In an interview for the Super Bowl, he’s asked what his music means. And his answer was something like: I, of course, wrote the lyrics with my own meanings, but I love to hear other people’s theories, that’s just as important to me. I was like 🥺
Numbers don’t lie. Abel is really outshining everything. Plus After Hours production has been perfect as a whole album. Easy can be considered 2020 best album of the year.
Tru Heru xoxo When all the music videos come out, we’re going to do a big follow up video talking about the story of the music videos AND the bonus tracks. Sorry to keep you waiting😅
OurThoughts Podcast ⚡️please don’t miss how the “Blinding Lights” Live performance on Jimmy Kimmel fits in between the actual “Blinding Lights” video and the “After Hours” short film. Every other analysis I’ve seen misses that part. The Weeknd utilized that live performance in the same way the Safdie brothers utilized real Celtic games in Uncut Gems to bring a touch of reality to an otherwise fictional story🙌🖤
I feel like this album symbolises the death of his persona, the weeknd...its the most pure & honest he’s ever made, and each song questions his choices of overindulgence, possiveness and obsession that completely destroyed abel. until i bleed out is the inception-style question of “will i continue as the weeknd and allow this character to ruin me, or be free as abel?” i believe he chooses to be abel, based on escape from la and faith. but those are only in the middle, the peak of his internal conflict. after listening to this album millions of times, i get more and more sure that this is the end of this character.
we 100% agree. You really do get the feeling that he's just not the same Abel we met in Trilogy, and to be honest, good for him! We actually talk about it in our follow up to this video where we talk about the bonus tracks and the music videos (specifically the music video for Until I Bleed Out, as you mentioned. Definitely go check it out and thank you for this thought-provoking comment!
Speaking of persona, it's like Eminem and his slim shady and u hear him have this honest self confession outburst in the 3rd verse of bad guy and ends it with killing off slim... Well until he brings it back on kamakaze album bcuz of ppl whining about it
I feel like Abel is telling us, how he dealt with his breakups and how he felt and all the drug trips and regrets he’s had and those regrets include moving to LA in the first place. I think he made this song while probably already in therapy and this album is his closure. So for all the people that say like “omg he’s gonna OD in real life” I Think he’s more recollecting than crying out for help And on instagram he’s thanking his fans for keeping the album popular which I think is his secret way of telling people thank you for supporting me in more ways than you know
I mean he can move n live somewhere else. Eminem lives in Detroit, NF lives in nashville, zac efron is even out from the country now in new Zealand, cillian Murphy lives in Dublin (well he's not American, but he even hated London after yrs of living there) but he did say "Only work in LA but for the love of God live at least 2000 miles away"
I think that’s somewhat the point. Not everyone who listens to his songs will spend hours researching and analyzing the deeper themes of the album. In fact- at face value his songs are upbeat, catchy and fun to listen to. It’s up to the listener to decide how they want to interpret his music- at face value (which ironically is “blind” to the true meaning of his music, paralleling his blindness to the toxicity of his relationships) or they can go much deeper- understanding the reality of how that entertainment came to be.
@@andben9524 yeah that’s what’s makes his songs so cool. Save your tears is hit song because people like the beat and sound of it, but no one really listens to the lyrics and just thinks that it’s a happy song
If you think about it, rolling stone was like his warning I guess to his fans, that he was going to change and he knew it. “I’ll be different” “I think I’ll be different” “I hope I’m not different” “and I hope you’ll still listen” honestly breaks my heart so much.
@@estelaangeles2346 Not a role model, really just listening to someone talking about the same things your going through, or even things you could never relate to and never want to. He doesn’t mask it, shows it for what it is and wants to fix his mistakes.
This album really tells the story of Bella X Abel X Selena drama at the same time as his relationship with fame. The metaphors he uses can apply to both in equal measure. I'm actually impressed that he's not disrespectful to his lovers; there's a lot of emotional maturity here. Abel insinuates understanding that this is a cycle of hurt and taking advantage of others. Selena hurt him, but then he did the same thing to Bella, and he acknowledges that he's no better. There's a lot of blame and self-loathing in this album, he really doesn't blame his lovers, only himself. The same can be applied to his relationship to fame - he knew it was a double-edged sword, but he still let himself get caught up in the partying, drugs, and sex. Side note: Abel cheated on Bella A LOT, plus she warned him that Selena was using him as a rebound. But she still takes him back every time, and he hates himself even more because he feels he doesn't deserve forgiveness. "Scared to Live" is kinda his ode to Bella, he doesn't want her to leave him, but he knows she deserves better. I think it's the the most honest, emotionally raw song on the album.
