Review: The Weeknd - Take My Breath

Pop quiz: What was the biggest hit of 2020? Only one correct answer, The Weeknd's The Blinding Lights. This is the first time in years where I feel it is deserved. The Blinding Lights pulsated forward with all the sonic drama that ABC pop has missed for years, and nearly perfected the formula. It revived synthpop and led to the mainstream surge of synth-wave. 

It has been over a year-and-a-half, and The Weeknd is, at least commercially, one of the biggest artists in the world. He has released several subsequent singles, but none really came close to The Blinding Lights (though Save Your Tears was pretty solid). Now, The Weeknd is finally moving past After Hours with and it has some nice variations, as well as pulsating energy, but it does not do nearly enough to become a modern classic.

The Weeknd sings in a much higher pitch than normal. This peaks in the chorus, sung nearly entirely in falsetto. The chugging beat allows a nice dynamic merger. The start-stop structure has never been a favorite of mine, but Take My Breath is a strong example of the style.

Lyrically, Take My Breath lacks the conceptual intent that The Blinding Lights had. I have seen many interpretations online, but none truly make that much sense. I assume sometimes it is just best to groove along to the pop beat.

Overall, Take My Breath is great, even if it is not even close to The Blinding Lights. Admittedly, that song is a hard bar to cross, and Take My Breath does its best with the funky disco beat.

Rating: 8.75/10

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