A deluxe version of The Highlights was released on February 9, 2024, featuring a reworked tracklist and more songs from the Weeknd's aforementioned projects, his studio album Dawn FM (2022), the soundtrack to his television series The Idol (2023), and his promotional single "King of the Fall" (2014).[11]
Artworkedit
The album's cover continues the usage of the red suit that the Weeknd donned throughout the promotional material for his fourth studio album After Hours (2020).[12] The particular suit worn in the cover art is the same one that he wore for the Super Bowl LV halftime show and in the music video for the song "Save Your Tears", which served as the fourth single from the aforementioned album.[13]
Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the collection, stating, "The Highlights is a well-selected point of entry. That it rarely dips into album cuts and doesn't include all of the major singles speaks to the depth of the catalog."[14]
Commercial performanceedit
The Highlights debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 89,000 album-equivalent units, including 10,000 pure album sales. It is the Weeknd's highest charting compilation album, and marks the biggest first week debut for a greatest hits set since Blake Shelton's Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019), which peaked at number two on the chart dated December 28, 2019.[15] The compilation album has managed to spend more than 130 weeks on the chart.[16]The Highlights was the twenty-first best-selling album of 2021 according to Hits, stating the album has moved a total of 1,004,000 album-equivalent units by the end of 2021, including 74,000 pure album sales, 226,000 song sales, 1,1 billion audio-on-demand streams, and 160 million video-on-demand streams.[17] In the next year, The Highlights was the sixth best-selling album of the year, moved a total of 1,600,000 album-equivalent units by the end of 2022, including 51,000 pure album sales, 205,000 song sales, 2 billion audio-on-demand streams, and 198 million video-on-demand streams.[18]
^Aswad, Jem (March 30, 2018). "Music Review: The Weeknd's EP 'My Dear Melancholy,'". Variety. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ abReeves, Mosi (November 28, 2016). "Review: The Weeknd's 'Starboy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2019. Kiss Land may have sounded like Trilogy redux, but at least it offered a thrilling reprise of Eighties underground darkwave
^Glaysher, Scott (November 28, 2016). "The Weeknd Starboy Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^"The Weeknd Rolls Out Greatest Hits Album Ahead of Super Bowl Performance". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^"The Weeknd Shop (1/25/2021)". Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^Roth, Madeline (March 20, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'Brain-Melting' New Album After Hours Is Finally Here". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^"The Weeknd in Japan". CDJapan. Japan: Neowing. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^"The Weeknd's Super Bowl Halftime Performance: Everything We Know". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^"The Weeknd Releases Greatest Hits Album 'The Highlights' Ahead of Super Bowl Performance". January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^"The Highlights Clean CD". The Weeknd Shop. January 25, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^"The Highlights (Deluxe)". Spotify. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^Holmes, Charles (February 13, 2020). "The Weeknd and His Mustache Announce New Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^Gonzales, Erica (January 5, 2021). "The Weeknd and His Botox Prosthetics Will Give Me Nightmares to Last Through 2021". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
^ ab"The Weeknd > The Highlights > AllMusic Review". AllMusic.
^Caulfield, Keith (February 14, 2021). "Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous' No. 1 for Fifth Week on Billboard 200 While 'If I Know Me' Hits Top 10 for First Time". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
^ ab"The Weeknd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^"THE BIGGEST ALBUMS OF 2021". Hits. December 27, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
^"THE BIGGEST ALBUMS OF 2022". Hits. November 30, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
^"Los discos más vendidos de la semana". Diario de Cultura. CAPIF. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
^"Australiancharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^"Austriancharts.at – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^"Ultratop.be – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
^"Ultratop.be – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^"Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 06.Týden 2021 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^"Danishcharts.dk – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^"Dutchcharts.nl – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
^"Lescharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
^"Offiziellecharts.de – The Weeknd – The Highlights" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
^"Portuguesecharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^"Slovak Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Retrieved April 8, 2022. Note: On the chart page, select SK - Albums - Top 100 under the left field and "202106" on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data.
^"Spanishcharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
^"Swisscharts.com – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^"New Zealand album certifications – The Weeknd – The Highlights". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
^"OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 8, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter The Highlights in the search box.