The lyrics "they think your kindness is so weak" is from Escape from LA, not Snowchild. Anyways, not a reference towards Selena, but the hook from Future's, Comin Out Strong, which he's also featured in. "They take my kindness for weakness, still coming out strong." Also, "Cali was the mission," in this song is him leaving Cali for good because he's no longer fixated on LA fame. At the end of Faith, the lyrics, "I ended up in the back of flashing car," during an interview with Variety said is about the darkest time in his life when he punched a cop and was arrested. 'I got arrested in Vegas. It was a real rock-star era, which I'm not really proud of. You hear sirens at the end the song - that's me in the back of the cop car, that moment" - Abel XO'TWOD
Here's my take on Blinding Lights it's about love....and relationships... The "blinding lights" are a metaphor for being attracted to other more glamorous women...He has dropped his girlfriend and got burned and now he's regretting it. First line "I been tryna call" is him saying he can't bring himself to actually call...he's afraid of what she'll say. Followed by the admission of "I've been on my own for long enough" is an underscore of how he misses her. Second line "maybe you can show me how to love" is his desire to rehab himself from the distractions and he knows that she really loved him, unlike the "blinding lights" of other women. "I'm going through withdrawals"...a lot folks think he's referring to drugs...not so in this song...his "withdrawals" are from him separating himself from her....he misses her in other words. And that is confirmed in the last line "You can turn me on with just a touch". "I look around & Sin City (Las Vegas) is cold and empty"...he's in the city but without her his life is "cold and empty" "No one around to judge me" means that he's gotten away from his friends who may have pushed him to dump his girlfriend. And the last line is pretty much self explanatory: "I can't see clearly when you're gone" means that he doesn't know the right thing to do so he's drinking and maybe getting high but in any event, he's lost his way. 1st Chorus: "I'm blinded by the lights" surrounded by glitz and glamour of Las Vegas (Sin City) he's fallen to the temptation but knows he made a mistake...next line he admits how much he misses her "I can't sleep until I feel your touch" "I'm drowning in the night" means that he's succumbed to the night life of Las Vegas: drinking, gambling, sex workers, etc...he's admitting to her he's in over his head. He finishes with the line "When I"m like this you're the one I trust"...he's declaring to her that she really is a true love and he's safe with her. It's a plea to win her back At this point, he's realized that his night life fun is over and he's got to get back straight to her in a hurry: 'I"m running out of time" is a reference to his inability to stay away from her and indulge himself with drugs, women and sex..."The sun light up the sky" simply translates to him seeing his way and realizing his mistake and he follows up on that with "so I hit the road in overdrive" meaning he is heading home to her post haste 2nd Chorus - see above As the song winds down his reference "I"m just coming back to let you know" is his confession that he wants to rekindle the love relationship.... "I could never say it on the phone" is a reference to the opening line "I been tryna call"...he can't bring himself to say what he wants to say over the phone....he needs to see her and say it in person. And the final line is the punch line "will never let you go this time"...that is the gold nugget in this song. He's dumper her before, maybe 2-3 times but this time he's never gonna let her go. It's quite a moving love song...to 'DRUM ROLL PLEASE"....Bella Hadid hence the "las vegas" references. You're welcome!
Lilbirdnelson it’s clearly not. Didn’t you see the comment? It’s obviously him talking about how he’s blinded by the lights from fame and the bad relationship he had with Bella
I could agree with you but one of his produced DaHeala posted on his Instagram stories the song was made on February 06, 2019, Abel was still with Bella at this time, and Abel himself explained in an interview that heartless is the first song he wrote for the Album and the lyric shows to us he and Bella already get back together at this time and ” this time” don't mean 2,3 times, it means someone you with before.
Really? Hmmm SMH, People DONT KNOW What GOOD SOUL MUSIC FEELS LIKE! THEIR LOSS! THE WEEKND'S MUSIC/ARTISTRY/PAIN Reaches & Speaks To The Depths Of MY SOUL! Anyone & As Someone That Has Gone Through & Overcame Drug Addictions & Heartbreak, He Is THERAPUDIC!
The other day I gave a try to playboy cartIS new album a listen bcuz ppl we're trashing it n iggy ranting on Twitter. If cancer had a sound that would be it.. At this point it's not even mumble rap it was like listening a baby getting killed for a ritual. IT'S BEYOND GARBAGE.. The fact ppl call those mumble rap music even.. However I do feel this album every song has almost same sound..
I feel like the album is one big night, the start is like the evening, he’s sad and feels alone and is reminiscing about the times he had with “this girl”. Heartless is when he goes out with the boys, you know when you’re feeling down and in the start of the night when you start drinking and your boys hype you up and you forget about everything? Well that’s heartless. Towards the end of heartless is like he’s so drunk and having fun with the boys that he’s like fuck it let’s get high (in this case it’s not weed it’s either a psychedelic or molly type drug), after that the songs are just experiences and emotions of his high. He loses his friends wonders off on his own gets arrested, gets blinded by the lights, tries to kill a girl (in your eyes lol) then after the high he’s on the come down. The high is wearing off and the interlude comes in, now he’s going back to his senses and usually the come down is when you feel the most down and that is where after hours and until I bleed out come. That’s just my broad take on the album obviously there’s little details that you guys went over lol.
Loved your description of the scenes! The fact that everyone is able to see them so vividly is such a testament to how amazing The Weeknd did on this album.
