Kiss Land was The Weeknd’s first studio album, a commercial risk that leaned into horror movie aesthetics. The recording sessions in Japan and America produced nearly 30 tracks, but only 10 made the album.
The Lost Tapes:
If you want to explore this world ethically, here is the current landscape:
Do not:
Do:
A Note on The Idol: The soundtrack for the HBO show produced several songs that fans thought were new albums. Tracks like "Like a God" and "False Idols" exist in extended, unreleased versions that are not on streaming.
In the digital age, an artist’s “vault” has become as mythologized as their official discography. For fans of Abel Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, this shadow catalogue is not merely a collection of B-sides or demo scraps. It is a parallel universe. From the murky, haunted R&B of the House of Balloons era to the synth-wave grandeur of the After Hours sessions, the hundreds of unreleased tracks, leaks, and snippets circulating online offer a raw, unvarnished map of an artist’s psyche. For The Weeknd, these ghost tracks are not anomalies; they are the essential blueprints for his three defining themes: hedonism as trauma, the impossibility of escape, and the decay of fame.
The most compelling argument for the importance of The Weeknd’s unreleased music lies in its emotional transparency. Officially, his albums are masterclasses in narrative architecture. Kiss Land is a horror film about Japanese isolation; After Hours is a tragic opera in Las Vegas. But the unreleased tracks strip away the concept. Songs like “The Source” (featuring Lana Del Rey) or the Take Care leftovers (such as “I’m Good”) lack the glossy, cinematic buffer of his LPs. Instead, they present the raw code: a looped, distorted sample, a mumble about cocaine residue, a synth that decays into static. Where an official track like “Wicked Games” is a polished confession, an unreleased track like “Rescue You” is the drunken, 3:00 AM voicemail left before the confession. It is less poetic, more desperate, and therefore more honest.
Furthermore, these unreleased songs serve as the connective tissue between his distinct artistic eras. Critics often point to the leap from the mixtape trilogy’s lo-fi noise to the pop perfection of Beauty Behind the Madness as a sharp rupture. However, the vault reveals a gradual gradient. Leaked tracks from 2013-2014, such as “In Heaven” (an experimental cover of Eraserhead’s theme) or the shimmering “Girls Born in the 90s,” show Tesfaye actively trying to fuse Michael Jackson’s vocal cadence with the industrial clang of his past. They are the failed experiments, the songs that didn't fit the narrative, but they prove that The Weeknd’s evolution was not a corporate rebrand—it was a chaotic, iterative process of trial and error.
Perhaps most importantly, the unreleased material highlights the artist’s relentless work ethic and perfectionism. For every hit like “Blinding Lights,” there are a dozen “lost” tracks that were scrapped because they were too similar to a previous vibe or too dark for radio. The Starboy sessions alone produced dozens of leaks that are, by any other standard, finished songs. Yet, Abel left them behind. Listening to a track like “For Your Eyes Only” or “Hold Your Heart” (which eventually became “Save Your Tears”) reveals a creator who knows exactly what he wants. He recognizes a good song, but he waits for the perfect one. The unreleased songs are the skeletons in the closet that prove the final body is alive.
However, the existence of this vault creates a complex relationship between the artist and his audience. The Weeknd has famously expressed frustration over leaks, calling them a violation of his creative process. There is a valid argument that consuming these tracks is an act of theft, robbing the artist of the context and sequencing he intended. Listening to “Take Me Back to LA” as a grainy SoundCloud rip is a vastly different experience than hearing it transition seamlessly into “Dawn FM.” Yet, for the devoted fan, these ghosts are irresistible. They represent a version of The Weeknd that isn't performing for the Super Bowl halftime show, but one still bleeding out on the bathroom floor of a Toronto nightclub.
In conclusion, The Weeknd’s unreleased songs are more than just trivia for superfans. They are the discarded frames of a film, the deleted scenes that explain the protagonist’s motivation. They document the struggle of a man trying to silence the noise in his head with more noise. While his official albums chart the rise of a superstar, the unreleased tracks chart the fall of a person. They remind us that behind the red suit and the surgical bandages, Abel Tesfaye is still chasing a feeling he can never quite catch—and sometimes, the beauty is in the songs that got away.
