We’ve seen Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, move through countless creative eras in his career so far, but arguably one of the best was Starboy. Today (November 25) marks the seven-year anniversary of the LP’s release, and to commemorate, we’re spotlighting the sole female collaboration on the tracklist. Tesfaye opens his album with the titular single featuring Daft Punk (who also appear on the closing title, “I Feel It Coming”), and we also hear bars from Future and Kendrick Lamar on “All I Know” and “Sidewalks” respectively.
The song we’ve chosen for your consideration, though, is “Stargirl Interlude” featuring Lana Del Rey. Very little singing is actually done over the synth-heavy beat, but the vocals we do hear from The Weeknd and his longtime friend are nothing short of dreamy. “I had a vision / A vision of my nails in the kitchen,” the “Diet Mountain Dew” hitmaker croons in a sultry tone after the intro. After further setting the sexy scene, Tesfaye takes over to sing words of affirmation over his counterpart.
Our Starboy Shines Alongside Lana Del Rey on “Stargirl Interlude”
“I just wanna see you shine ’cause I know you are a stargirl,” the Uncut Gems actor repeats as the nearly two-minute-long effort closes out. Elsewhere on Starboy, we hear Lana provide background vocals on “Party Monster,” and before that, she and Tesfaye connected on “Prisoner” for his Beauty Behind The Madness. Since then, the Canadian and American have also joined forces on “Lust For Life” in 2017.
Revisit Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd’s ethereal vocals on “Stargirl Interlude” above. If that small highlight has you in the mood to stream the full Starboy album, you can find it on Spotify/Apple Music. For more HNHH release recommendations, check out our weekly Fire Emoji playlist update at the link below.
I had a vision A vision of my nails in the kitchen Scratchin’ countertops, I was screamin’ My back arched like a cat My position couldn’t stop, you were hittin’
The Weeknd has a lot of hits, but his career may be ending soon. His real name is Abel Tesfaye, but his moniker, The Weeknd, which he’s operated under for about a decade, will reportedly die after his next album. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd,” Tesfaye said to W Magazine. “But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
The Idol Vol. 1, set to go with his upcoming HBO show, will be his final project under his current name. If that is true, Tesfaye has made a ton of The Weeknd hits in his incredible career. From his mixtape days to the commercial albums, many of his genre-bending tracks have become staples for listeners. Here are the best of what he’s released so far.
“Losers” ft. Labrinth (2014)
Hailing from Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd’s first studio album, “Losers” is a dynamic mashup. The songwriting is among Tesfaye’s best here, with lines such as, “Cause stupid’s next to ‘I love you.’” The Labrinth feature works perfectly and the instrumentals are both some of his most creative and best. Two excellent verses and a stunning bridge combined with the excellent production make this one of The Weeknd’s hits to remember.
“Alone Again” (2020)
While it’s not quite the best song on After Hours, his best project to date, “Alone Again,” is a near-perfect intro track. It’s a harrowing beginning that melts into an absolute blast. This is his most cohesive album to date, and it all starts with this track. “Oh baby, won’t you remind me what I am? And break, break my little cold heart” is one of his best lyrics. It sets the tone for the album and shows that he’s not here to mess around.
It’s not the only Daft Punk collaboration, but it is the best. “Starboy” is one of The Weeknd’s hits that has stayed in his listeners’ minds since 2016. The opening verse features some incredible bars like “P1 cleaner than your church shoes” and a ton of flexes over his counterparts like “Side b**** out of your league, too.” Starboy is often considered a mixed bag by his most ardent listeners, but no one can deny this excellent track.
“Wicked Games” (2012)
From House of Balloons, “Wicked Games” is one of The Weeknd’s hits from the mixtape era that infiltrated the mainstream. Many listeners weren’t really around until he burst onto the scene with Beauty Behind the Madness, but this song has retroactively permeated everyone’s playlists. The production, lyricism, and a few brutally honest lyrics about his own behavior make “Wicked Games” a great listen.
“How Do I Make You Love Me?” (2022)
Dawn FM is definitely The Weeknd’s most experimental album. Tesfaye decided to make an album as if listeners were listening to a radio station—complete with DJ Jim Carrey working the microphone. There are a lot of great hits on this album, but “How Do I Make You Love Me?” is the best. Utilizing a slight accent, The Weeknd made this song stand out and feel like it came from another artist over the radio. It also has excellent production and an incredible chorus to top it all off.
Most of the time, when Ed Sheeran dabbles in hip-hop, it doesn’t work all that well (looking at his attempted rap verse on the Taylor Swift, Future hit “End Game”). However, the decision to put the British singer in “Dark Times” was good. The verses of both singers crooning about the bloody consequences of their poor decisions make for some of the best storytelling in any The Weeknd’s hits. Both of their vocals are great, and the production is less hip-hop and leans more towards some alternative country, which makes Sheeran fit in exceptionally well.