GUYS, y’all hit this on the NAIL. I swear I thought of the majority of the comparisons you did as well. This album is completely amazing, and I’m glad to see there’s people who see.. wait for it.. the Beauty Behind the Madness 😉 I initially saw this video was 32 mins and was like damn, do I really want to see this? Turns out, it was completely worth it. I enjoyed every second of this review, and y’all did such an amazing job. 👏🏼
Too late is screaming “I sold my soul” he’s said it in so many songs, in Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, and After Hours. He is not crying over a girl lol he truly wishes for his soul back.
I think its more metaphorical than literal in terms of selling his soul as in like he traded a happy life with a promised ending for drugs lust fame money and alcohol so he feels because of his success and the choices hes made because of his career he feels his chances of making it to heaven are gone and hes given up
Why do ppl refuse to acknowledge what so many artists who have passed away, were saying before they died, that the industry is evil, they have to sign this contract for ten yrs, and become puppets, they sell their soul!! For money and fame, the devil is real ppl. You need to seek God before it's too late! Look at Justin! He turned his life around now and is married, giving Jesus praise openly, and telling us how miserable and sad he was , the most famous, rich artist, was a lost soul!
Jesus loves you, he saves! Call on his name, God bless you whoever reads this! Money is the root of all evil, read the bible, the word of God. We need God now more than ever, look at the state of our world today!
Abel is for sure the best musician of our generation. Really refreshing to have somebody so incredible in an industry full of garbage “musicians” these days…
We appreciate the love! La La Land was definitely one of our favorite movies from that year, so I tried to see if I can squeeze in that shot on the pier somehow haha
I understand numerology, and I noticed that each track matches the energy of the number it is. For instance, the track After Hours, is the 13th track, which is after 12, 12 representing midnight, hence, "After Hours." Track 1 being Alone again, which the number one represents singularity and alone. Too Late is number 2, used as a homophone, and you can keep going. At least that's what I see when I look at it. I could be reaching haha
That INTRO Sets The Stage SO PERFECTLY! He's Def Going Thru Some DEEP SHIT, You Get The Sense That He Just Wants To Call It Quits & Dissapear But Its TOO LATE! Amazingly Put Together Album, BRILLIANT!
Abel is truly an artist...his entire career is like a book and his albums are the chapters. Abel presents to us this character, The Weeknd, who acts out different phases in Abel's life. He isn't afraid to show his vulnerability and the fact that he is struggling with darker passions from his past.
this makes me concerned for him , Abel has always spoke very loudly and truthfully through his music . idk !! idk . i think Las Vegas is representation of hell , Heaven or Las Vegas ?
i think that the time in the studio was with Selena and when he mentions "she's all mine until he calls her" hes talking about justin especially since after they broke up she was seen hanging out with him and she wrote lose you to love me about justin
I was going through a big breakup and then the first lockdown came, this album got me through it lol I was in the top 0.5% of listeners (as I imagine a lot of you were), these songs will stay with me forever
It's not only about girls... It's about drugs too. Depression. Anxiety. L.A. Fake people. Fake everything. I'm a drugs addict myself (In recovery) from Toronto. I feel him... Really good video guys!!! 👏
I'm just listening to this podcast and honestly you guys deserve so much more recognition. The way you guys picked apart these songs was phenomenal. It really showed the true depth of this album. Definitely subbing and listening to your guys other stuff. Keep it up and i hope you guys keep growing :)
"That section is so pretty. It's so depressing, I love it so much..." 15:41 hearing you both talk so DEEPLY about that incredible outro makes me happy 😌🌙🌠 It's SO powerful
The connection between The Morning, Tell Your Friends and Snowchild literally broke me. We’re watching this man tell us about his self destruction through the most beautifully haunting music of this generation
I’m going through a horrible break up and listening to this album helped me heal so much. My ex fucked me over so much and it definitely resonates. The words he says to Bella are very similar to the words my ex used. But I’m stronger than running back to a cheater.
when you listen to this album, you'll be like "okay there's some emotional lyrics here" but when you listen to it with people analyzing each lyric and music videos, it will break you
The whole album reminds me that recovery and finding yourself is not linear; that it is a 2 steps forward 1 step back process and I love it. I love how he had realizations and steps forward just to contradict himself in the next song. It shows how he has grown and how he has had a whole journey throughout his life. The fact that he was able to convey so many emotions in just a 1 album and tie his real life into his music is crazy. He's so talented and has made me want to pursue music/my passions
I feel like all these songs Abel is producing is a cry for help. A cry for a professional psychiatrist or someone of that matter to help him heal because I feel like since the pain in his heart hurts so much, he will soon end up committing suicide, and if he dies, that's when I will cry, because he's my favorite artist 😢
He wont go that far as commiting suicide, he might attempt an OD but Abel is very very proud of this album, i think he is finally moving forward, he will start living life as he wants now.
@@leviclrn I sure hope so because in his latest albums, he's been talking about drugs, depression, and his ex's so it makes me sad to hear Abel this way but I hope he does get better.
We need more albums like After Hours I'm a big Pink Floyd Fan and Big Fan of Concept Albums. For me listening to an Album First to Last is the best way to listen to it.