Here is a curated guide to some of the most legendary unreleased tracks and demos from The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye). Whether you’re diving into the "The Noise" era or looking for scrapped Starboy gems, these tracks are essential for any XO fan. 🌌 The Ultimate XO Unreleased Playlist Exploring The Weeknd's Unreleased Tracks - TikTok
The Weeknd's unreleased catalog is a vast "treasure trove" of demos, scraps, and leaked masterpieces that fans often call hidden gems. This guide categorizes the most notable tracks and provides tips on how to find them.
For a deep dive into the unique sound of these vault tracks, check out this collection of fan favorites: Explore The Weeknd's Unreleased Songs Collection elisafalvo TikTok• 11 Nov 2024 Top Unreleased Tracks to Know
Many of Abel’s unreleased songs are from his earlier eras (Trilogy and Kiss Land) or were intended for later albums but never made the final cut.
"Birthday Suit": A fan-favorite upbeat track from his very early career.
"Get in There": Known for its smooth, rhythmic production typical of his earlier R&B style.
"In the Mood": A slow, moody track that captures the dark aesthetic of the Trilogy era.
"Godzilla": A rare, more aggressive track that surfaced through leaks.
"Hold Your Heart": A highly anticipated track that fans have long hoped would see an official release.
"Ivory": A soulful, unreleased demo that has circulated in the XO community for years. Where to Find Unreleased Music
Discovering these tracks requires looking beyond official streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music.
Reddit & Discord: Check subreddits like r/TheWeeknd or artist-specific Discord servers where fans share leaked snippets and community-made compilations.
SoundCloud: A primary hub for fans to upload leaked demos and unreleased tracks that aren't officially available.
YouTube & TikTok: Users often post lyric videos or short edits of unreleased tracks, though these are frequently taken down for copyright infringement. The "New" Era: AI and Snippets
As Abel moves toward his final chapter as The Weeknd with the album Hurry Up Tomorrow, new "unreleased" content has surfaced in different forms. Unreleased The Weeknd Songs
IA/AI Unreleased: Many "new" unreleased songs found on social media are actually AI-generated tracks that mimic his voice.
Official Snippets: Songs like "Live Again" or "Society" have been teased in live sets or rehearsal clips but may not appear on the final studio version. If you'd like, I can help you:
Find the original versions of tracks that changed before release.
Identify which era (e.g., After Hours or Dawn FM) a specific leak belongs to.
Explain the legal risks of using or sampling these tracks in your own work.
For fans of Abel Tesfaye, the official discography—spanning from the dark, hazy nights of to the synth-pop spectacle of After Hours
—is only half the story. Deep in the corners of the internet lies a massive vault of unreleased material, spanning over a decade of evolution.
Here is a deep dive into the "lost" music of The Weeknd, categorized by their origins and sound. 1. The "The Noise" EP (The Prequel Era) House of Balloons
, Abel was part of a production group called The Noise. These songs are much more "mainstream" R&B and pop than the dark, atmospheric sound he eventually became famous for. "Birthday Suit"
: A cheeky, upbeat track that sounds closer to Justin Timberlake than the "Starboy" we know today. "Appointment"
: A smooth, early 2010s R&B cut that showcases his natural vocal range without the heavy reverb. "Rescue You"
: A high-energy pop track that feels like a time capsule of 2009 radio.
During the era where Abel was "The King of the Fall," several tracks were left on the cutting room floor that maintained that gritty, drug-addled Toronto sound. "Trust Issues" (Remix)
: While technically a Drake cover, Abel’s version is considered by many fans to be the definitive take, fully embracing the "XO" aesthetic.