“After Hours” (2020)
After Hours is a nearly perfect album. “After Hours” is one of the best songs from The Weeknd’s entire discography. The entire album features a brutally honest look at himself, but this song takes it to another level. He’s open and honest about his fears and struggles in a way that’s rarely seen by artists. It all works together in a song and music video akin to the Martin Scorcese film of the same name. The fact that The Weeknd could pull all that off in a song and album is an impressive feat.
“Blinding Lights” (2019)
The Weeknd’s best song is “Blinding Lights.” It was inescapable after it debuted in late November. Little did fans know that it was a great omen for his upcoming album. Even when the album dropped and tons of incredible songs were released, “Blinding Lights” is the best and most recognizable track. With it, Tesfaye blended his underground song-making abilities with the mainstream to make a song that is quite literally for everyone. Which The Weeknd hits are your favorite?
The Weeknd is unloading a whole lot of music for his fans these days. As we approach the 10-year anniversary of his debut studio album, Kiss Land, the singer has undoubtedly provided fans with a ton of content as he closes out the Dawn FM era. On top of an upcoming television series with HBO, he blessed fans with Live At SoFi Stadiumearlier this year – a live concert album from his Los Angeles date on the After Hours Til Dawn tour.
Though he hasn’t provided an update on when we could expect a new album, it seems as though he’s at a place in his career where he wants to unload records out of the vault. He’s hinted at the release of Starboy (Deluxe) over the past few months. Earlier this year, he and Ariana Grande teamed up, once again, to bless fans with the “Die For You” remix. The duo’s collaborative streak together extended further as they reconnected for a cut off of Starboy.
The Weeknd – Starboy (Deluxe)
The latest collab between The Weeknd and Ariana Grande was only a taste of what the Canadian singer had in store. This week, the Dawn FM star finally blessed fans with the release of Starboy (Deluxe). The deluxe edition packs another three songs including the “Die For You (Remix).” Additionally, the project also includes the Kygo-assisted remix of “Starboy,” which the Norwegian producer previously released independently before seeing an official release. The deluxe also includes the “Reminder (Remix)” ft. A$AP Rocky and Young Thug, which was also previously released on streaming services.
The release of Starboy (Deluxe) comes after another incredible award show night for the Toronto singer. The Weeknd swept the Juno Awards last night, winning five out of the six categories he was nominated him. He took home the award for Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the year while “Sacrifice” took home Single Of The Year. Dawn FM also scored in the Album Of The Year and Pop Album Of The Year categories. We’ll keep you posted on any more updates on new releases from The Weeknd. Check out the deluxe edition of Starboy above.
The Weeknd will finally close out the Dawn FM chapter of his career tomorrow when HBO debuts his highly-anticipated televised LA concert, Live At The SoFi. Dawn FM is one of his most ambitious projects to date, fleshed out by a tight group of collaborators. Tyler, The Creator and Lil Wayne were the only two credited on the tracklist while Summer Walker jumped on the “Best Friends” remix. For the most part, The Weeknd largely worked alongside electronic producers like Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia.
Unfortunately, fans were hoping that they’d see Ariana Grande and The Weeknd connect, once again. The two built a strong rapport over the years with records like “Love Me Harder” off of Ariana Grande’s debut album, My Everything. Fans immediately praised the chemistry but the next time they worked together would be six years later on Positions standout, “Off The Table.” The two don’t collaborate as much as fans hoped. Whenever they do link up, it’s certainly magic.
The Weeknd Revisits “Starboy” Era With Ariana Grande On “Die For You (Remix)”
Though Ariana Grande is busy working on WIcked!, she put in some time to come through for a new remix for a friend. This week, The Weeknd revisits Starboy with the official remix of “Die For You” alongside Ariana Grande. Two years after they joined forces on “Save Your Tears (Remix),” they’ve reunited to revisit the classic record off of the 2016 album.
Prior to its release, Grande hinted at an upcoming collab with The Weeknd in an Instagram video. She previewed her verse as she filmed herself recording for the remix. “Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14-hour day on set,” wrote Grande. “This certain exception had to be made…” Shortly after, The Weeknd reposted the clip before formally announcing the single a day later Peep the latest collaboration from Ariana Grande and The Weeknd above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.
Quotable Lyrics You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry It ain’t workin’ ’cause you’re perfect (Mm) And I know you deserve it I can’t walk away
Nearly seven years after its original release, The Weeknd‘s “Die For You” is getting the remix treatment. The song was originally released in 2016 as part of The Weeknd’s Starboy album, however, saw a resurgence on the charts after it went viral on TikTok. Since then, “Die For You” has peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On the remix of “Die For You,” The Weeknd is joined by his frequent collaborator, Ariana Grande, who blesses the song with a new verse.
“I’m finding ways to stay concentrated on what I gotta do / But baby boy it’s so hard round you / Yes I’m blaming you,” she sings, delivering her signature soft-tinged vocals.
