K-pop fans were stoked to hear that Blackpink‘s Jennie would be starring in The Weeknd’s controversial HBO series The Idol. However, they were disappointed when her role (as the character Dyanne) was relatively limited.
Luckily, they’re getting more from this collaboration. Today (June 23), The Weeknd shared the song “One Of The Girls” from the soundtrack (which is still rolling out alongside the episodes), which features Jennie, as well as Lily-Rose Depp, who plays the sleazy pop star protagonist Jocelyn. The three trade verses in the brooding, seductive song, and it has the salaciousness of the show: “Lock me up and throw away the key / He knows how to get the best out of me.”
Rumors recently spread that The Idol would not return for a second season. Many people weren’t surprised by this due to the overwhelming backlash from viewers. However, HBO posted a statement from their official PR social accounts to clear up the gossip: “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.”
No matter what you think of The Weeknd’s HBO series “The Idol,” the fact that we’re getting new music each week from Abel as a result can only be a good things. At least, that’s what one of his brand new tracks from Episode 4 proves. “One Of The Girls” features the show’s co-lead Lily-Rose Depp as well as JENNIE from South Korean superstar girl group BLACKPINK. In addition, like much of the soundtrack from “The Idol,” the track features Mike Dean handling additional production duties. Moreover, all of these elements meld together to make an ethereal, sensual, and slow-burning R&B banger.
First, on that final note of the instrumental, wailing and ’80s-inspired synthesizers take center stage on this cut. Complemented by a sharp compressed snare, additional rubbery synths, a simple hi-hat pattern, and heavy bass, it makes for a engagingly trippy and space-inspired R&B beat. Furthermore, this is exactly the kind of production that The Weeknd and Mike Dean dominate these days, and this just adds to that repertoire. Speaking of the Canadian creative, his vocal contributions to the track are as gorgeous as they usually are on any song. What’s more is that there’s strong chemistry with his co-star and with JENNIE thanks to beautiful vocal melodies.
The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp & JENNIE On “One Of The Girls”
To elaborate, these two vocalists match the lustful vibe of the song with their subtle, yet intoxicating performances. The BLACKPINK alum starts us off with an intro and later a bridge, whereas Lily-Rose handles a verse and the chorus. Lyrically, it’s about as lewd and seductive as the show itself at least aims to be. Sure, it hasn’t gotten the best reception (especially on social media sites like Twitter), but you can’t deny that the conversation around “The Idol” and its soundtrack has been not just entertaining for the jokes, but also proves its wide reach. On that note, you can find the latest tracks from Episode 4 on your preferred streaming service. Also, come back to HNHH for more great music from the likes of The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp, JENNIE, BLACKPINK, and the rest of “The Idol” soundtrack.
Quotable Lyrics Give me tough love Leave me with nothin’ when I come down My kind of love Force me and choke me ’til I pass out
HBO’s new original series The Idol has proven to be one of the most polarizing shows of the year. The series, created by Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, Reza Fahim, and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, tells the story of a young pop star named Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) who falls in love with a cult-leader named Tedros (The Weeknd).
Many fans have panned the series, likening the show’s graphic sex scenes and gratuitous nudity to those of “softcore porn.”
After PopCrave tweeted “#TheIdol will reportedly not return for a second season,” Oreo responded from their official account, saying, “finally some good news.”
Though the interaction took place nearly a week ago, The Weeknd only caught wind of it this morning (June 21).
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is still reacting to people’s reactions about his show with Sam Levinson, HBO’s The Idol. While the series is only three episodes in, it has become quite a hot topic online, particularly over whether it’s actually good.
Earlier this morning, The Weeknd put out a meme of sorts, which featured a photo of his Idol character and the caption, “Tedros Nation Rise.” Obviously, users had a lot of thoughts about this post.
“Trying the meme the show to be good now YIKES,” one person quoted.
The Weeknd wound up replying right back. “Nope people who hate it decided a long time ago… it’s fine. If you hate it don’t watch it. And let the fans enjoy… simple,” he told the person.
nope people who hate it decided a long time ago… it’s fine. If you hate it don’t watch it. And let the fans enjoy… simple. https://t.co/qv1SKOo4ho
Over the past few days, the musician has been trying to change people’s minds about the show, and not just stan Twitter. The Weeknd found today that even Oreo’s Twitter account was piling onto the Idol hate. “Oh f*ck they been talkin sh*t,” he reacted.
“Naw I can’t beef with you @Oreo too many beautiful memories… I’m dunking you in some champagne tonight,” The Weeknd added in a separate tweet.
naw I can’t beef with you @Oreo too many beautiful memories… I’m dunking you in some champagne tonight pic.twitter.com/5iHhfpkVzf
He’s even started retweeting an “Out Of Context The Idol” account and searching keywords for what others are saying about the show — praising the positive and discouraging the negative.
In a recent interview, The Weeknd said of the mixed response to his HBO show The Idol, “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.”
Just because he’s loving it, though, doesn’t mean he’s going to take any guff on Twitter without pushing back.
In one tweet from today (June 20), he replied to a Twitter user, writing, “Go cry about it more.” The original tweet is no longer available, but based on the user’s Twitter activity, they appear to be a fan of Jennie and Blackpink. So, presumably, their now-deleted tweet had something to do with Jennie and her role on the show.
In response to The Weeknd, another user tweeted, “N****s crying bout yo acting tho.” The Weeknd then got personal, replying, “Bruh if you don’t shave that sh*t stain off your chin LOL.”
