In an interview with The Fader, The Weeknd revealed that he has been writing and recording music since his teenage years. He has stated that he often writes and records songs that don't make it to his official releases, citing that he has a "warehouse" of unreleased music. This "warehouse" has become a treasure trove for fans, who have been able to access some of these unreleased tracks through various online channels.
Entire projects with producers or other artists have been abandoned due to shifting creative directions.
The unreleased The Weeknd songs that have surfaced online offer a unique glimpse into his creative process. Here are a few takeaways:
Diving into the XO vault today. 🥀 There’s something haunting about the tracks that never made the albums—it’s like hearing a different version of Abel’s story. Which one is your "if only it released" track? Top Picks from the Vault: For Your Eyes Only – The definition of haunting. Hold Your Heart – That raw emotion hits different. Take Me Back to LA – The synth-pop vibe we deserved.
During a Memento Mori radio broadcast, Abel premiered several fully formed demos that didn't make the final cut of his 2013 album, Kiss Land .