21 August 2015
So, what do we think ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ is about? Perhaps I don’t need to be so coy – The Weeknd himself certainly wasn’t, going by the lyrics of his subsequent track ‘Reminder’: “I just won a new award for a kids show / Talking ’bout a face numbing off a bag of blow”. Of course, that could all just be big talk and crassness, which admittedly is also a characteristic of someone who’s polished off a line. Anyway, it’s no skin off my nose, though it may be a chunk of perforated septum off his.
Speaking of people causing themselves nasal structural issues, the Michael Jackson influence on the vocal tics and stylings of ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ is clear, and at times almost tips the whole thing over into Bruno Mars-style pastiche. Yes, the chorus is a banger, with a swish hook and slapping bassline. However, the antsy verses feel more like ill-fitting random pre-choruses bolted on around it. Ultimately, that chorus can only do so much before I get tired and irritated by this track’s brittle fidgetiness and I look to give ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ its marching powder orders.
