HBO

HBO Said A Decision ‘Has Not’ Been Made Regarding ‘The Idol’s’ Return For A Second Season

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the idol 2023
Eddy Chen/HBO

Despite a few reports to the contrary today, it looks like The Idol hasn’t officially been canceled. However, that doesn’t mean it’s coming back after this season.

Following numerous reports claiming that The Idol, which is the brainchild of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, would not return for a second season, HBO shared a statement from their official PR social accounts noting that several outlets reported this news incorrectly.

“It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined,” read a tweet. “It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night.”

At the time of writing, only two episodes of The Idol have aired, however, the reception hasn’t fared well.

A British GQ review called a sex scene in the second episode “the worst sex scene in history.”

In an interview with American GQ, The Weeknd noted that this particular scene was supposed to be unsexy.

“How ever you’re feeling watching that scene, whether it’s discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters,” he said. “It’s all those emotions adding up to: This guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here.”

The Idol airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on HBO. Episodes are also available for streaming on Max.

HBO Struggling To Find Team Willing To Do “Hard Knocks”

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Hard Knocks has been an essential part of the NFL season since 2001. The no-holds-barred HBO series follows an NFL team during their training camp. showcasing the highs, lows, and realities of preparing for an NFL season. In 2021, the show was reformatted to feature two seasons – one in training camp and one during the season.

However, full film production is a major ask for teams. Not only can it be disruptive, but it can also be distracting and add unnecessary pressure to a team. With teams being less willing to participate, the NFL implemented a rule that each year, four teams could be mandated to appear on the show. That may need to be the case due to some new revelations.

Teams Unwilling To Appear On “Hard Knocks”

According to multiple reports, HBO initially reached out to the Detroit Lions about appearing on Hard Knocks. The Lions were the team that the training camp season focused on last year. If the Lions accepted, they would become the first team to appear on the show in back-to-back seasons. The reason for this desperation is that teams are apparently especially unwilling to appear on the show this year. Last year, Hard Knocks followed the Arizona Cardinals during the season. However, few teams are willing to work with the broadcasting giant this year.

Furthermore, while the NFL can mandate the Jets, Saints, Commanders, and Bears to appear on the show, even these teams are pushing back about working with HBO. It’s likely that the Jets, with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, would be the preference of HBO. However, the reluctance for teams to participate is likely worrying for HBO. Hard Knocks 2023 would be the first under HBO’s new Max banner. Furthermore, there is a bigger reliance on unscripted content as the WGA strike continues. However, it remains to be seen if teams openly defy the NFL on this issue, and what the NFL will do if this happens. This is a developing story and any updates will be here on HotNewHipHop.

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The Weeknd Speaks On Controversial Sex Scene In “The Idol”

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People have been talking about The Idol for months before its actual release date. But now that two episodes are out the buzz has continued. One scene in episode two in particular has generated quite a bit of attention. Many fans and critics have dubbed it the worst sex scene of all time. Series star and co-creator The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) takes part in the scene and dealt with a good bit of backlash from it. In a new interview with GQ, Tesfaye defended some of the scene’s artistic choices.

“There’s nothing sexy about it,” Tesfaye explained. “How ever you’re feeling watching that scene, whether it’s discomfort, or you feel gross, or you feel embarrassed for the characters. It’s all those emotions adding up to: This guy is in way over his head, this situation is one where he is not supposed to be here.” Even though the viewership reportedly dropped by 12% from episode one to episode two, plenty of fans still saw the scene. The Weeknd was trending on Twitter afterward as fans discussed the specific scene and the writing of the show in general.

The Weeknd’s Viral Sex Scene

This isn’t the first time Tesfaye has had to defend himself from fans watching “The Idol.” He defended his acting chops and the show’s controversial themes after negative reactions from critics. “We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say,” Tesfaye explains. He seemed mainly interested in starting a conversation, regardless of what that conversation is. “I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation.”

