The Idol

The Weeknd, Future Drop Sultry New Track “Double Fantasy”

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The Weeknd has been actively promoting his new show The Idol and his single with Future, “Double Fantasy.” He recently announced on Instagram that the official music video for the song would be released along with the track itself. Abel then further piqued fans’ interest by sharing a clip of the video. It features Lily Rose-Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp, who is set to star in The Idol. In addition to this, the Weeknd is also planning to release an album based on the show that acts as its soundtrack. It seems like Abel is putting in quite a bit of work on the show and the accompanying music. But will it live up to expectations?

The entire press for The Idol has been kind of a mess. There have been very public disputes with Rolling Stone magazine. The extremely provocative and hedonistic subject matter of the show has caused controversy. The Weeknd, however, remains enthusiastic about the show and exploring the themes that the show embodies. He expressed his excitement about portraying his character, a cult-like leader named Tedros, explaining that he enjoyed the challenge of playing someone other than himself. Abel says that he drew inspiration from his own experiences to create the character.

Abel And Lily Rose-Depp Steam Up The Screen

In his typical fashion, Abel has made a sexy pop hit in “Double Fantasy.” Whether or not it is a good song is entirely subjective. However, what definitely can be said is that it is extremely reminiscent of everything The Weeknd has released in recent years. Coherence is good in an artist’s oeuvre, but how much is too much? If anything, it can probably be chalked up to the fact that this song was made specifically for a TV show. Therefore, it’s not something that should be taken seriously as part of The Weeknd’s “cannon.” Still, some fans may find themselves disappointed if they are expecting anything new from Abel this time around.

The lyrics on the song are very vague but overtly sexual in a way that Abel always seems to pull off. “You want me inside you / Beg me to slide in / No way we should have never met,” he croons. “Girl, when you ride it / See you decided /Don’t say those words that you’ll regret.” It feels like a shame not to mention Future’s feature on the song, but it almost feels like an afterthought. He does a great job with what he was given, but it doesn’t feel like a standout part of the track. What do you think of The Weeknd’s new song with Future? Let us know in the comments.

Quotable Lyrics:

Temperature risin’, bodies united
Now that I trapped you in my arms
No need to fight it, no need to hide it
Now that I see what’s in your heart

The Weeknd Announces Release Date For “Double Fantasy” Ft. Future

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Following much anticipation, a release date has officially been set for The Weeknd and Future’s upcoming collaboration. The Toronto singer confirmed the single, “New Fantasy” from The Idol Vol. 1 would arrive on April 20th at midnight. The announcement follows The Weeknd’s live stream on Instagram on Monday where he teased the record during a session with Mike Dean. Some fans have already dubbed it as the most toxic song of the century and we’re inclined to believe that’s true, given their track record together.

Future and The Weeknd certainly aren’t strangers to one another. The two developed a strong rapport over the years. They initially collided on Mike Will Made-It’s “Drinks On Us” in 2015 but since then, they’ve joined forces on some of the best records in their respective catalogs. In 2016, they teamed up on Future’s “Low Life” from EVOL. Shortly after, Future returned the favor on The Weeknd’s “All I Know” off of Starboy. Hopefully, “New Fantasy” lives up to the hype of their previous work together. 

The Weeknd & Future Reunite

The new single will kick off the official campaign for The Weeknd’s upcoming series, The Idol on HBO. Though the series already faced setbacks, as well as the controversy surrounding the set and rewrites, The Weeknd and co-creator Sam Levinson are taking the show to Cannes Film Festival for its official debut. The Idol, which also stars Lily-Rose Depp, also landed an official debut on HBO Max on June 4th, 2023. We’re excited to see how this turns out when it debuts later this month.

During a recent interview with Interview Magazine, the singer explained that he wanted to dive into a new field outside of music. He explained that with his character Tedros, he’s able to tap into a different perspective. “What drew me to play him was just getting to pretend to be someone else. It was a challenge, because The Weeknd, obviously, isn’t me,” he said. “But I drew a lot from myself to create that character. Tedros is nothing like me… Vulnerability is key in the characters you play, no matter how evil they are. If you can find the vulnerability in them, somehow they become likable.”

The Weeknd And Future Will Reunite For ‘Double Fantasy’ Ahead Of ‘The Idol’

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With The Weeknd’s HBO series The Idol finally premiering soon, the promotion for the show has kicked into high gear. That means new music, and appropriately, the first single release from The Idol will reunite The Weeknd with his toxic twin Future. “Double Fantasy” is due for release this New Music Friday, perhaps giving us a glimpse at what the music for The Idol — which The Weeknd says is inspired by Prince and Pink Floyd — will sound like ahead of its premiere on June 4.

