The Weeknd or Abel Tesfaye just announced the release date for the soundtrack of the HBO drama series ‘The Idol’ created by the Canadian singer himself. Along with the announcement, Abel released a single from the soundtrack titled “Popular.”
The single features vocals by Abel, Madonna, and Playboi Carti, and is produced by Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, and also Abel.
‘The Idol‘ TV series focuses on an aspiring pop star climbing the ropes of fame in the cut-throat Hollywood music industry. The song “Popular” captures this theme of the series. The protagonist of the series and the song has one thing on their mind–fame. And they would do anything to get there.
Listen to “Popular” by The Weeknd, Madonna, and Playboi Carti
The Weeknd “Popular” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
One of the lyrics from the first verse tells everything we want to know about the aspiring popstar;
She calls the paparazzi, then she acts surprised, oh
This girl wants it all. But she cannot show she is desperate for fame and fortune. If she shows her emotions, it would be bad for business. There’s no time and place for real vulnerabilities in the entertainment industry.
But you can definitely pretend to be. The protagonist of the TV series entangles herself in romantic (mostly sexual) relationships with key people in the industry to further her career.
In the second verse by Madonna, she further explores the pop star’s mind. She has been chasing the flashing lights all her life and ran directly into the clasps of music industry predators. She tried to make it on her own. But the music industry is not an easy space to navigate. So, she will be taking a little easier approach to fame–selling her soul to VIPs in the business.
Abel hints that this pop star may not be aware of what she is getting into. The same thing that she so desperately wants will consume her slowly. She will never be free again. She will never be broke again, but she will never be happy again either.
Let us hear what you think about the song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.