The Weeknd says that he wants to share new music along with every new episode of HBO’s The Idol. He announced the decision in a post on Instagram, Wednesday, while sharing a shot from the show. He says that he’ll begin by dropping Jocelyn’s pop song, “World Class Sinner”,” and the theme score, “The Lure.”
“I was planning on dropping the whole soundtrack for idol by the finale, but I’m too hyped…” The Weeknd captioned the image. “Instead, I wanna drop new music from the show every week with each episode. I’m excited for you guys to hear what we’ve been cooking and all these new incredible artists that are a part of this show… this week… Jocelyn’s pop song ‘world class sinner’ and ‘the lure’ (theme score)… episode 2 this Sunday.”
The Weeknd With Lily-Rose Depp At Cannes Film Festival
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 23: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp attend “The Idol” photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)
Fans had mixed responses to the post. One fan commented: “we don’t care about the show bro just drop an album,” while another wrote: “Respectfully, Episode 1 was dog water.” The fans on The Weeknd’s post are far from the only ones with negative reactions to the new series. It currently boasts just a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many took issue with the explicit nature of the show.
The Weeknd recently responded to critics’ complaints during an interview with The New York Times. “When I first started making music, it was the exact same thing,” he said. “It was provocative, and I knew it was going to be tough for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it. Not to compare it, but I feel that this is kind of like that again. This is not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. We’re not politicians.” Check out The Weeknd’s recent announcement on Instagram here.
Throughout the past few weeks or so, The Idol has been getting panned by critics. For those unaware, this is the new show starring The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp. Moreover, the show was co-created by Sam Levinson, who is famous for Euphoria, among other things. Overall, the criticism of the show began during the Cannes Film Festival. Many felt as though the show was way too sexual, and that it was beyond good taste. This created lots of anticipation for the show, thus confirming the notion that all press is good press. Last night, the show premiered on HBO, and we got quite an introduction to the main characters.
“The Idol” Presents Us Jocelyn
The first frame of the episode gives us a close-up of Lily-Rose Depp’s face as she is in the midst of a sensual photoshoot. Depp plays Jocelyn, a global pop star who is currently on the rise. She is set to drop a new album, and the aforementioned photoshoot is for her cover art. During this scene, Jocelyn plays up the sex appeal as she even flashes her chest in the midst of the shoot. This subsequently angers one of the assistants on set, who claims this violates her nudity rider. However, Jocelyn refuses to listen as she and her team claim that she can do whatever she wants. Right from the get-go, the show is establishing the pop star as someone who is not afraid of embracing sexuality.
While all of this is going on, a new scandal emerges online. This is due to a case of revenge porn against Jocelyn. A picture of her having sex ends up leaking online, specifically on Reddit. Overall, the picture is quite explicit, and it’s better to just watch the show if you want to know what’s depicted. That said, Jocelyn becomes the number one trending topic on Twitter, and all of this is happening unbeknownst to her. Throughout all of this, her large team of publicists and managers attempt to figure out what to do. It has been established that the artist has had psychotic breaks in the past, and they don’t want to push her into another one.
Not to mention, Jocelyn has to learn choreography for the music video to her lead single “World Class Sinner.” Her team decides it is better to tell her after the practice session, as they don’t want her to be in her own head about it. However, during this time, Jocelyn can sense that something is going on. Regardless, she gets through the practice session unscathed before being told of the situation. While the viewer is led to believe that she will be devastated by this scandal, she doesn’t seem to care. She claims that it could have been worse, and her team reluctantly agrees. Moreover, some of her team decides that this is good anyway, as she can now be seen as a victim, and a Feminist icon.
As a way to show the paparazzi that she is unbothered by all of this, Jocelyn and her team go out to a nightclub that same evening. While there, she is introduced to The Weeknd’s character Tedros. Tedros owns the nightclub, and when he sees Jocelyn, he begins to watch her intently from a distance. He is clearly enamored by her and lets the entire club know that she is in the building. Additionally, he asks her to dance, and she agrees without any reluctance. This subsequently leads to a dance montage in which you can see the immediate chemistry between Tedros and Jocelyn. After a long makeout session, the two end up going their separate ways for the night, and the next day begins.