Thank you for acknowledging just how much this album is about Bella. So many reviews I watch leave her out completely- when it's so obviously heavily influenced by her on many parts.
For the song In Your Eye i think the song is about how his lover (bella) seeing him. throughout the whole music video the woman is running for him symbolizing how bella left and sees him as a “bad guy“ that’s why in the music video The weekend is the murderer this is another way that he shows that he’s alluding to the thought that he is the bad guy/playboy persona as shown in heartless and blinging lights .
Holyyyyyy you only have 2.9k like how? Your content is such a high quality, literally listening to hardest to love after this video had me in tears 😭😭😭
Marisela lopez I think most of the album is about Bella and their break up and how he missed her, but there’s definitely some Selena references. He contradicts him self in these songs because just as you think he’s talking about one person, eg bella in escape from la when he says she’s got chrome hearts hanging from her neck. He then says “she’s all mine for the night” which sounds like a selena/jelena reference. Idk he’s smart
Yeah, you can tell he’s not being apparent about the other girl he’s interested in because he’s probably protecting her from the media since they ruined his past relationships.
In yo eyes is abt Selena, part 2 of secret, cos in bella s side he was hardest to love en in scared to live again letting her go, triangle of two women Save your tears was linked before they broke up,maybe it abt another girl, like a relationship which ended with out a closure ,but the weeknd en bella have been friends since they broke up, he even whispered Selena his name in save yo tears, asking for someone to love him for a second time while him en bella have already dated passed 2 times,so it's not abt bella ,en Selena is not the only person who broke the weeknd s heart, look back in his old albums he was also heart broken before bella en Selena
😂😂he didn’t whisper Selena’s name in save your tears. It was one of those random noises singers make when they’re in the moment. Also it sounds more like it was “said” not Selena
@@theofficialtd0t255 Nope you could clearly hear him whispering selena...if it is what you said y is the girl in the music video similar to selena in her dance again music video
You are right! He literally dropped the MV for snowchild on Selena's Birthday, and the girl in save your tears MV looks exactly like Selena in her 'dance again' MV plus she is wearing the same ring and earrings...
Snowchild is also a song about drugs like cocaine. Some og his songs he even sings about drugs but refer them as a girl. Listen to "Can't feel my face" he is actually not singing to a girl in that song. "She" is actually cocaine. So yeah thats also why he may need an "escape from la" because there is to many drugs and fake people there, and thats also why he may have become like depressed and stuff.
i love this and love how we all get to really understand the album and his thoughts. i always took it a different way, as people usually do to fit their own issues, this really opens your eyes to what the albums about. thank you! i love it
I’m so glad someone else said it cuz I’ve been thinking it ever since this album came out that it gives me real Uncut Gems vibes in tone, style, and themes.
I like that he doesn't do that many interviews, he let's the music do the talking. He's definitely one of the most talented music artists of our time.
call me ..
@Akshay K Nair wdym call them?
Yeah wdym?
In an interview for the Super Bowl, he’s asked what his music means. And his answer was something like: I, of course, wrote the lyrics with my own meanings, but I love to hear other people’s theories, that’s just as important to me. I was like 🥺
Completely agree. He's the artist I use as an example of why popular music doesn't equal bad music.
Abel is single handedly carrying the music industry
Wrong, but ok
He is killing everything. If it ain’t XO then it gotta go.
Hi eu is me candy oky good oky 😍😍😍😍
THY PARADIGMS Abels album wasnt the only album thats been released in the past few months. Multiple people carryin it rn.
Numbers don’t lie. Abel is really outshining everything. Plus After Hours production has been perfect as a whole album. Easy can be considered 2020 best album of the year.
if you guys did the same thing with MDM, Starboy, BBTM kissland and trilogy i would 100% watch.
Ty Bolster KISSLAND PLEASE
PLEASE
PLEASE DO THIS !!!
YESSSS
Mdm
I honestly wouldn't have minded if this video/podcast was longer . I would've laid here and tune in .
Lucky for you, we have our FULL podcast episodes on Apple podcasts and Spotify! Links in the description of the video:)
:0
Take my money
You’ve got to do the 3 bonus tracks... “Nothing Compares”, “I Miss You” and “Final Lullaby”
Tru Heru xoxo When all the music videos come out, we’re going to do a big follow up video talking about the story of the music videos AND the bonus tracks. Sorry to keep you waiting😅
OurThoughts Podcast ⚡️please don’t miss how the “Blinding Lights” Live performance on Jimmy Kimmel fits in between the actual “Blinding Lights” video and the “After Hours” short film. Every other analysis I’ve seen misses that part. The Weeknd utilized that live performance in the same way the Safdie brothers utilized real Celtic games in Uncut Gems to bring a touch of reality to an otherwise fictional story🙌🖤
@@TruHeru Oh, you're gonna love the video we plan on making then haha. And that's ANOTHER great parallel to Uncut Gems!
@@OurThoughtsPodcast blinding lights is about Vegas but also how he is blind to loving any girl but her because he only wants her .
