Before The Idol premieres on HBO / Max on June 4th, The Weeknd has unveiled “Popular,” a star-studded collaboration from the series’ soundtrack. Listen to the track — which features Playboi Carti and Madonna — below.
With lyrics like “Kill anyone to be popular/ sell her soul to be popular,” the single fits in with the Hollywood-ish commentary The Weeknd’s been known for… and the Madonna feature really boosts his ’80s-chic thing to the next level. “She’s the ultimate co-sign for this song,” he told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album… well, co-produce with her, of course. She’s a visionary and she has such a singular vision, and I just want to come into her world and create a classic Madonna album. That was always my dream. Hopefully this is the appetizer for that.”
Watch the visualizer for “Popular” — featuring footage of The Idol’s cast at this year’s Cannes Film Festival — below. The Idol Vol. 1 (Music From the HBO Series) will premiere in full on June 30th. Previously, The Weeknd previously previewed the soundtrack with “Double Fantasy,” a collaboration with Future.
Co-created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson, The Idol stars The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp as a nightclub owner and a pop star in a tumultuous relationship. The series has been a big topic of conversation for a while now, due in no large part to a Rolling Stone report that described its set as a “shitshow” and its content as “torture porn.” It’s interesting, then, that The Weeknd would enlist Playboi Carti — who was recently charged with felony aggravated assault after allegedly choking his pregnant girlfriend — for “Popular.” Still, Jane Adams, who also appears in the critically maligned show, said “people would be lucky” if it lasted several seasons.
As for The Weeknd, the artist born Abel Tesfaye recently said he may retire his musical moniker in the near future. Before then, however, he’ll embark on the latest leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour. Starting next week, he’ll kick off a run of shows across the UK and Europe, followed by tour dates in Mexico and South America in the fall. Get tickets here.