On top of new episodes of the show every week, fans are also getting new music. Tesfaye has been dropping collaborative songs with various members of the cast alongside each new episode drop. Episode 3 of the 5-part series is set to air this Sunday on HBO. What do you think of the controversial sex scene in The Idol? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: The Weeknd Has No Issue With MF DOOM Comparison

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The Weeknd Is ‘Loving’ The (Not-So-Great) Response To ‘The Idol,’ His Controversial New HBO Show

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the weeknd the idol
Eddy Chen/HBO

The Weeknd and Sam Levinson’s new HBO series The Idol is here, and so far, the response has been… not great: It has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for any HBO show ever, currently at 26 percent (with a 58 percent audience score). The Weeknd doesn’t seem fazed by this, though. In fact, it looks like he’s happy with how things are going, as he indicated in a new GQ interview.

At the top of the conversation, he was asked how he’s feeling about the response to the show after the first two episodes, and he responded, “I’m loving it. It’s definitely shaken up the culture for sure [laughs]. We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say.” When asked if he thinks “the audience is engaging with it in the way” he intended, he replied, “I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation. That’s important for anything I do, especially this new medium that I’m in.”

Meanwhile, The Weeknd continues busting out new music as new episodes premiere. The fresh tracks that followed this past weekend’s episode were “Family” by The Weeknd with Suzanna Son and “Devil’s Paradise” by Mike Dean.

The Weeknd Responds To “The Idol” Criticism

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The Weeknd is one of the biggest global superstars in the entire world. Overall, he has sold tens of millions of records and continues to be at the top of his game. However, he is currently garnering a lot of criticism for his acting chops in The Idol. The new HBO show has been streaming fairly well, although the critics absolutely hate it. Moreover, the dialogue and sexual themes in the show are already rubbing people the wrong way. Needless to say, the show is gaining a lot of attention, a lot of it bad.

In case you haven’t noticed, The Weeknd is someone who pays attention to social media. Consequently, you will sometimes find him responding to people on Twitter or Instagram. Recently, however, he talked about The Idol and its reception with GQ Magazine. In the interview, Abel made it clear that his character’s depiction is deliberate. He is meant to be a bad person, and they aren’t sugarcoating that. Furthermore, he is just happy to see people talking about the show.

Read More: “The Idol” Episode 2 Loses Tens Of Thousands Of Viewers

The Weeknd Speaks

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JUNE 10: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye performs live at Etihad Stadium as part of his After Hours til Dawn Tour on June 10, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

“I’m loving it. It’s definitely shaken up the culture for sure [laughs]. We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say,” The Weeknd explained. “I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation. That’s important for anything I do, especially this new medium that I’m in.” In the eyes of Abel, there is no such thing as bad press.

With Episode 3 set to drop this Sunday, it will be interesting to see where the show goes from here. Ultimately, season 1 will decide whether or not this is a show that deserves to go on any longer. Let us know your thoughts on The Idol, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the music world.

Read More: “The Idol” TV Channel: How To Watch In The US And Canada

[Via]

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The Weeknd Responds To “The Idol” Criticism

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The Weeknd is one of the biggest global superstars in the entire world. Overall, he has sold tens of millions of records and continues to be at the top of his game. However, he is currently garnering a lot of criticism for his acting chops in The Idol. The new HBO show has been streaming fairly well, although the critics absolutely hate it. Moreover, the dialogue and sexual themes in the show are already rubbing people the wrong way. Needless to say, the show is gaining a lot of attention, a lot of it bad.

In case you haven’t noticed, The Weeknd is someone who pays attention to social media. Consequently, you will sometimes find him responding to people on Twitter or Instagram. Recently, however, he talked about The Idol and its reception with GQ Magazine. In the interview, Abel made it clear that his character’s depiction is deliberate. He is meant to be a bad person, and they aren’t sugarcoating that. Furthermore, he is just happy to see people talking about the show.

Read More: “The Idol” Episode 2 Loses Tens Of Thousands Of Viewers

The Weeknd Speaks

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JUNE 10: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye performs live at Etihad Stadium as part of his After Hours til Dawn Tour on June 10, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

“I’m loving it. It’s definitely shaken up the culture for sure [laughs]. We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say,” The Weeknd explained. “I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation. That’s important for anything I do, especially this new medium that I’m in.” In the eyes of Abel, there is no such thing as bad press.

With Episode 3 set to drop this Sunday, it will be interesting to see where the show goes from here. Ultimately, season 1 will decide whether or not this is a show that deserves to go on any longer. Let us know your thoughts on The Idol, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the music world.