The bonus tracks are amazing omgggg
I feel like this album symbolises the death of his persona, the weeknd...its the most pure & honest he’s ever made, and each song questions his choices of overindulgence, possiveness and obsession that completely destroyed abel. until i bleed out is the inception-style question of “will i continue as the weeknd and allow this character to ruin me, or be free as abel?” i believe he chooses to be abel, based on escape from la and faith. but those are only in the middle, the peak of his internal conflict. after listening to this album millions of times, i get more and more sure that this is the end of this character.
we 100% agree. You really do get the feeling that he's just not the same Abel we met in Trilogy, and to be honest, good for him! We actually talk about it in our follow up to this video where we talk about the bonus tracks and the music videos (specifically the music video for Until I Bleed Out, as you mentioned. Definitely go check it out and thank you for this thought-provoking comment!
@@OurThoughtsPodcast This comment. This is it. Yess.
Speaking of persona, it's like Eminem and his slim shady and u hear him have this honest self confession outburst in the 3rd verse of bad guy and ends it with killing off slim... Well until he brings it back on kamakaze album bcuz of ppl whining about it
this feels like the mbdtf of the weeknd. the albums touches on early weeknd, his rise to fame, and how this "fame" affects the artist.
his recent interview validates this theory, amazing comment
I feel like Abel is telling us, how he dealt with his breakups and how he felt and all the drug trips and regrets he’s had and those regrets include moving to LA in the first place. I think he made this song while probably already in therapy and this album is his closure. So for all the people that say like “omg he’s gonna OD in real life” I Think he’s more recollecting than crying out for help
And on instagram he’s thanking his fans for keeping the album popular which I think is his secret way of telling people thank you for supporting me in more ways than you know
I'm more feeling like he open up in his music so he can feel better and can move on. U know bottle up can make ppl think suicide
I agree!
I mean he can move n live somewhere else. Eminem lives in Detroit, NF lives in nashville, zac efron is even out from the country now in new Zealand, cillian Murphy lives in Dublin (well he's not American, but he even hated London after yrs of living there) but he did say "Only work in LA but for the love of God live at least 2000 miles away"
I feel like red is SUS
It's funny how to think when people have it good so they be like omg this artists had it hard his life is so bad omg I feel bad lmao
i just want to know why u dont have more recognition ... you explained this so perfectly, really made me cry.
Wow! Thanks so much for watching
nickole R ya that’s what I felt
OurThoughts Podcast nppp
nickole R same here
nickole R Take your meds
I didn't really realize how deep this Album was until I saw this 😭
Bigggg facts 😳
I think that’s somewhat the point. Not everyone who listens to his songs will spend hours researching and analyzing the deeper themes of the album. In fact- at face value his songs are upbeat, catchy and fun to listen to. It’s up to the listener to decide how they want to interpret his music- at face value (which ironically is “blind” to the true meaning of his music, paralleling his blindness to the toxicity of his relationships) or they can go much deeper- understanding the reality of how that entertainment came to be.
@@andben9524 yeah that’s what’s makes his songs so cool. Save your tears is hit song because people like the beat and sound of it, but no one really listens to the lyrics and just thinks that it’s a happy song
Love how Abel actually listens to his fans and their interpretations of his work, I'm glad that he's seen this. Keep up the good work.
If you think about it, rolling stone was like his warning I guess to his fans, that he was going to change and he knew it. “I’ll be different” “I think I’ll be different” “I hope I’m not different” “and I hope you’ll still listen” honestly breaks my heart so much.
Their are better role models than abel
Omgg that makes perfect sense !!
@@estelaangeles2346 Not a role model, really just listening to someone talking about the same things your going through, or even things you could never relate to and never want to. He doesn’t mask it, shows it for what it is and wants to fix his mistakes.
I always wonder if singers exes ever listen to their music knowing they're referring to them
Yes Selena said that snowchild is her new fav song ❤️
@@ikramelfarissi2396 snowchild ISNT about Selena tho, it's about Bella, he even uses her laugh
Deezcartoons looool 😭😭 “Queen Bella “boo , ask ppl who’s Selena then you’ll know
Ikram Elfarissi snowchild isn’t even about selena it’s about bella it has her laughing in the background aswell
@Deezcartoons a sweet girl
This man hasn’t made one bad song
Not at all I love his music🥰
This album really tells the story of Bella X Abel X Selena drama at the same time as his relationship with fame. The metaphors he uses can apply to both in equal measure. I'm actually impressed that he's not disrespectful to his lovers; there's a lot of emotional maturity here. Abel insinuates understanding that this is a cycle of hurt and taking advantage of others. Selena hurt him, but then he did the same thing to Bella, and he acknowledges that he's no better. There's a lot of blame and self-loathing in this album, he really doesn't blame his lovers, only himself. The same can be applied to his relationship to fame - he knew it was a double-edged sword, but he still let himself get caught up in the partying, drugs, and sex.