Jocelyn Hates Her Own Music
During the daytime, Jocelyn sits down for an interview with a journalist from Vanity Fair. The journalist asks her questions about the picture, but she refuses to answer. Moreover, she is also asked about her mom who recently passed away. Once again, Jocelyn is able to maneuver around a real answer. This scene eventually fades out and we get a scene in which Jocelyn is getting ready for a date with Tedros. The date is taking place at Jocelyn’s mansion, and she ups the sex appeal again with a red and black lace robe and some high-heels.
When Tedros arrives, he immediately gives off some bizarre vibes. The Weeknd’s portrayal of this character is mysterious, but also downright creepy. For instance, he stuns Jocelyn’s assistant by giving her a kiss on the cheek as he walks in. Subsequently, he and Jocelyn grab a drink at her mini-bar where they discuss music. This is where Jocelyn admits that she hates her own music. She calls it superficial pop that has no substance. However, Tedros disagrees, noting that Prince made pop music and was a legend. Eventually, Jocelyn brings Tedros to her at-home studio and shows “World Class Sinner.”‘
Tedros tells Jocelyn that the song is great, however, she sings it like someone who doesn’t know “how to f***.” It’s a ridiculous and cringe statement that is an indictment of some of the writing here. However, Jocelyn vows to prove this is not the case. This eventually leads to Tedros wrapping Jocelyn’s head in her own robe and cutting a slit in the mouth so she can breathe. The implication here is pretty clear, and then the episode just ends.
Episode 1 of The Idol certainly leaves you feeling like more could have been explained. However, we imagine there will be a lot of ground covered over the coming episodes. As for the criticisms of the show, it’s easy to see where those were coming from. There is a lot of gratuitous sex, and for a lot of people, it may be a bit much. Either way, HBO, Sam Levinson, and The Weeknd are confident they have a hit on their hands, with The Idol. Only time will tell whether or not that’s the case.
The criticism surrounding HBO’s The Idolwas loud, even before it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. And the show’s debut seemingly reinforced it for audiences. Although fans were understandably excited for the all-star cast, including The Weeknd as Tedros and Lily Rose-Depp as Jocelyn, the absurdity of the show hasn’t necessarily won fans over just yet. The Sam Levinson-co-created endeavor finds Jocelyn attempting to repair her image after a mental breakdown before being swooped into Tedros’ cult-like world.
The first episode of the show debuted on HBO on Sunday night, leading to plenty of mixed reactions from fans. Some feel as though it’s an excellent debut that will have them returning week after week while others have sided with critics. Plus, many felt some type of way after it replaced Succession on HBO’s weekly scheduled. “oh the idol is BAD bad i cannot believe this monstrosity is replacing succession sunday,” one fan wrote on Twitter following The Idol’s debut.
Besides the premise of the show being incredulous on its own, the actual acting was a point of critique among many viewers. Between The Weeknd’s hairstyle and his general acting chops, fans were quite disappointed in what he had to offer on screen. Evidently, he’s a far better musician than he is an actor. However, BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim earned unanimous applause for her efforts in the series, specifically her dance break.
Overall, it seems like The Idol will continue to draw reactions episode after episode, even if people aren’t entirely enthusiastic about the first episode. The Weeknd’s formal foray into the world of television is undoubtedly controversial and polarizing but it seems like it’s an interesting starting point for what could be the next chapter in his career. After formally changing his stage name to Abel, perhaps, he has more television scripts in store for the future.
We’ve gathered some of the best reactions following the first episode of The Idol. Check them out and let us know whether you agree or not. Is The Idol worth the hype? Sound off in the comment section below.
cant tell if its intentional or not that the weeknd’s character behaves like a vampire that needs permission to enter a room pic.twitter.com/rOQeZL8tjl
— pawn with a king’s mentality (@MostCrucified) June 5, 2023
The Weeknd might be the worst actor of all time i’m crying dawg what is this
Just watched #TheIdol and Jesus Christ it’s like a student film with a big budget. Sam Levinson is trying to be deep but his writing is just fucking weird. Also The Weeknd’s character is fucking creepy as fuck and makes me hate the actual Weeknd
Once again, The Weeknd is proving that his creativity knows no bounds. His latest project, The Idol, finds him not only sitting in the producer and writer’s seats but also starring in and creating the soundtrack alongside some other huge artists. The controversial HBO series made its debut at Cannes Film Festival last month, with many reviews condemning the show for over-sexualizing 23-year-old Lily-Rose Depp in virtually every episode. Fans will be able to tap into the show at home this coming weekend, and ahead of that, Abel Tesfaye gave us a taste of the music that’s to come.