Future and The Weeknd first displayed their moody, anti-romantic chemistry on “Low Life” from Future’s 2016 album Evol and since then, fans have feverishly anticipated their collaborations. Also in 2016, they teamed up on “All I Know” and “Six Feet Under” from The Weeknd’s Starboy, while in 2017, they linked up again on “Comin Out Strong” from HNDRXX. “Double Fantasy” marks their first collaboration since then, so it’s sure to be one of the more talked-about releases of the (ahem) weekend.

The show it comes from has been similarly buzzed-about, but not always in a good way. Although its release is still months away, rumors of its troubled production and questionable content have fueled controversy online. It remains to be seen whether those rumors will amount to as much of a mess as it seems; for now, fans can look forward to seeing the responses from Cannes Film Festival, where it’s set to debut next month.

The Weeknd’s New Music For ‘The Idol’ Was Inspired By Pink Floyd And Prince, He Explained

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The Weeknd is gearing up for the premiere of his upcoming HBO series The Idol, which he co-created alongside Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson. Over the past few weeks, the “Blinding Lights” singer has been teasing new music for the series.

He previewed some new music via Instagram Live, which sounded rather dark and ominous.

In a recent interview with Interview, The Weeknd revealed that he has produced an entire album to accompany the show. He also shared that he had been listening to iconic albums by Pink Floyd and Prince for inspiration.

“I’ve been inspired by The Wall and Purple Rain,” said The Weeknd.” “But even films like Shaft, the music is literally telling the story of the film. But I want to take it to the next level. I want to challenge myself and I feel like, as a musician, I’m the best I’ve ever been. But I have ADD. I can’t focus on just that. It’s like, how do I throw a wrench in it?”

Elsewhere in the interview, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, revealed that his character, Tedros, who is a cult leader, is someone who appeals to him, but he insists he is nothing like him.

“I wrote him,” he said, “but what drew me to play him was just getting to pretend to be someone else. It was a challenge, because The Weeknd, obviously, isn’t me. But I drew a lot from myself to create that character. Tedros is nothing like me.”

The Idol premieres 6/4 on HBO and will be available for streaming on Max.

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

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The Weeknd is going to be starring in a brand-new television show called The Idol. This new series is going to debut on June 4th of this year. Additionally, it was co-created by Sam Levinson, who is the man behind Euphoria. With HBO behind it as well, you can imagine that there is a lot of hype at play here. However, there is also a lot of turmoil surrounding the show. Overall, there have been various accusations of wrongdoing behind the scenes. These concerns were levied by Rolling Stone, however, the show clapped back with a cynical response.

Either way, many fans of The Weeknd are hyped for his new show. He has acted before, but never on such a large scale. Consequently, many are interested in seeing how he will do. For the most part, it seems as though he is going to do a great job, as demonstrated by the teaser trailers that have been put out. Furthermore, the artist is going to be doing the soundtrack for the series. This is going to be a whole lot of fun, and fans are curious as to what direction he will go in.

The Weeknd Speaks On “The Idol”

The Weeknd receives the 2022 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Award backstage during the “After Hours Til Dawn” Tour at SoFi Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Live Nation)

In a recent interview with Interview, ironically enough, The Weeknd spoke about his influences in regard to the soundtrack. Overall, Abel is flexing his knowledge of artists like Pink Floyd and Prince. “I’ve been inspired by The Wall and Purple Rain and when Bowie was doing it,” he explaine. “But even films like Shaft, the music is literally telling the story of the film. But I want to take it to the next level. I want to challenge myself and I feel like, as a musician, I’m the best I’ve ever been.”

Based on these revelations, there is no doubt that The Weeknd has cooked up something truly special. Hopefully, the soundtrack and the show can live up to the hype. Let us know what you think of his recent comments, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.

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The Weeknd’s Controversial Series ‘The Idol’ Finally Has A Release Date

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The Weeknd’s long-awaited — and controversial — series The Idol finally got its release date today, along with a new teaser trailer. The Idol will make its debut on Sunday, June 4 at 9 pm ET on HBO, as well as streaming on the recently-renamed Max. The new teaser reveals few details of the plot that we didn’t already know, but does feature some steamy scenes of Abel’s cult-ish character getting close to Lily-Rose Depp’s pop singer Jocelyn.