This marks the fourth collaboration between The Weeknd and Grande — others including, 2014’s “Love Me Harder” from Grande’s sophomore album, My Everything, 2020’s “Off The Table” from Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions, and a 2021 remix of “Save Your Tears” from The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, After Hours.
In a TikTok shared by Grande earlier this week, she revealed that she produced and recorded her verse following a 14-hour day on set shooting Wicked.
Over the weekend, The Weeknd commemorated one year of Dawn FMwith a video for “Is There Someone Else?.” Coupled with the video’s release was this tweet: “I wonder… Did you know you’re experiencing a new trilogy?” Before we walk with The Weeknd into an enticing future, there’s reason to revisit his past.
Billboardrevealed its newest Hot 100 chart (dated January 14) today, January 9. It’s unsurprisingly that Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” has returned to No. 1 for a seventh total week after debuting there in late October, but it is surprising to see The Weeknd’s 2016 Starboy hit “Die For You” at No. 8 — which is now his 16th top-10 single on the chart.
“The Weeknd’s ‘Die for You’ vaults 26 to 8 on the Hot 100, led by 67.3 million in airplay audience (up 3%) and 9.9 million streams (up 10%),” the publication additionally relayed. “The song hits the Hot 100’s top 10 over six years after its original release on The Weeknd’s album Starboy, sparked by interaction on TikTok (which does not presently contribute to Billboard‘s charts). That buzz helped lead to the song’s airplay promotion and prominence, as the track holds at its No. 4 Radio Songs high.”
“Die For You” by @TheWeeknd reaches a new peak of #8 on the Hot 100 this week, over 6 years after its release.
The Weeknd owns six career No. 1 Hot 100 singles, including the record-breaking “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy” (the latter featuring Daft Punk). Fellow Starboy track “I Feel It Coming” (also featuring Daft Punk) peaked at No. 4 on the chart.
“Die For You” isn’t the only The Weeknd song in this week’s Hot 100 top 10, either. His collaborative track “Creepin’” with Metro Boomin and 21 Savage, off of Metro Boomin’s December No. 1 albumHeroes & Villains, sits at No. 6. It peaked at No. 5 last month.
The Weeknd is one of the most decorated artists both in recent years and over the course of the modern music industry more broadly. That’s true pretty much regardless of whatever measure you use, but right now, let’s look at certifications from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America). There’s actually some news on that front today, as two The Weeknd songs — “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy” — have now achieved Diamond certification, indicating sales of at least 10 million units in the US.
That in itself is a big deal, but what’s even more noteworthy is what this does for The Weeknd’s placement on the all-time ranks: According to the RIAA website, today’s certifications put The Weeknd at three total Diamond singles, which is the second-most ever. (His other Diamond single, by the way, is “The Hills.”)
He’s now behind only Bruno Mars, who has four Diamond singles. The Weeknd is currently tied with Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, and Maroon 5, at three. All those artists are among the few who have multiple Diamond singles: Those with two Diamond singles are Cardi B, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Post Malone, and that’s it.
Meanwhile, The Weeknd got some other RIAA certifications today, too: “I Feel It Coming” is now 6-times Platinum, “Die For You” is 4-times Platinum, “Heartless,” “Party Monster,” and “Reminder” are 3-times Platinum, and as far as albums, Starboy is 4-times Platinum. Overall, The Weeknd now has 30 Gold singles, 30 Platinum singles, and 16 multi-Platinum singles.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Although The Weekend’s last album, Starboy, came out five years ago now, he’s not quite done with reminding the world how influential it was. In a new video for “Die For You, that celebrates the project’s fifth anniversary, a baby Weeknd is a special, telekinetic young man who is captured by the government –— or similar powers that be — in order to harness his powers for their ends. Ever resilient, the young Weeknd escapes, and is rescued by a young woman, and they quickly fall for each other as glow-in-the-dark stars come alive off the walls and dance around the room.
But, like plenty of young lovers before them, the pair are discovered before their relationship can even begin to blossom, and gas-mask-clad government goons find the Weeknd and try to bring him back under their control. Except, they forgot about his telekinesis, so he easily outsmarts them and soars up into the sky holding a glowing red cross. Not too shabby for a teen Weeknd. Check out the directed by Christian Breslauer-directed video up top.
To further celebrate the album’s anniversary, Abel Tesfaye collaborated with John Ross’s Seventh Heaven on a five-piece limited-edition collection. The capsule collection includes a hoodie, a short sleeve tee, two “premium handmade jackets in leather and denim” with Seventh Heaven’s signature motif, and a “padded 3D cross.” Doubling down on that symbol from the album era, a cross-shaped shoulder bag is also available.
The capsule is available here starting at 3 PM today. Tees begin at $75 and prices range up to $800 for the leather jacket.
