Kiss Land (song)

"Kiss Land" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd, from his debut studio album of the same name. It was released on May 17, 2013, by XO and Republic Records, as the lead single from the album. Upon its release, it received critical acclaim from music critics, who appreciated the progression from his earlier works. On June 25, 2013, a month later the music video was released, featuring adult actresses London Keyes, Asphyxia Noir and Bonnie Rotten. It is considered NSFW due to the sexually explicit content, but a censored version was released as well.[1]

"Kiss Land"
Single by the Weeknd
from the album Kiss Land
ReleasedMay 17, 2013 (2013-05-17)
GenreAlternative R&B
Length7:36
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
The Weeknd singles chronology
"The Zone"
(2012)		 "Kiss Land"
(2013)		 "Belong to the World"
(2013)
Music video
"Kiss Land" on YouTube

Background and composition

In 2011, the Weeknd released the mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence to critical acclaim.[2] The following year, he released the compilation album Trilogy, which contained his earlier projects with three newly recorded tracks.[3] The Weeknd began work on his debut studio album Kiss Land in 2013; he revealed the title and cover artwork on March 17.[4]

The song was produced by Silkky Johnson, known for his previous work with ASAP Mob and Lil B, in which the first half of the song is a repurpose of another song he initially produced for Main Attrakionz entitled "Nothin' Gonna Change," from the 2011 mixtape 808s & Dark Grapes II. "Kiss Land" was released to the iTunes Store on May 17, 2013, and lasts for seven minutes and thirty-six seconds, it contains a sample of "La Ritournelle" by French musician Sébastien Tellier.[5] The song was co-produced by DannyBoyStyles, the Weeknd himself and Jason "DaHeala" Quenneville. It is divided into two musical portions; the first section discusses themes of sex, while the latter half addresses the topics of alcoholism.[6]

Critical reception

Upon its release, "Kiss Land" was met with widespread acclaim from music critics. Lauren Nostro from Complex complimented the Weeknd's growth as an artist, noting that he "continually refines" his "defined aesthetic", and noted that the track "boasts a bridge".[7] Global Grind's Brittany Lewis described the song as "hypnotic",[8] while Carl Williott of Idolator thought that the use of a woman's scream brought a "sinister lothario thing to absurd new heights".[9] Rob Markman from MTV News felt that "Kiss Land" shared a similar structure to the Weeknd's previous tracks, but also suggested that the forthcoming release of Kiss Land will reveal "a lot more about music's mystery man".[6]

VH1 India gave "Kiss Land" a 7/10 citing it as "An impressive sequential plunge into the Weeknd's cryptic tide, but as he himself so coyly reminds us,"This is nothing to relate to," and we may have already extended our invitation".[10]

Charts
Chart performance for "Kiss Land"
Chart (2013) Peak
position
South Korea International Streaming (Gaon)[11] 195

References
  1. "Bonnie Rotten Featured in New Music Video for The Weeknd". AVN. July 2, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  2. "The Weeknd Profile". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  3. "iTunes - Music - Trilogy by The Weeknd". iTunes Store. November 13, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  4. Dharmic X (March 17, 2013). "The Weeknd Announces That His New Album Will Be Titled "Kiss Land"". Complex. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  5. "iTunes - Music - Kiss Land (Explicit Version) - Single by The Weeknd". iTunes Store. May 16, 2013. Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  6. Rob Markman (May 17, 2013). "The Weeknd Drops Sexy 'Kiss Land' and Sincere 'John Carpenter'". MTV News. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  7. Lauren Nostro (May 16, 2013). "Listen: The Weeknd "Kiss Land"". Complex. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  8. Brittany Lewis (May 17, 2013). "The Weeknd "Kiss Land/John Carpenter"". Global Grind. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  9. Carl Williott (May 17, 2013). "The Weeknd Unveils "Kiss Land": Hear The New Album's Epic Title Track". Idolator. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
  10. "Kiss Land | Vh1 India". Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  11. "Gaon Streaming Chart (2013년 6월 2주차)". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
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