons (2011), his EP My Dear Melancholy (2018), and his two co-lead collaborations "Love Me Harder " and "Pray for Me ", with Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar respectively, from the albums My Everything (2014) and Black Panther: The Album (2018).[ 10]
Artwork
The album's cover continues the usage of the red suit that The Weeknd donned throughout the promotional material for his fourth studio album After Hours (2020).[ 11] The particular suit worn in the cover art is the same one that he wore for the Super Bowl LV halftime show and in the music video for the song "Save Your Tears ", which served as the fourth single from the aforementioned album.[ 12]
Critical reception
Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the collection, stating, "The Highlights is a well-selected point of entry. That it rarely dips into album cuts and doesn't include all of the major singles speaks to the depth of the catalog."[ 13]
The Highlights debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 89,000 album-equivalent units , including 10,000 pure album sales. It is the Weeknd's highest charting compilation album, and marks the biggest first week debut for a greatest hits set since Blake Shelton 's Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019), which peaked at number two on the chart dated December 28, 2019.[ 14] The compilation album has managed to spend more than 130 weeks on the chart.[ 15] As of December 27, 2021 The Highlights was the twenty-first best-selling album of the year according to Hits , still according to the magazine, the album has moved a total of 1,004,000 album-equivalent units by the end of 2021, including 74,000 pure album sales, 226,000 song sales, 1,1 billion audio-on-demand streams, and 160 million video-on-demand streams.[ 16] In the next year, The Highlights was the sixth best-selling album of the year, moved a total of 1,600,000 album-equivalent units by the end of 2022, including 51,000 pure album sales, 205,000 song sales, 2 billion audio-on-demand streams, and 198 million video-on-demand streams.[ 17]
Track listing
The Highlights track listingTitle Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Save Your Tears " (from After Hours , 2020) 3:35 2. "Blinding Lights " (from After Hours , 2020) Tesfaye Balshe Quenneville Sandberg Holter 3:23 3. "In Your Eyes " (from After Hours , 2020) Tesfaye Balshe Sandberg Holter 3:57 4. "Can't Feel My Face " (from Beauty Behind the Madness , 2015) 3:33 5. "I Feel It Coming " (featuring Daft Punk ; from Starboy , 2016) 4:29 6. "Starboy " (featuring Daft Punk; from Starboy , 2016) 3:50 7. "Pray for Me " (with Kendrick Lamar ; from Black Panther , 2018) 3:31 8. "Heartless " (from After Hours , 2020) 3:21 9. "Often " (from Beauty Behind the Madness , 2015) Ben Billions The Weeknd DaHeala[a] 4:09 10. "The Hills " (from Beauty Behind the Madness , 2015) Tesfaye Balshe Emmanuel Nickerson Montagnese 4:02 11. "Call Out My Name " (from My Dear Melancholy , 2018) Frank Dukes 3:48 12. "Die for You " (from Starboy , 2016) Tesfaye McKinney Prince 85 Dylan Wiggins Magnus Høiberg William Thomas Walsh 4:20 13. "Earned It " (from Fifty Shades of Grey , 2014 and Beauty Behind the Madness , 2015) 4:37 14. "Love Me Harder " (with Ariana Grande ; from My Everything , 2014) Payami Svensson P. Carlsson[b] 3:56 15. "Acquainted " (from Beauty Behind the Madness , 2015) Tesfaye Quenneville Schofield Montagnese Diehl 5:48 16. "Wicked Games " (from House of Balloons , 2011) Tesfaye McKinney Montagnese Rainer Millar Blancheur 5:25 17. "The Morning " (from House of Balloons , 2011) Tesfaye McKinney Montagnese 5:15 18. "After Hours " (from After Hours , 2020) Illangelo The Weeknd DaHeala Winans[c] 6:01 Total length: 77:55
Notes
^[a] signifies a co-producer
^[b] denotes a vocal producer
^[c] signifies an additional producer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
^ Aswad, Jem (March 30, 2018). "Music Review: The Weeknd's EP 'My Dear Melancholy,' " . Variety . Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ a b Reeves, Mosi (November 28, 2016). "Review: The Weeknd's 'Starboy' " . Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 20, 2019 . Kiss Land may have sounded like Trilogy redux, but at least it offered a thrilling reprise of Eighties underground darkwave
^ Glaysher, Scott (November 28, 2016). "The Weeknd Starboy Album Review" . HipHopDX . Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd Rolls Out Greatest Hits Album Ahead of Super Bowl Performance" . Billboard . Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd Shop (1/25/2021)" . Universal Music Group . Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Roth, Madeline (March 20, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'Brain-Melting' New Album After Hours Is Finally Here" . MTV News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd in Japan" . CDJapan . Japan: Neowing. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd's Super Bowl Halftime Performance: Everything We Know" . Entertainment Tonight . Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd Releases Greatest Hits Album 'The Highlights' Ahead of Super Bowl Performance" . January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ "The Highlights Clean CD | T H E W E E K N D S H O P" . The Weeknd Shop . January 25, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Holmes, Charles (February 13, 2020). "The Weeknd and His Mustache Announce New Album" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ Gonzales, Erica (January 5, 2021). "The Weeknd and His Botox Prosthetics Will Give Me Nightmares to Last Through 2021" . Harper's Bazaar . Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
^ a b "The Weeknd > The Highlights > AllMusic Review" . AllMusic .