Read More: “The Idol” TV Channel: How To Watch In The US And Canada

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“The Idol” Reaches Massive Streaming Debut Numbers

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Whether you love it or hate it, odds are that you’re watching HBO’s new series with The Weeknd, “The Idol.” If you’re not, there’s still plenty of time to join the 3.6 million viewers that streamed the series’ premiere episode in its first week on their service. According to HBO, this represents one of the biggest-ever streaming debuts (and viewership debuts, for that matter) in the network’s history within that timeframe. To put things in perspective, “The White Lotus” premiered in 2021 with 3 million viewers in its first week, whereas “Euphoria” (also helmed by Sam Levinson) nabbed 3.3 million in 2019.

The second episode of “The Idol” is already out, and it’s caused no shortage of shocked, outraged, or entranced reactions online. While the show seems to have one foot in controversy and another in critique, it’s definitely caused a stir online that reflects in its commercial success. At least some credit has to go to the show’s cast and crew for that very reason, as it’s always possible that it will age like fine wine for its detractors. With two-thirds of the season to go, it’s still quite early to say whether numbers will keep rising by the finale or dip out eventually.

Read More: The Weeknd’s Biggest Hits: From “Losers” To “Blinding Lights”

“The Idol” Nabs Big Numbers For Its Premiere

Regardless, if you don’t like “The Idol,” The Weeknd is at least releasing a lot of new music- each week, in fact– to accompany it. As such, Abel die-hards can turn to tracks like “Family” and “Popular” to get a taste of the HBO series if they don’t want to see its lewd and provocative subject matter. What’s more is that the show might just open up more avenues for the Canadian superstar external to the show’s success. Recently, he expressed interest in writing and co-producing an album for Madonna after their collaboration for the series’ soundtrack.

Meanwhile, Twitter continues to dish out its hot takes surrounding the show, whether for its story, acting, or otherwise. Social media conversation has been integral to the show’s critical reception thus far, especially considering The Weeknd’s built-in fanbase, fans of “Euphoria,” and the 3.6 million views it got in its first week. It’s a lot of pressure and even more division, but maybe that’s exactly what a show like this aimed for. For the latest news, updates, and recaps concerning HBO’s “The Idol,” stick around on HNHH.

Read More: The Weeknd Net Worth 2023: What Is The Megastar Worth??

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Episode 2 Of The Weeknd’s “The Idol” Leaves Social Media Shook With Self-Harm & NSFW Scenes

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We’re now two weeks deep into Abel Tesfaye’s The Idol series, and what audiences have seen so far has elicited nothing short of shock. When the show premiered at Cannes Film Festival last month, critics made it clear that they weren’t impressed with the abundant nudity and hypersexualization present on-screen. The premiere previously showed off a scantily clad Lily-Rose Depp in practically every scene, and the second episode wasn’t much better. If you haven’t tuned in already, spoilers are ahead, so you may want to stop reading here.

In “Double Fantasy,” we see the 23-year-old actress in character as Jocelyn – a beloved pop star trying to boost her image by any means possible. Last week she connected with Tedros (played by The Weeknd) for some wild intimate play that literally took her breath away. The same NSFW themes continued on Sunday (June 11), along with more of Jocelyn engaging in self-destructive behaviours and touching herself as Tedros watches on.

Read More: The Weeknd Says He’s Dropping New Music With Every “The Idol” Episode

The Weeknd Teases E2 of His HBO Series

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd)

Those who are curious about The Weeknd’s bone-chilling character will be happy to know that E2 gives more insight into his day-to-day life. Not only does he own the nightclub where he and Jocelyn met, but he also runs a cult-like management company where clients have been known to receive shock treatment.

The Idol‘s vision is obvious, but it seems many viewers aren’t into the raunchy nature of the series. “Wait, ‘The Idol’ is so good when they focus on Jocelyn’s life until that corny The Weeknd came and ruined the show with the oversexualized WattPad dialogue,” one user ranted on Twitter. “Tedros gets creepier by the minute,” another person expressed after tuning in.

Read More: “The Idol” Episode 2 Recap: “Double Fantasy”

Viewers React to The Idol

Keep scrolling to read more of Twitter’s shocked reactions to episode two of HBO’s The Idol. For HNHH‘s full recap of the The Weeknd’s controversial new series, make sure to click the link above.