This New Music Friday (June 2) he joined forces with Playboi Carti and Madonna for “Popular,” which brings about a seriously nostalgic sound. The Weeknd spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about the single, as well as his aspirations for future work with the Queen of Pop. “The thing is, I’ve always wanted to work with her. I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album… Well, co-produce with her, of course,” the Canadian shared.
He specifically praised Madonna for being “such a visionary” and keeping her sights set on a singular outcome. “I just want to come into her world and create a classic Madonna album. That was always my dream. So this can be… hopefully, this is the appetizer for that,” Tesfaye teased. Elsewhere, he spoke about “Popular” and how “proud” he is of how the track came together.
“Me and Carti had this… I mean, we’ve jammed out before. We’ve had a different version of this song prior. So I’ve had these vocals for a while and I’ve kind of just worked around it, and then kind of kept it in the tuck. But now it felt like it was time. It was time,” the genre-bending vocalist reflected. Would you be excited to stream a joint album from Madonna and The Weeknd? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.
Ahead of the series premiere of HBO’s The Idol this weekend, the show’s co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has given us another taste of the show’s soundtrack. Tonight (June 2), he has shared “Popular” which features Playboi Carti and the original pop idol herself, Madonna.
These days, getting Playboi Carti and Madonna on a track is a task that proves equally difficult, however, The Weeknd, who is considered an idol of his time, managed to make it happen. On “Popular,” The Weeknd, who is likely singing from the perspective of his character, a cult leader named Tedros, alludes to a woman doing whatever it takes to become famous.
Over the course of the song, The Weeknd is likely alluding to Jocelyn, a fictional pop star on The Idol played by Lily-Rose Depp. Carti and Madonna garnish the song with hypnotic ad-libs and harmonies.
The Idol had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival last weekend, however, the series, which The Weeknd co-created with Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, was panned by critics, who likened the series to softcore pornography.
Viewers will finally get to see the often-delayed series this Sunday.
The Idol premieres 6/4 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO. Episodes will air weekly on Sundays and be available to stream on Max.
Madonna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Weeknd has been hard at work as of late. Overall, this has to do with the fact that he has been promoting his new show The Idol. Although this show has been getting destroyed by critics, it seems to have people intrigued. It is set to debut this Sunday, June 4th on HBO, and many want to see what all the fuss is about. Furthermore, many are excited about the upcoming soundtrack. This soundtrack has been completed by The Weeknd, and we have already heard a song with Future.
During the Cannes Film Festival, Abel teased another new song. Except for this time around, the song featured the likes of Playboi Carti. At the time of the teaser, it seemed like he would be the only feature. Although, it turns out that this is not actually the case. Today, The Weeknd took to Twitter to reveal that pre-orders of his The Idol Vol. 1 soundtrack will be available as of Friday. Moreover, a new single with Playboi Carti and pop legend Madonna will be dropping as well.
It has been quite a while since we have heard new music from Madonna. Consequently, many are surprised to see her on this new track. Either way, it should be exciting to listen to. The Weeknd is known for crafting some truly impressive tracks and sounds, so this should be no different. Not to mention, perhaps the inclusion of Madonna hints at the kind of debauchery we will see on the show. As many have explained, this show has a whole lot of sex and nudity that may turn people off.
The track with Playboi Carti and Madonna is called “Popular.” Hopefully, it lives up to the hype that was created off of that short snippet we heard the other day. The Weeknd knows how to get fans excited, and this latest single is no different. Let us know your expectations, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.
With HBO’s controversial new show The Idol just days from its long-awaited premiere, the show’s star, The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye), announced the release of the latest single from its accompanying soundtrack, The Idol, Vol. 1. While he didn’t reveal the song’s title, he did share the names of its guest features. Appropriately for the dark theme of the show, Playboi Carti will appear alongside the original pop idol, Madonna, on the song, which comes out on Friday, June 2, ahead of the show’s June 4 premiere.
Although the first few episodes of the show were panned at Cannes Film Festival, the show’s co-creators Tesfaye and Sam Levinson remain convinced that the controversy is only going to lead to one of the most-watched shows in HBO history. Meanwhile, Levinson and co-star Lily-Rose Depp insisted that the show is not about Britney Spears; Madonna’s presence on the soundtrack makes it clear that the series’ perspective is inspired by many pop stars over the years.
