Prior to My Dear Melancholy, the Weeknd had a whole album written and done, 'which wasn't melancholy at all because it was a different time in my life.', he told Time in 2018. It received generally favourable reviews and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. The extended play was supported by the single, ' Call Out My Name', which peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. My Dear Melancholy is described as a return to the darker style of the Weeknd's earlier work, evident in Trilogy (2012) and Kiss Land (2013).
Primarily produced by Frank Dukes, who serves as an executive producer alongside the Weeknd, it features contributions from Gesaffelstein, as well as Mike Will Made It, DaHeala, Skrillex and Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, among others. It was released on March 30, 2018, through XO and Republic Records. My Dear Melancholy (stylized as My Dear Melancholy,) is the debut extended play by Canadian singer the Weeknd.