[Via]

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The Weeknd & Suzanna Son Team Up On “Family” From “The Idol”

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HBO’s highly controversial series, The Idol returned with its second episode on Sunday night. The series, co-created by The Weeknd and Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, hasn’t necessarily earned critical praise but it’s undoubtedly caught everyone’s attention. Despite the grievances that many share towards the nudity and general creepiness of the show, it’s still highly successful. And if anything, it just meant that we got new music from The Weeknd.

The Canadian pop star unveiled a series of new singles as part of the project. Ahead of its launch, he debuted singles like “Double Fantasy” ft. Future and “Popular” ft. Madonna and Playboi Carti. This week, he came through with the music from The Idol episode two, which includes a collaboration with his castmate, Suzanna Son, who plays Chloe. Together, they join forces on the single “Family,” produced by Mike Dean, Sage Skolfield, and The Weeknd. The moody duet sets the tone for the second episode of the series, titled “Double Fantasy.”

Read More: “The Idol” Praise: Sharon Stone Applauds The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp As HBO Series Slammed For Nudity

The Weeknd & Suzanna Son Join Forces

The release of “Family” appears on The Idol Episode 2 (Music From The HBO Original Series), alongside Mike Dean’s “Devil’s Paradise” and the Future-assisted, “Double Fantasy.” It looks like we might be able to anticipate new music from The Weeknd on a weekly basis. Last week, he shared the soundtrack for episode 1, which included his new single, “The Lure” ft. Mike Dean and Lily Rose-Depp’s “World Class Sinner/I’m A Freak.” 

The Idol explores the story of Jocelyn, played by Rose-Depp, a pop star who recently experienced a mental breakdown and attempts to reconstruct her image and career. That’s when she meets Tedros, played by The Weeknd, who is the leader of a modern day cult. They ultimately get intertwined into a toxic relationship. The first two episodes initially debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to negative reviews. Still, The Weeknd and the team earned a standing ovation following the debut. Check out The Weeknd’s new single, “Family” with Suzanna Son above and sound off with your thoughts on The Idol. Have you been tuning in? Let us know in the comment section below. 

Read More: The Weeknd Reveals How These Iconic Albums Influenced “The Idol” Soundtrack

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‘The Idol’ Viewers Were Here For One Character’s Change In Demeanor While Being Scandalized By The Rest Of Episode 2

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The Idol Jennie
HBO

Few people would ever accuse (or praise) the The Idol of being anything less than an intentionally controversial hot mess. The second episode more than doubled down on the softcore-porn vibe with nudity galore and a particularly unsettling sex scene (a followup on the confusing counterpart of the pilot) between Lily-Rose Depp’s Jocelyn and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s Tedros. (I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that a different kind of choking was involved.) As viewers learned about the latter, he is apparently leading some kind of sex cult, and he’s succeeding at getting Jocelyn into his clutches. By the end of this week’s edition, he’s arranged to move into her mansion as her career is falling into tatters around her.

And that’s where the character of Dyanne comes back into focus. The back-up dancer character, who is portrayed by K-pop star Jennie Kim from Blackpink, already captured more YouTube views for one scene than the premiere initially racked up for HBO. Jennie later revealed that the choreography came pretty naturally, and it seems that everything that Jocelyn can do (dancing, singing, and “f*ck”-ing), Dyanne can do better.

In retrospect, this HBO tweet had some fun with what was to come: “Everyone needs a Dyanne.”

As it turns out, Dyanne was the reason why Jocelyn ended up at Tedros’ club. She’s also apparently coming for Jocelyn’s career, and by the end of the episode, she’s laid down a track for a record executive (played by Jane Adams) who sent Jocelyn home after her on-set meltdown.

Here’s a budding theory (about that leaked photo) that actually might not be too far-fetched, considering all that we are learning about this cult.

Amid all of the well-founded tweets complaining about the Jocelyn-Tedros sex scene, another refrain is becoming clear: people are enjoying the revelation that Jennie is portraying a villain. So, I imagine that a great deal of people who continue to tune in will do so solely for the Blackpink star.

HBO’s The Idol airs on Sunday nights at 9:00pm EST.