The Weeknd

FKA Twigs And The Weeknd’s ‘Tears In The Club’ Vouches For The Brokenhearted

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FKA Twigs and The Weeknd are both sitting on albums that their respective fan bases are eagerly waiting to get their hands on. Between the two artists, it seems that Twigs’ project will be the first to arrive. During a Discord conversation with fans back in September, she teased a “capri season take over,” meaning that something special could be on the way between December 22, 2021 and January 19, 2022. It seems very likely that this takeover will occur as Twigs returns with her latest single, “Tears In The Club” with The Weeknd.

The track goes out to those who have recently experienced heartbreak and are struggling to deal with the emotions that come with it. In response, Twigs and The Weeknd ask that they go out and have a fun night at the club while dancing the night away, even if the moment brings them tears. The track is also paired with an eccentric video that captures Twigs showing off her dance skills with a cast of backup dancers while The Weeknd is brought to tears by the sight of Twigs pole dancing in an underwater tank.

After releasing the song and video, Twigs hopped on Twitter to share a lengthy message about what her fans can expect from her in the future. “Listen yeh i’m being mad serious i’m not playing around,” she wrote. “Y’all gonna get what u’ve been wanting from me for bare time. There are levels to this game
and i am levelling up to MY best self, cause my best healthy self is my competition always.”

She continued, “Thank you to everyone who has been there from the start. Those who been eating off my artistry for time, I see u with grace. Thank you for pushing me to go harder and good luck in all u do. Here is some sweet sweet candy for u ;)”

“I’ve clawed my way out of the.. darkest place and have pushed hard to find my capri sun. Those who feel me, I do this for YOU [heart emoji] to change cultural DNA,” Twigs added. She concluded by writing, “This is just the beginning. Can’t wait to give love to so many beautiful artists who helped me get here this week. Follow ur dreams they will come tru if u do u. Surround urself with people who are kind. Love you always, you put me here, for real.”

You can press play on the video for “Tears In The Club” above.

FKA Twigs And The Weeknd Are Gearing Up To Release Their Upcoming Song, ‘Tears In The Club’

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FKA Twigs 2021 premiere of The King's Man
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FKA Twigs has been hard at work on her upcoming third album, which remains untitled at the moment. Back in September, during a conversation with fans on Discord, she teased a “capri season take over,” and assuming that she means Capricorn season, it suggests that something special could arrive between December 22, 2021 and January 19, 2022. As it happens, Twigs recently announced a new collaboration that is set to arrive at the end of the week, namely the song “Tears In The Club,” which pairs her with The Weeknd.

“Are u ready for capri sun takeover??” Twigs wrote in a tweet. “Us capri babies be so cute and prolific but don’t cross us cause we never ever forget.” The announcement falls in line with her earlier comments on Discord. During that conversation, she also revealed what listeners can expect with her next body of work.

“It’s really deep emotional and honest but hopefully more golden tears than blue i channelled my melancholy differently this time and it was so amazing,” Twigs said. “I made my next project thinking about all of u and my friends it’s for getting ready and going out to and being with people who make u feel good, turnt litty bronzer in the sink shimmer on the bathroom floor.” She also said that the project will feature work from Koreless, El Guincho, Cirkut, Mike Dean, Arca, and “lots beautiful others to be revealed soon and some stun and special collabs.”

“Tears in the Club” will be released on December 16 at 7pm EST.

The Weeknd’s ‘Save Your Tears’ Tops Vevo’s Most-Viewed Videos Of 2021

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The music video hosting network Vevo has announced the results of their most viewed videos of 2021 (Vevo notably hosts a great majority of the popular videos we watch on YouTube, so you’ll often see the “Vevo” logo on a screen in the bottom left corner.) The year’s big winner — both globally and in the U.S. — was The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears” clip set in a macabre masquerade ball and directed by Cliqua. After performing at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show in February, The Weeknd saw a surge in video interactions and the video clocked 615 million views in 2021 globally, with 102.9 million of them coming from the US.