The Idol — which was co-created by Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson before he took over as director at The Weeknd’s request — has been the subject of contentious rumors and fan speculation after Rolling Stone published a feature revealing some of the behind-the-scenes snafus with the production, including the original director Amy Seitz being replaced by Levinson when Abel apparently became worried that his character’s screen time was being curtailed to emphasize a more feminist story from Jocelyn’s point-of-view.

Some of the scripts produced after the change — which came after 80 percent of the show had already been filmed — drew criticism from the crew for containing problematic themes. The Weeknd himself took issue with the Rolling Stone article, lashing out on Twitter with a scene from the show itself that didn’t much help his case, and circumspectly addressing the rumors in an Interview magazine conversation with Jeremy O. Harris.

We’ll find out how it all plays out on 6/4 on HBO. Check out the new trailer above.

The Weeknd Refuted The Criticism His Show ‘The Idol’ Has Received: ‘You Can’t Please Everybody’

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Abel Tesfaye — better known as The Weeknd — might be the most popular artist in the world by the numbers, but he isn’t immune to criticism — and he certainly seems not to be ignoring it, at least when it comes to the pending release of his hotly anticipated HBO show The Idol. After Rolling Stone published an investigative piece in which the show’s troubled production was castigated by crew members and Abel himself was indirectly blamed for the show’s revamped, controversial direction, he responded by posting a scene from the show in which his character derides the magazine as “irrelevant.”

It looks like he isn’t done addressing the drama just yet, either. Speaking to playwright/filmmaker Jeremy O. Harris for Interview magazine, Tesfaye defended the show and his collaborator Sam Levinson (of Euphoria fame/infamy), arguing that “you can’t please everybody” and blaming the show’s preemptive reception on hurtful rumors.

That’s what I’m learning about the film business, is that when people start rumors, it really does hurt a lot of other people,A lot of people work hard on these projects. When I’m in my world, and you guys are coming at me, it’s like, alright, cool. I’m a big boy. I can figure it out. But you have 200 people working hard on a project like this, that hurts. Especially when what they’re saying is far from the truth, but, what can you do?

While he didn’t quite get into what parts weren’t true or why, he did explain that his “thick skin” helps him to deal with the critics.

I’m used to it more than someone like Sam, who’s probably a little bit used to it now. And I’m sure Lily, definitely—Lily’s stronger than both of us. But I’ve been judged since the beginning. My stuff’s always kind of been provocative. I understand it’s hard for people to separate that sometimes and that some people want to have an opinion about you, even if it’s not true. As an artist, you have to know that you can’t please everybody, and you have to accept that it comes with the job. You have to remind yourself that everybody that knows you, knows you’re a good person. If you’re going out there trying to prove to people you’re a good person all the time, then it becomes like a dead end. But what I’ve learned is, with time people will learn to understand. But I have thick skin. I’m used to it.

The Idol is scheduled to premiere out-of-competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May, so perhaps the show really is finished after all — and we’ll start to get some sense of what its “real world” reception will actually be.

The Weeknd’s Controversial ‘The Idol’ TV Series Will Make Its Debut At The 2023 Cannes Film Festival

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It’s been almost two years since Variety broke the news that The Weeknd and Sam Levinson were developing a drama for HBO. There was serious doubt whether The Idol would ever actually premiere on HBO after Rolling Stone published a troubling report on March 1 about the workplace culture on the set.

Today, April 13, the lineup for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival was revealed on its official website, and The Idol is slated to premiere in the Out Of Competition category alongside James Mangold’s Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Kim Jee-woon’s Cobweb, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon. The 2023 Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 16 to May 27.

“HERE WE GO,” The Weeknd tweeted.

Yesterday, April 12, The Weeknd teased The Idol Vol. 1 with a tweet showing him in the studio listening to swelling orchestral music. “THE IDOL VOL. 1 [CD emoji] coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste,” he wrote.

According to IMDb, The Idol follows “a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult [The Weeknd] enters a complicated relationship with a rising pop idol [Lily-Rose Depp].”

The Weeknd tweeted a clip from the series in response to Rolling Stone‘s bombshell report, which, among many things, alleged that working on The Idol was “a sh*tshow” and “Levinson’s scripts contained disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between Depp and [The Weeknd]’s character.”

Watch that clip below, or watch a teaser trailer above.