^ Caulfield, Keith (February 14, 2021). "Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous' No. 1 for Fifth Week on Billboard 200 While 'If I Know Me' Hits Top 10 for First Time" . Billboard . Retrieved February 16, 2021 .
^ a b "The Weeknd Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "THE BIGGEST ALBUMS OF 2021" . Hits . December 27, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2022 .
^ "THE BIGGEST ALBUMS OF 2022" . Hits . November 30, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022 .
^ "Los discos más vendidos de la semana" . Diario de Cultura . CAPIF . Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021 .
^ "Australiancharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Austriancharts.at – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^ "Ultratop.be – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
^ "Ultratop.be – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "Czech Albums – Top 100" . ČNS IFPI . Note : On the chart page, select 06.Týden 2021 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100 " to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^ "Lescharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 10, 2023.
^ "Italiancharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "ザ・ハイライツ" . Oricon . Retrieved April 8, 2022 .
^ "2021 6-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA . February 12, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021 .
^ "Charts.nz – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart" . OLiS . Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 17, 2022.
^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Slovak Albums – Top 100" . ČNS IFPI . Retrieved April 8, 2022 . Note: On the chart page, select SK - Albums - Top 100 under the left field and "202106" on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data.
^ "Spanishcharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
^ "Swisscharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved April 8, 2022.
^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2021" . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved January 13, 2022 .
^ "Jaaroverzichten 2021" . Ultratop. Retrieved January 5, 2022 .
^ "Rapports annuels 2021" . Ultratop. Retrieved January 5, 2022 .
^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2021" . Billboard . Retrieved December 3, 2021 .
^ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2021" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved April 15, 2022 .
^ Griffiths, George (January 9, 2022). "Ireland's official biggest albums of 2021" . Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2022 .
^ "Top Selling Albums of 2021" . Recorded Music NZ . Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022 .
^ Griffiths, George (January 4, 2022). "The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2021" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021" . Billboard . Retrieved December 3, 2021 .
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021" . Billboard . Retrieved December 3, 2021 .
^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart for 2022" . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved January 4, 2023 .
^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2022" . Billboard . Retrieved December 2, 2022 .
^ "2022: La production musicale française toujours au top" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023 .
^ "Top Selling Albums of 2022" . Recorded Music NZ . Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022 .
^ "OLiS 2022 – roczne podsumowanie sprzedaży płyt na nośnikach fizycznych" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 17, 2023 .
^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2022" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 4, 2023 .
^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022" . Billboard . Retrieved December 2, 2022 .
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2022" . Billboard . Retrieved January 22, 2023 .
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Albums" (PDF) . Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Canadian album certifications – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Music Canada . Retrieved November 10, 2022 .
^ "French album certifications – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique . Retrieved February 8, 2023 .
^ "Italian album certifications – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved August 10, 2023 .
^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Weeknd – The Highlights" . Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 8, 2023 . Click "TYTUŁ" and enter The Highlights in the search box.
^ "British album certifications – Weeknd – The Highlights" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 21, 2023 .
^ Smith, Sophie (January 26, 2021). "The Weeknd Announces New Hits Collection 'The Highlights' " . uDiscoverMusic . Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd – The Highlights: Cassette" . The Weeknd Shop UK . Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021 .
^ "ザ・ハイライツ[CD] – ザ・ウィークエンド" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved January 28, 2021 .
^ "The Weeknd – The Highlights: Vinyl Shop" . The Weeknd Shop . Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021 .
External links
Studio albums Soundtrack albums Mixtapes EPs Compilation albums Live albums Tours and shows See also