Kiss Land | ||||
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Studio album by The Weeknd | ||||
Released | September 10, 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2012–13 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 55:38 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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The Weeknd chronology | ||||
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Singles from Kiss Land | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10 |
Metacritic | 65/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
The Guardian | |
The Independent | |
Los Angeles Times | |
NME | |
The Observer | |
Pitchfork | 6.2/10 |
Rolling Stone | |
Spin | 7/10 |
Kiss Land is the debut studio album by Canadian singer The Weeknd. The album was released in the United States on September 10, 2013, by XO and Republic Records. Kiss Land was supported by six singles: "Kiss Land", "Belong to the World", "Love in the Sky", "Live For", "Pretty" and "Wanderlust". The album's sole guest appearance comes from frequent collaborator Drake. The album's production was primarily handled by Danny Boy Styles, The Weeknd and Jason "DaHeala" Quenneville.
Kiss Land received generally positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 95,000 copies in its first week. As of August 2015, the album has sold 273,000 copies in the US.
On March 17, 2013, The Weeknd announced his debut album would be titled Kiss Land. In July 2013, Amazon.com revealed that the album would be released on August 27, 2013. On July 22, 2013, it was announced that the album would be pushed back from August 27, 2013, until September 10, 2013. In July 2013, during an interview with Complex, The Weeknd described the album, saying:
Kiss Land symbolizes the tour life, but it's a world that I created in my head. Just like House of Balloons symbolizes Toronto and my experiences there, but it's a world that I created. When I think about Kiss Land, I think about a terrifying place. It's a place I've never been to before that I'm very unfamiliar with. A lot of it is inspired by filmmakers like John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Ridley Scott, because they know how to capture fear. That's what Kiss Land is to me, an environment that's just honest fear. I don't know who I am right now and I'm doing all these outlandish things in these settings that I'm not familiar with. To me, it's the most terrifying thing ever. So when you hear the screams in the record and you hear all these horror references and you feel scared, listen to the music because I want you to feel what I'm feeling. Kiss Land is like a horror movie.