: Released as a promotional track but never made it onto an official album, this song captures the eerie, paranoid atmosphere of the Echoes of Silence "The Birds Pt. 3"
: While Part 1 and Part 2 are legendary, rumors of a third installment have circulated for years in fan communities. 3. Collaboration Graveyard
The Weeknd is known for high-profile collaborations, but not every studio session sees the light of day. "Godzilla"
: A heavy, trap-influenced track that has leaked in various forms over the years. "Insomnia"
: A synth-heavy track that fans speculate was intended for the My Dear Melancholy, Unreleased Daft Punk Sessions
: Before the duo disbanded, it was rumored they recorded several more tracks with Abel beyond "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming." 4. The Modern Era: After Hours
As Abel moved toward a cinematic, concept-heavy style, many demos were discarded to keep the narrative tight. "Take Me Back to LA"
: One of the most famous "lost" tracks. Abel teased it on Instagram Live during the pandemic, and fans have been clamoring for a high-quality studio version ever since. "In Your Eyes" (Original Demo)
: Early versions of this hit featured different arrangements and vocal takes that provided a more raw, less "polished" 80s vibe. "Hurry Up Tomorrow" Scraps
: As he prepares to "kill off" The Weeknd persona, Abel has mentioned having hundreds of songs that didn't fit the final chapter of his current trilogy. Where to Find Them? Because these songs are unreleased, they aren't on Apple Music . Fans typically find them on: SoundCloud
: A goldmine for "slowed + reverb" edits of unreleased tracks. The Weeknd Wiki : An extensive List of Unreleased Songs that tracks every known leak and snippet.
: Look for channels dedicated to "XO Vaults" or rare Abel recordings. Kiss Land was The Weeknd’s first studio album,
Exploring the hidden side of Abel Tesfaye’s catalog reveals a world of dark, atmospheric demos and scrapped concepts that never made it to official platforms
. While his studio albums define modern R&B, "The Weeknd" has a vast unreleased discography spanning from his pre-fame days as part of "The Noise" to the modern-day "Afterlife" era. The Early Era: The Noise EP (2007–2009) Before the dark, drug-infused themes of House of Balloons , Abel was part of a production team called
. These songs are noticeably more "pop-centric" and upbeat compared to his later work. "Birthday Suit"
: One of the most famous early leaks, originally recorded as a demo for Drake. "Love Through Her"
: A melodic track highlighting Abel’s raw vocal range before he found his signature "gloomy" sound.
: A catchy, more traditional R&B track that sounds worlds apart from the Other Notable Early Tracks : "Godzilla," "Rescue You," and "Appointment". The Leaked "Private Stash" (2014–2016)
In May 2016, a massive leak of 11 songs from Abel’s private catalog surfaced online, mostly from the Beauty Behind the Madness "Out Here"
: A fan favorite often cited for its eerie, haunting atmosphere that fits the "King of the Fall" vibe.
: A heavily distorted, experimental track that showed Abel’s willingness to push genre boundaries. "Insomnia" : Widely regarded by fans on
as one of the hardest-hitting unreleased tracks from this era. "Wanna Feel You"
: A reference track that provides a glimpse into his creative process during the The "Scrapped" Albums and Concepts
Throughout his career, Abel has famously pivoted between projects, leaving entire concepts behind.
Here are a few options for a post about The Weeknd's unreleased songs, tailored for different vibes and platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter/X. Option 1: The "Vault Hunter" (Best for Instagram/Threads)
Caption: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.
Girls Born in the 90s – A classic demo that some say is better than "Acquainted." Enemy – Still a staple for the late-night rotation. 👇 Drop your favorite unreleased gems below. Option 2: The "XO Appreciation" (Best for TikTok/Twitter)
Caption:If you haven't heard these unreleased Weeknd tracks, are you even XO? 👂✨
From the Trilogy era to the scrapped Hurry Up Tomorrow sessions, Abel's vault is deeper than most artists' discographies. Must-hears: The Weeknd's Unreleased Tracks from Hurry Up Tomorrow
The Shadow Discography: A Guide to Unreleased The Weeknd Songs
While Abel Tesfaye has built a multibillion-dollar empire on global hits like "Blinding Lights," a vast "shadow discography" exists beneath the surface. For the XO fan base, tracking unreleased The Weeknd songs is a journey through scrapped eras, raw demos, and legendary leaks that offer a glimpse into the artist's evolving psyche.
Below is a comprehensive guide to the most significant unreleased tracks and the "lost" albums they belong to. 1. The Lost Albums: Scrapped Eras
The Weeknd is known for being a perfectionist, often shelving entire projects when they no longer align with his emotional state.
