You are living in a cave if you haven’t heard The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights“. The song is breaking all kinds records having spent weeks at No 1 on radio. The Weeknd isn’t just for the weekend warrior, he’s for everybody. He makes music that has universal appeal that transcends all genres. Only a few artists can do that and he’s one of them.
Why did Blinding Lights take off? I don’t know, but it’s uptempo, has a great melody and it has an 80’s feel, similar to a-ha’s 1985 track ‘Take on Me.’ When a track is successful execs search for all kinds of answers like maybe people are feeling nostalgic or radio is taking less chances. Nobody knows, but one thing I do know is that great tracks rise to the top and buck the odds, and let’s not forget The Weeknd is a great performer and visualizer.