It’s funny how things change in a matter of years.
When The Weeknd arrived on the scene in the later stages of the blog era, his persona was shrouded in mystery as many listeners didn’t even know what he looked like. Not to mention, the spelling of his stage name was slightly peculiar. Still, his unique sound and style shined through and quickly caught the attention of fellow Toronto native Drake. Through the success of their collaborations and his solo mixtapes, he evolved into a star in a way that few probably predicted. By the mid-2010s, he was slowly becoming a commercial draw with records like “Earned It” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” Fast forward nearly a decade and The Weeknd is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. From performing at the Super Bowl to selling out stadiums, The Weeknd has achieved nearly everything there was to do in his career path. Now, he’s transitioning into a new venue — television.
On June 4th, The Weeknd will add another title to his resumé — TV star. Alongside Sam Levinson, he is set to debut his new HBO drama, The Idol. The show will exercise a different portion of his creative skillset, but it will still draw back to his original claim to fame through its plot and sound. The Toronto native is expected to curate the show’s soundtrack. The first offering from that endeavor is an interesting collaboration between three unlikely counterparts, The Weeknd, Playboi Carti and Madonna. Together, they have crafted a new track called “Popular” with super producer Metro Boomin’.