Side note:
Abel cheated on Bella A LOT, plus she warned him that Selena was using him as a rebound. But she still takes him back every time, and he hates himself even more because he feels he doesn't deserve forgiveness. "Scared to Live" is kinda his ode to Bella, he doesn't want her to leave him, but he knows she deserves better. I think it's the the most honest, emotionally raw song on the album.
YES well said
Well said❤
I adore this kind of cinematic albums and artists because it is about art.
If you haven't already you should definitely check out Modus Vivendi by 070 Shake
Very cinematic
I love the buzzfeed unsolved style black screen with what their saying is being typed out.
HAHAHA you got it! Don’t tell Ryan and Shane tho😂🤫🤫
i love it toooo! 💀
yeah i noticed that as well lmao
@@OurThoughtsPodcast are you a shaniac?
@@tungabunga4107 LOVE Shane, but I'm repping for the Boogaras :)
The lyrics "they think your kindness is so weak" is from Escape from LA, not Snowchild. Anyways, not a reference towards Selena, but the hook from Future's, Comin Out Strong, which he's also featured in. "They take my kindness for weakness, still coming out strong." Also, "Cali was the mission," in this song is him leaving Cali for good because he's no longer fixated on LA fame.
At the end of Faith, the lyrics, "I ended up in the back of flashing car," during an interview with Variety said is about the darkest time in his life when he punched a cop and was arrested. 'I got arrested in Vegas. It was a real rock-star era, which I'm not really proud of. You hear sirens at the end the song - that's me in the back of the cop car, that moment" - Abel
XO'TWOD
Awesome comment
@@CubiasGaming i don't think it's good to idolize abel
@@estelaangeles2346 what? He didn't
YO ABEL SHOUTED U OUT ON HIS INSTAGRAM
I thought I was on a fan account but it was Abel who posted on his story. Made me rewatch
Did he say anything about the video?
@@aerdeniz he said awesome theories
At this point I want to hug Abel
Me too 🥺
looking at Abel's music, he sure do need a big warm hug.
Life as a Scorpio moon. He has one as well. Everybody who doesn’t know us wants to hug us. Pain pain and more mental emotional pain
Who else is here from The Weeknd's instagram story?
🖖
🙋🏽♂️
Si vine a ver porque lo mire en instagram y en ingles 😭😭😭😭
Yes me 😄
✋
Here's my take on Blinding Lights it's about love....and relationships... The "blinding lights" are a metaphor for being attracted to other more glamorous women...He has dropped his girlfriend and got burned and now he's regretting it.
First line "I been tryna call" is him saying he can't bring himself to actually call...he's afraid of what she'll say. Followed by the admission of "I've been on my own for long enough" is an underscore of how he misses her.
Second line "maybe you can show me how to love" is his desire to rehab himself from the distractions and he knows that she really loved him, unlike the "blinding lights" of other women. "I'm going through withdrawals"...a lot folks think he's referring to drugs...not so in this song...his "withdrawals" are from him separating himself from her....he misses her in other words. And that is confirmed in the last line "You can turn me on with just a touch".
"I look around & Sin City (Las Vegas) is cold and empty"...he's in the city but without her his life is "cold and empty" "No one around to judge me" means that he's gotten away from his friends who may have pushed him to dump his girlfriend. And the last line is pretty much self explanatory: "I can't see clearly when you're gone" means that he doesn't know the right thing to do so he's drinking and maybe getting high but in any event, he's
lost his way.
1st Chorus: "I'm blinded by the lights" surrounded by glitz and glamour of Las Vegas (Sin City) he's fallen to the temptation but knows he made a mistake...next line he admits how much he misses her "I can't sleep until I feel your touch" "I'm drowning in the night" means that he's succumbed to the night life of Las Vegas: drinking, gambling, sex workers, etc...he's admitting to her he's in over his head. He finishes with the line "When I"m like this you're the one I trust"...he's declaring to her that she really is a true love and he's safe with her. It's a plea to win her back
At this point, he's realized that his night life fun is over and he's got to get back straight to her in a hurry: 'I"m running out of time" is a reference to his inability to stay away from her and indulge himself with drugs, women and sex..."The sun light up the sky" simply translates to him seeing his way and realizing his mistake and he follows up on that with "so I hit the road in overdrive" meaning he is heading home to her post haste
2nd Chorus - see above
As the song winds down his reference "I"m just coming back to let you know" is his confession that he wants to rekindle the love relationship....
"I could never say it on the phone" is a reference to the opening line "I been tryna call"...he can't bring himself to say what he wants to say over the phone....he needs to see her and say it in person.
And the final line is the punch line "will never let you go this time"...that is the gold nugget in this song. He's dumper her before, maybe 2-3 times but this time he's never gonna let her go.
It's quite a moving love song...to 'DRUM ROLL PLEASE"....Bella Hadid hence the "las vegas" references.
You're welcome!
Loved this breakdown! Blinding Lights is definitely one of the most surprisingly complex songs I've heard in a while.