The Weeknd said that the soundtrack was inspired by artists like Prince and Pink Floyd, so it’ll be interesting to see what that’ll sound like with the artists involved. The Weeknd previously released the Future-featuring song “Double Fantasy” from the soundtrack, so perhaps that can give listeners some idea of what to expect.
While Succession has come to a final series close, HBO is starting a new one up to replace the Sunday night slot with the controversial series, The Idol. Ahead of the show’s June 4 premiere on the streaming service, there is also a new trailer to (hopefully) build some hype for it.
The show features Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp playing a boyfriend and a fictional pop star named Jocelyn.
“You’re the American dream,” Tesfaye says in the clip. “Rags to riches. Trailers to mansions. You are f*cking Jocelyn. Just be you.”
From the creator of Euphoria, starring Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp, the new series premieres Sunday at 9 pm ET on @streamonmax. pic.twitter.com/bQaqNb8BRE
The latest teaser then features scenes of her being critiqued about the backup dancers, recording in the studio, and hinting at some of the wild explicit scenes with Tesfaye. Just a few months ago, a Rolling Stone article alleged that the showrunner, Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, had created some rough working conditions.
Then, after The Idol held its official premiere, it debuted with a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes that later fell to the single digits. It now sits at 27%, but still. Variety also described it as a show that “seems calculated to fool audiences into thinking they’re observing how Hollywood operates, when so much of it amounts to tawdry clichés lifted from Sidney Sheldon novels and softcore porn.”
Check out the new trailer for HBO’s The Idol above.
The Weeknd is set to make his television acting debut this weekend as The Idol officially debuts on HBO. Overall, the show has been getting panned by critics. Most of this stems from the fact that there is a lot of sexually explicit material in the show. Additionally, there have been some allegations made regarding some of the behavior on set and behind the scenes. Not to mention, Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson is writing the show, and he is known for stirring up controversy. Needless to say, the show hasn’t even premiered and it is off to a pretty rough start.
However, The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp seem to heavily believe in this new project. During their week at the Cannes Film Festival, the two stars of the show had nothing but good things to say about it. Moreover, there is a soundtrack that goes with this show, and of course, it is being put together by Abel. Sure, the critics may hate it, but those involved are excited, so good for them. Now, a new trailer has touched down today and it certainly turns up to the raunchy meter.
The trailer showcases the relationship between The Weeknd’s character and Depp’s. Abel plays Tedros who is helping pop star Jocelyn reach her full potential. However, their relationship becomes all about sex and drugs, as well as all of the other vices one could imagine. Just like Euphoria, it seems like this show is ramping up the sex. For some, this is just too gratuitous and needs to be toned down. Although, if Sam Levinson has taught us anything, it’s that he doesn’t know how to do that,
For those of you out there who want to watch the show, you will be able to do so as of Sunday, June 4th on HBO. However, watch at your own discretion. This doesn’t look like it is going to be for everyone. Overall, it will be fun to see the Rotten Tomatoes audience scores. Let us know what you think of this trailer, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music and entertainment worlds.
Playboi Carti shared a screenshot of himself on FaceTime with The Weeknd on Instagram, Sunday, ahead of the release of their new collaboration. The Weeknd previously teased the unreleased track at the premiere of The Idol at Cannes Film Festival, last week.
The snippet of the yet-to-be-released song played as cast members from HBO’s upcoming show walked the red carpet in France. A clip of the moment it played surfaced on social media soon afterward.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 23: Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp attend “The Idol” photocall at the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)
The collaboration comes as The Weeknd recently announced that he plans to abandon his artist name. Speaking with W Magazine, he explained that he wants to return as Abel and would continue making music. “I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. “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. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn. The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd. This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
The Weeknd stars in The Idol alongside Lily-Rose Depp. It’s Sam Levinson’s first series for HBO since creating Euphoria. The show has been plagued with behind-the-scenes controversy regarding chaotic scheduling, budgeting issues, and more.
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti’s FaceTime
Image Via Instagram @playboicarti
As for The Idol, the show had a controversial two-episode premiere at Cannes. Many critics felt that the show was over-sexualized and described there as being near-constant nude imagery of Lily-Rose Depp.
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