Globally speaking, the top three videos of the year were rounded out by Karol G and Mariah Angeliq’s “El Makinon” with 556 million worldwide views, and the Black Eyed Peas featuring Shakira’s collaboration, “Girl Like Me,” with 519 million spins. In the US, Lil Baby’s “On Me” came in second with 94 million domestic views and Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name) was third with 91.3 million views.

Lil Baby was the most viewed artist in the US with 770 million total views (The Weekend was second with 559 million,) while Karol G took home the Global crown with a whopping 3.11 billion views, narrowly edging The Weekend’s 3.10 billion global views.

Watch The Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears” video above and check out the graphics below for a look at the Top 10 most-viewed videos of the year both globally and in the US.

Vevo US
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Vevo Global
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Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd Won Apple Music’s Global Artist Of The Year Award

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Despite not dropping an album this year and leaving fans waiting for his next release, The Weeknd took home a big award for his work in 2021. The singer was given Apple Music’s Global Artist Of The Year at the platform’s third annual ceremony. “I’m so grateful for this huge honour and want to thank Apple for all its support, not only for my work but also for great music by newer artists, where it matters so much for creators to be found and supported,” he said according to Complex.

The win comes after The Weeknd was recognized as an artist who had one of YouTube’s most trending videos thanks to his one for “Save Your Tears.” The runner-up for that honor is Pooh Shiesty and Lil Durk’s “Back In Blood.” The Weeknd was also honored for his 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show, which appeared in YouTube’s Top Five list of overall trending videos.

Elsewhere, The Weeknd had his 2019 single “Blinding Lights” named as the “No. 1 song of all time” by Billboard. Prior to that, the song became the longest-charting song of all time after it logged its 88th week on the Hot 100 in mid-August.

You can see an image of The Weeknd with his award in the post above.

Pooh Shiesty, The Weeknd, And Lil Nas X Had YouTube’s Top-Trending Music Videos Of 2021

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While K-pop may have had some of YouTube’s most-watched videos in 2020, rappers definitely dominated in 2021. It may seem given that the top-trending music video on the platform would be by an established artist. But this year, the top slot was actually taken by a relatively new act: 22-year-old Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty had the top YouTube music video of 2021 with bigger artists following behind him.

Shiesty’s video for his Lil Durk collaboration “Back In Blood” was No. 1 for 2021 with 211.5 million views. While it wasn’t the most-viewed content of the year, it did stay trending on the platform for a while. Other rappers like Polo G, Rod Wave, and Cardi B made the list while Olivia Rodrigo’s buzzworthy video to her debut single “Drivers License” landed at No. 9.

Check out the full list below, as well as YouTube’s other top-trending lists.

Top Music Videos
1. Pooh Shiesty — “Back In Blood” Feat. Lil Durk
2. The Weeknd — “Save Your Tears”
3. Lil Nas X — “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
4. Polo G — “Rapstar”
5. DJ Khaled — “Every Chance I Get” Feat. Lil Baby, Lil Durk
6. Mo3, OG Bobby Billions — “Outside (Better Days)”
7. Silk Sonic — “Leave The Door Open”
8. Cardi B — “Up”
9. Olivia Rodrigo — “Drivers License”
10. Rod Wave — “Street Runner”

Top Trending Videos
1. I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive — MrBeast
2. Minecraft Speedrunner VS 5 Hunters — Dream
3. Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who got arrested) — Mark Rober
4. The Weeknd’s FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show — NFL
5. Friday Night Funkin’ Keeps Getting Better And Better — CoryxKenshin
6. Kids Make Fun Of Boy With Autism And Instantly Regret It — Dhar Mann
7. Golden Buzzer: Nightbirde’s Original Song Makes Simon Cowell Emotional — America’s Got Talent
8. The Inauguration Of Joe Biden And Kamala Harris | Jan. 20th, 2021 — Biden Inaugural Committee
9. I Spent 100 Days In A Zombie Apocalypse In Minecraft… Here’s What Happened — Forge Labs
10. Game Night Stereotypes — Dude Perfect