Blinding lights is about drugs
Lol i think all that was pretty clear and didnt need more of an explanation like it was pretty straight forward 🤪
Lilbirdnelson it’s clearly not. Didn’t you see the comment? It’s obviously him talking about how he’s blinded by the lights from fame and the bad relationship he had with Bella
I could agree with you but one of his produced DaHeala posted on his Instagram stories the song was made on February 06, 2019, Abel was still with Bella at this time, and Abel himself explained in an interview that heartless is the first song he wrote for the Album and the lyric shows to us he and Bella already get back together at this time and ” this time” don't mean 2,3 times, it means someone you with before.
This needs to be viral the production is amazing
the weekend is going through a lot. He is pouring his heart, he needs love and support. Plz god calm his mind, and give reason to feel happy.
Bro this is literally my life. He captures what a broken soul looks like in such a beautiful masterpiece
"she got chrome hearts hanging from her neck"
Thats Bella, she's also in the credits to the song "escape from la"
I thought her creds were in snowchild
Exactly. She models for ChromeHearts. I feel as if this whole album is about Bella.
The angels references and “baby boo”
Sher Hall that’s exactly what i think, her nicknames baby bel so it makes sense
Sher Hall no fam th whole album isn’t about her it’s about him and his story about both relationships with Bella and Selena
Escape From L.A. is totally about Bella. Maybe it’s about her and Selena but there’s Bella references that makes me believe it’s about her.
I got people complaining about me listening to the weekend but they be listening to mumble rap 😂😂they a joke bro
Really? Hmmm SMH, People DONT KNOW What GOOD SOUL MUSIC FEELS LIKE! THEIR LOSS! THE WEEKND'S MUSIC/ARTISTRY/PAIN Reaches & Speaks To The Depths Of MY SOUL! Anyone & As Someone That Has Gone Through & Overcame Drug Addictions & Heartbreak, He Is THERAPUDIC!
Their brains are too flat to listen to this and enjoy it
The other day I gave a try to playboy cartIS new album a listen bcuz ppl we're trashing it n iggy ranting on Twitter.
If cancer had a sound that would be it.. At this point it's not even mumble rap it was like listening a baby getting killed for a ritual. IT'S BEYOND GARBAGE.. The fact ppl call those mumble rap music even..
However I do feel this album every song has almost same sound..
bruh
@@emyf9197 some albums have a specific theme to them, could be why the songs sound similar.
I feel like the album is one big night, the start is like the evening, he’s sad and feels alone and is reminiscing about the times he had with “this girl”. Heartless is when he goes out with the boys, you know when you’re feeling down and in the start of the night when you start drinking and your boys hype you up and you forget about everything? Well that’s heartless. Towards the end of heartless is like he’s so drunk and having fun with the boys that he’s like fuck it let’s get high (in this case it’s not weed it’s either a psychedelic or molly type drug), after that the songs are just experiences and emotions of his high. He loses his friends wonders off on his own gets arrested, gets blinded by the lights, tries to kill a girl (in your eyes lol) then after the high he’s on the come down. The high is wearing off and the interlude comes in, now he’s going back to his senses and usually the come down is when you feel the most down and that is where after hours and until I bleed out come. That’s just my broad take on the album obviously there’s little details that you guys went over lol.
Loved your description of the scenes! The fact that everyone is able to see them so vividly is such a testament to how amazing The Weeknd did on this album.
U see what he did in Pretty to his girl and her lover?
Nicely put
That’s kinda like After Hours the movie
GUYS, y’all hit this on the NAIL. I swear I thought of the majority of the comparisons you did as well. This album is completely amazing, and I’m glad to see there’s people who see.. wait for it.. the Beauty Behind the Madness 😉 I initially saw this video was 32 mins and was like damn, do I really want to see this? Turns out, it was completely worth it. I enjoyed every second of this review, and y’all did such an amazing job. 👏🏼
Too late is screaming “I sold my soul” he’s said it in so many songs, in Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, and After Hours. He is not crying over a girl lol he truly wishes for his soul back.
I think its more metaphorical than literal in terms of selling his soul as in like he traded a happy life with a promised ending for drugs lust fame money and alcohol so he feels because of his success and the choices hes made because of his career he feels his chances of making it to heaven are gone and hes given up
THIS IS TRUE YALL NEED TO START PAYING ATTENTION ITS SAD SHIT!!!!
Nathan Notorious no lol
Why do ppl refuse to acknowledge what so many artists who have passed away, were saying before they died, that the industry is evil, they have to sign this contract for ten yrs, and become puppets, they sell their soul!! For money and fame, the devil is real ppl. You need to seek God before it's too late! Look at Justin! He turned his life around now and is married, giving Jesus praise openly, and telling us how miserable and sad he was , the most famous, rich artist, was a lost soul!
Jesus loves you, he saves! Call on his name, God bless you whoever reads this! Money is the root of all evil, read the bible, the word of God. We need God now more than ever, look at the state of our world today!
Abel is for sure the best musician of our generation. Really refreshing to have somebody so incredible in an industry full of garbage “musicians” these days…
I want to say of all time. Have yet to pull up an R&B artist whose pulled some sh*t like this off.