The Upbeat Album (2017): Prior to the somber My Dear Melancholy, Tesfaye completed an entire "upbeat" and "beautiful" album. Following his split from Selena Gomez, he scrapped the project because he didn't want to perform music he no longer felt.
The "King of the Fall" Era (2014): Between Kiss Land and Beauty Behind the Madness, a bridge project existed that featured darker, hip-hop-leaning tracks like "King of the Fall" and "Often".
The Scrapped 2022 Album: Before settling on the direction for Hurry Up Tomorrow, an earlier 2022 project was reportedly replaced to fit the final chapter of his current trilogy. 2. Fan-Favorite Unreleased Tracks
Abel Tesfaye, known as The Weeknd , has built a career on mystery, and his vault of unreleased music is no different. From early demos to high-profile scrapped albums, his unreleased catalog offers a deep dive into his evolving sound. The Noise Era (2007–2009) Before the dark R&B of House of Balloons , Tesfaye was part of a production team called
. These tracks are significantly more "pop-leaning" than his later work. "Birthday Suit" If you want to explore this world ethically,
: A upbeat, radio-ready demo that was reportedly intended for Drake. "Rescue You"
: A track that showcases his vocal range in a more traditional pop context. Other Notable Tracks : "Do It," "Love Through Her," and "Appointment". Scrapped Albums and Eras
Throughout his career, several full-length projects have been abandoned or transformed: King of the Fall (2014)
: Intended to be his second studio album, this project was largely scrapped in favor of Beauty Behind the Madness
. Only the title track, "King of the Fall," was officially released. The "Upbeat" Album (2017)
: Following a breakup, Tesfaye reportedly scrapped an entire album’s worth of "upbeat" music, choosing instead to release the melancholic EP My Dear Melancholy, We're Alone Together : Often cited by fans as a planned follow-up to My Dear Melancholy, , it remains unreleased. The "Kiss Land" Vaults During a 2020 episode of his Memento Mori
radio show, The Weeknd premiered several high-quality demos from the 2013 "For Your Eyes"
: A haunting, atmospheric track that fans often cite as a top-tier unreleased gem. "Angel Face" & "Heavenly Creatures" : Fully formed demos that didn't make the final album cut. "Money Power Glory" (Remix)
: A remix of the Lana Del Rey track that predates their official collaborations. Fan Favorites and Leaks
Many of these songs have surfaced through leaks or early social media snippets:
Title: Echoes of a Hollow Heart
Era: Kiss Land (2013-2014, scrapped deluxe edition)
Producer: Silky Johnson (fictional collaborator), DannyBoyStyles
Leak Date: June 2018
Sound: A murky, 6-minute slow-burn. Opens with the sound of a shattering windshield and rain. Abel’s voice is pitched low, layered over a distorted, reversed sample of a Japanese city pop ballad. The chorus is deceptively catchy: “I gave you my chest / You carved out your name / now every breath / just echoes the pain.” Contains a rare, unedited scream ad-lib in the bridge.
Title: Starry Eyes (Original Demo)
Era: After Hours (2019, before the Max Martin overhaul)
Producer: Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes
Leak Date: November 2021
Sound: This version of the song that eventually became “Save Your Tears” is completely different. It’s a stark, piano-and-trap-soul ballad with no 80s synth. The lyrics are brutally direct: “You laughed at my funeral / said the black suit made me look thin.” The final chorus has a blown-out 808 bass drop that was deemed “too aggressive” for the final album.
Title: Blue Monday (feat. Lana Del Rey)
Era: Dawn FM (2021, unreleased collaboration)
Producer: Oneohtrix Point Never, Max Martin
Leak Date: March 2023 (from a CD-R found in a rented London studio)
Sound: A cover of the New Order classic, but completely deconstructed. It’s a spoken-word intro from Lana over a heartbeat monitor, then a drop into a Jim Carrey-narrated interlude before Abel finally sings the first verse in a falsetto whisper. The chorus is replaced by a dissonant, choir-like synth pad. Only 90 seconds long. Fans are divided.