Top Creators
1. MrBeast
2. Dhar Mann
3. SSSniperWolf
4. CoryxKenshin
5. Dream
6. TommyInnit
7. Mark Rober
8. Kallmekris
9. Technoblade
10. The Royalty Family

Breakout Creators
1. Kallmekris
2. Ranboo
3. Adin Live
4. Beluga
5. Ryan Trahan
6. TapL
7. Kinigra Deon
8. Tubbo
9. BrentTV
10. Casual Geographic

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2021

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A year full of rising rap newcomers and seasoned vets that delivered a solid soundtrack over the last 12 months. Continue reading…

The Weeknd’s ‘Die For You’ Video Is A Teenage Love Story Spiked With Telekinesis And Escape

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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.

The Weeknd Says His Upcoming Album Feels Like Being ‘Stuck’ In A ‘Purgatory State’

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The Weeknd has spent the last six months laying off hints about his upcoming sixth album. The singer has often referred to it as The Dawn, but has yet to officially confirm its title. Based on recent interviews, as well as the release of the project’s presumed lead single “Take My Breath,” it seems like The Weeknd’s upcoming album is close to arriving. While the wait continues, The Weeknd shared what listeners can expect to hear on the album during a recent interview with Billboard.

“Picture the album being like the listener is dead,” The Weeknd said. “And they’re stuck in this purgatory state, which I always imagined would be like being stuck in traffic waiting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.” He continued, “And while you’re stuck in traffic, they got a radio station playing in the car, with a radio host guiding you to the light and helping you transition to the other side. So it could feel celebratory, could feel bleak, however, you want to make it feel, but that’s what The Dawn is for me.”

The Weeknd also spoke about the blend of genres that will appear on the album. “You’ll hear EDM, hip-hop, and three other types of sounds in one song—and somehow, we make it work,” he said.

You can read The Weeknd’s full profile with Billboard here.

The Weeknd Credits ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ For His ’80s Music Influence

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Billboard recently declared that The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is the top song in the long history of their storied Hot 100 chart. The song is heavily inspired by synth-forward ’80s music, and in a new Billboard interview pegged to the Hot 100 news, The Weeknd gave credit to the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for fostering in him an interest in ’80s music.

In the piece, co-producer Max Martin notes of the song, “Abel came with the vision of what the song should be, which was a very different tempo and vibe than what is usually done. He took a risk, and that was very impressive to us. We all felt this song was very special even early on in the process.” The Weeknd then added, “GTA: Vice City really opened my eyes to a lot of ’80s music, so there was a nostalgia for when I was a kid playing video games and listening to Hall & Oates and Michael Jackson while driving through the city.”

The Grand Theft Auto games are well known for their soundtracks, which players experience through in-game radio stations. Vice City has nine stations and they all cycle through their own playlists of about 15 songs each (except for the one station that doesn’t play music). Since the game is set in 1986, all of the songs included are from that year or earlier. Hall & Oates has one song in the game, “Out Of Touch,” while Jackson has two: “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

Check out the full interview here.

The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Is Now The ‘No. 1 Song Of All Time’ According To ‘Billboard’

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It has felt like at least once every couple months or so, there was news about some chart record that The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” broke or set. The latest of those came in August, when the single officially became the longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, unsurprisingly, there’s more chart news for “Blinding Lights”: Billboard has declared that the single is the No. 1 song of all time, as it is now on top of the Billboard Greatest Songs Of All Time Hot 100 Chart. It dethroned the previous chart-topper, Chubby Checker’s 1960 hit “The Twist.”

Billboard notes, “[The chart] factors in total weeks on the chart as well as exact chart positions, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. (Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.)”

The Weeknd told Billboard, “I don’t think [the success of ‘Blinding Lights’] has hit me yet. I try not to dwell on it too much. I just count my blessings, and I’m just grateful.”

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Hot 100 in 2018, Billboard unveiled the full Greatest Songs of All Time Hot 100 Chart. At the time, the top ten featured, from No. 1 to No. 10, “The Twist” by Chubby Checker, “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas, “Mack The Knife” by Bobby Darin, “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “How Do I Live” by Leann Rimes, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) by Los Del Rio, “Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran, and “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.