After that, the user from the original now-deleted tweet returned with a screenshot of The Weeknd from the show, which was presumably intended to be unflattering, and wrote, “IK YOURE NOT TALKING WHEN U LOOK HIDEOUS LIKE THIS.” It appears the user changed their profile image between their first and second tweet, as The Weeknd responded, “not you again LOL you thought I wouldn’t recognize you cause you changed your DP… dropping that Jennie song this weekend for you! Get the bucket ready [single tear emoji].”
not you again LOL you thought I wouldn’t recognize you cause you changed your DP… dropping that Jennie song this weekend for you! Get the bucket ready https://t.co/VRrndMgvpB
That last tweet probably stirred mixed feelings from the Twitter user: While they’re in a spat with The Weeknd, it at least looks like a new Jennie song is dropping soon.
The third episode of The Idolcame and went on Sunday night (June 18). There’s some confusion over viewership or whether it will demand a second season on HBO, and The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) is “loving” the controversy, but people can count on Tesfaye to release The Idol singles after each episode of the first season.
This week, we got “A Lesser Man” and “Take Me Back” from The Weeknd, as well as “Get It B4” from Moses Sumney.
The Idol aired its premiere episode on June 4. The following Wednesday, June 7, Tesfaye shared his plan to release singles rather than wait until the season finale to drop the soundtrack in full.
“I was planning on dropping the whole soundtrack for idol by the finale, but I’m too hyped… instead, I wanna drop new music from the show every week with each episode,” he captioned an Instagram post. “I’m excited for you guys to hear what we’ve been cooking and all these 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 [purple devil emoji].”
The Idol was co-created by Tesfaye, Sam Levinson (Euphoria), and Reza Fahim. Tesfaye stars as Tedros, “a nightclub impresario with a sordid past” who develops a troubling (to say the least) relationship with Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), a pop star on the back end of a nervous breakdown, according to the show’s official synopsis.
The next Idol episode is scheduled to air on HBO on Sunday, June 25, at 9 p.m. EST. All episodes become available to stream on Max.
Listen to latest singles from The Idol above and below.
Madonna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
For some, Sunday is reserved for heading to church to connect with God, and/or practicing self-care. Others, however, prefer to spend the day gearing up for the newest episode of HBO’s wildest series, The Idol. From the mind of The Weeknd, the series stars him and Lily-Rose Depp. So far, her frequent scantily clad scenes have elicited some serious concern from viewers. The first two episodes have definitely gotten audiences talking. On Sunday (June 18), the latest installment of the show only continued to push boundaries.
While not everyone agrees with the NSFW content being shown on-screen, it’s hard to dispute the allure of The Idol‘s soundtrack. Along with each episode, The Weeknd has been sharing a handful of songs on DSPs, some of which feature help from Future and Mike Dean, among other friends. Today, it’s mostly the “Angel” vocalist who holds it down, though he did recruit Moses Sumney for “Get It B4.”
Abel Tesfaye Continues to Make Waves with The Idol
As for Abel Tesfaye, his talents shine first on “A Lesser Man,” then again on “Take Me Back.” No matter how sweet his voice sounds on the track, though, it doesn’t make up for his character, Tedros’ bone-chilling demeanour. If you haven’t yet tuned into The Idol, The Weeknd plays a club owner/cult-leader who sets his eyes on Depp’s character – a budding pop star – as not only a love interest, but also a project of sorts. Due to past trauma of her own, she’s naturally drawn into his bad boy persona, but it doesn’t seem to be leading her anywhere good.
Stream the latest music from HBO’s The Idol on Spotify above, or add it to your playlist on Apple Music. Are you a fan of The Weeknd and Sam Levinson’s controversial new series? Let us know in the comments, and read what the Canadian singer has had to say about all the criticism at the link below.
Mike Dean has a lot on his plate. Earlier this year, he shared his new album 4:23, which was produced by The Weeknd. Abel Tesfaye has been at the center of conversation with The Idol finally airing, and Dean also collaborated with him for the soundtrack. Now he has even more on the way.
“Thank you,” he tweeted in response to a fan. “I’m on tour. Finishing utopia. And doing another mike dean / weeknd album.”
Thank you. I’m on tour. Finishing utopia. And doing another mike dean / weeknd album. https://t.co/7pNDxwhDjF
Utopia is the highly anticipated new album from Travis Scott, which Dean is confirmed to be mastering. So far, it’s rumored to have a Bad Bunny feature. “I had to come down and play Utopia for the [Houston Astros] boys in the locker room,” Scott said about it in May. “I had to get them right for the game. Finished and mastered, Mark. You know how we do, Mark. from the clubhouse to the stu.”
Music from The Idol is still rolling out with each episode. “I was planning on dropping the whole soundtrack for [The Idol] by the finale, but I’m too hyped… instead, I wanna drop new music from the show every week with each episode,” Tesfaye captioned an Instagram post. “I’m excited for you guys to hear what we’ve been cooking and all these 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 [purple devil emoji].”
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.”
It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined. 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.
Today (June 15), Page Six reported that a source suggested there will not be a second season, adding, “This was never meant to be a long-running show, it was always […] a limited series.” They also noted that HBO was not surprised by the reaction to the show, saying, “It’s a Sam Levinson show, and you know what you’re getting with a Sam Levinson show.”
A “source inside HBO” did reportedly say, though, “The door is definitely still open — it’s definitely not a decision [yet]. At this point, this is normal in our process. […] We’re only two episodes in.”
Meanwhile, the publication is also reporting that some found the experience of working with The Weeknd in character as Tedros to be difficult. One source said it was “not an ideal experience […] and not one I am eager to repeat,” while another source described him as “egomaniacal.” Another source, though, described him as “beloved,” saying, “He literally opened up his home for the cast and crew. Almost the entire show was shot inside his home.”
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