Title: 3 AM (Talk to Me)
Era: My Dear Melancholy, (2018, extended sessions)
Producer: Skrillex, Gesaffelstein
Leak Date: December 2020 (via a mysterious SoundCloud account named “@xotwod”)
Sound: A blistering, industrial R&B track. Skrillex’s signature growling bass meets Gesaffelstein’s cold, metallic percussion. Abel raps—not sings—the first verse in a drugged-out flow about a secret Vegas wedding that fell apart after 48 hours. The outro is a voicemail from a woman laughing, then hanging up.
Title: The Fall (Part II)
Era: Trilogy (2012, recorded for Echoes of Silence but cut)
Producer: Illangelo, Doc McKinney
Leak Date: September 2016 (from a stolen hard drive)
Sound: A direct sequel to “The Fall” from Thursday. It picks up exactly where that song ended, with the same synth drone. Now, the protagonist has hit rock bottom. The beat is just a single, off-kilter kick drum and a reversed cymbal. Abel’s vocals are untreated and raw, cracking on lines like: “I took the whole bottle / just to feel small / your ghost is a parasite / eating my all.” No chorus. It fades to silence abruptly.
Title: Vista (Male Bonding Remix)
Era: Starboy (2016, outtake from the Daft Punk sessions)
Producer: Daft Punk, Doc McKinney (uncredited remix by Kavinsky)
Leak Date: January 2024 (high-quality WAV file leaked by a former Universal intern)
Sound: A rare Daft Punk instrumental that Abel wrote top-line for but never finished. The remix adds Kavinsky’s signature Drive synths. It’s an instrumental 90% of the way, with Abel only whispering the word “Vista” every 16 bars. It was allegedly intended for a cancelled Starboy short film. A fan-favorite for studying or night driving.
Title: Mercy (On My Knees)
Era: Hurry Up Tomorrow (2024, scrapped lead single)
Producer: Mike Dean, Justice
Leak Date: February 2025
Sound: The most “finished” unreleased track. A stadium-sized, French-touch electronic gospel song. Abel sings in his chest voice about public downfall and redemption. A children’s choir enters in the final minute, singing the melody from “Blinding Lights” in Latin. It ends with a phone ringing three times, then a click. No voicemail. Just silence.
Why they remain unreleased (fictional notes):
Artist: The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) Context: Leaks, Demos, and Throwaways Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
In the modern music landscape, few artists have a "vault" as mythologized as Abel Tesfaye’s. While official albums like House of Balloons and After Hours define the canon of modern R&B, The Weeknd’s unreleased discography offers a raw, unfiltered look at his creative process. For dedicated fans, these tracks are not just throwaways; they are essential pieces of the puzzle that bridge the gaps between his distinct sonic eras.
The Weeknd’s rise was built on mystique. When he dropped House of Balloons in 2011 anonymously, no one knew who he was. That sense of secrecy never left the fandom. Unreleased tracks tap into that primal need for more—more of the dark R&B, more of the toxic romance, and more of the vocal acrobatics that define his sound.
Furthermore, many of these unreleased songs represent sonic "what-ifs." For example, fans can hear the transition between the Kiss Land aesthetic and the mainstream pop takeover of Beauty Behind the Madness. For collectors, finding a rare, high-quality .WAV file of a lost track is like finding a lost Beatles tape.
Kiss Land is The Weeknd’s misunderstood sophomore album. It was a bloated, cinematic horror movie of a record. But the cutting room floor for this album is legendary.
Tracks like "Enemy" (which later surfaced online) feature a haunting string section and a hook that sounds more modern than the actual album. Another gem is "I Wanna Feel You" (also known as "Divergent" due to its appearance on that film's unfinished score). During the Kiss Land tour, Abel previewed a song called "In Heaven" —a cover of the Eraserhead soundtrack—that never received an official release. These unreleased The Weeknd songs are characterized by their J-horror textures and robotic vocal effects, representing a creative dead-end that he brilliantly revisited later on My Dear Melancholy.
While there are hundreds of loose files, a few tracks have achieved mythical status:
Before Trilogy was a compilation, it was three separate mixtapes. However, the original sessions for House of Balloons were chaotic and prolific. Dozens of songs were recorded in that tiny, rented apartment in Toronto that never saw the light of day.
Key Unreleased Tracks from this Era:
These early leaks are rough. You can hear the clipping in the microphones and the cheap reverb plugins. But that grit is precisely why fans love them.