Who is here after The weeknd shared this on his IG stories though?💥💥
Abel needs more recognition for what he does
Faith outro gets me in a whole other level.
Every damn time!!!
“They think your kindness is so weak” isn’t even in Snow Child... It’s in Escape from LA
Exactlyyyyyyyy
Yes! Aha slip up on our part good catch!
Mr Specific
🍪
Lol only true XO fans will catch stuff like this 🥰
Talk about "Im a virgin" next
The one from American dad? Man that's hilarious
I love this, it gave me a completely different perspective on some of the tracks. Great references to La La Land as well really adds to the visuals.
We appreciate the love! La La Land was definitely one of our favorite movies from that year, so I tried to see if I can squeeze in that shot on the pier somehow haha
I understand numerology, and I noticed that each track matches the energy of the number it is. For instance, the track After Hours, is the 13th track, which is after 12, 12 representing midnight, hence, "After Hours." Track 1 being Alone again, which the number one represents singularity and alone. Too Late is number 2, used as a homophone, and you can keep going. At least that's what I see when I look at it. I could be reaching haha
So what about the rest of the songs?
13 Death and Transformation
holy shit i never realized this
That INTRO Sets The Stage SO PERFECTLY! He's Def Going Thru Some DEEP SHIT, You Get The Sense That He Just Wants To Call It Quits & Dissapear But Its TOO LATE! Amazingly Put Together Album, BRILLIANT!
Damn son, you've made it.. abel posted this on his insta
HE DID?
@@mary-sh9yf yes
This album is exactly replicating the stages of grief and loss. I love it.
AMAZING. THIS WAS PERFECT THANK YOU!!
Ali Losa We appreciate the love❤️🙌 What was your favorite song on the album?
Abel is truly an artist...his entire career is like a book and his albums are the chapters. Abel presents to us this character, The Weeknd, who acts out different phases in Abel's life. He isn't afraid to show his vulnerability and the fact that he is struggling with darker passions from his past.
this makes me concerned for him , Abel has always spoke very loudly and truthfully through his music . idk !! idk . i think Las Vegas is representation of hell , Heaven or Las Vegas ?
i think that the time in the studio was with Selena and when he mentions "she's all mine until he calls her" hes talking about justin especially since after they broke up she was seen hanging out with him and she wrote lose you to love me about justin
Save your tears is about bella that actually happened
Hence the music video with the exaggerated plastic surgery
Yet has a selena lookalike and whispers her name in the song..
I was going through a big breakup and then the first lockdown came, this album got me through it lol I was in the top 0.5% of listeners (as I imagine a lot of you were), these songs will stay with me forever
Faith is one of the best songs he’s ever done 🙌 This entire album is amazing!
It's not only about girls... It's about drugs too. Depression. Anxiety. L.A. Fake people. Fake everything.
I'm a drugs addict myself (In recovery) from Toronto. I feel him...
Really good video guys!!! 👏
Why did this make me cry... such a beautiful analysis thank you
I'm just listening to this podcast and honestly you guys deserve so much more recognition. The way you guys picked apart these songs was phenomenal. It really showed the true depth of this album. Definitely subbing and listening to your guys other stuff. Keep it up and i hope you guys keep growing :)
"That section is so pretty. It's so depressing, I love it so much..." 15:41 hearing you both talk so DEEPLY about that incredible outro makes me happy 😌🌙🌠 It's SO powerful
This is top ten reviews I’ve seen EVER!
Much appreciated! Stay tuned for more deep dives!
The connection between The Morning, Tell Your Friends and Snowchild literally broke me. We’re watching this man tell us about his self destruction through the most beautifully haunting music of this generation
The whole album makes me feel like a movie
I’m going through a horrible break up and listening to this album helped me heal so much. My ex fucked me over so much and it definitely resonates. The words he says to Bella are very similar to the words my ex used. But I’m stronger than running back to a cheater.
Can I have ur ex now?😂
I feel like I'm in English class, breaking down a play or poem. Which I guess this is exactly what that is lol
Y'all pray for The Weeknd. I feel he's even closer to the deep end. Great anylist of the album. Wish I could write like that.
Congrats on Abel watching this! He just shouted it out in his IG story. Glad he saw this y’all really hit it in on the nose!
when you listen to this album, you'll be like "okay there's some emotional lyrics here" but when you listen to it with people analyzing each lyric and music videos, it will break you
I love the lyric in Snowchild “she don’t need a man she what a man needs” I think it’s about Selena Gomez, I loved them together.
Yeah, Selena does have a lyric 'I don't need no man' in one of her songs
The whole album reminds me that recovery and finding yourself is not linear; that it is a 2 steps forward 1 step back process and I love it. I love how he had realizations and steps forward just to contradict himself in the next song. It shows how he has grown and how he has had a whole journey throughout his life. The fact that he was able to convey so many emotions in just a 1 album and tie his real life into his music is crazy. He's so talented and has made me want to pursue music/my passions
I feel like all these songs Abel is producing is a cry for help. A cry for a professional psychiatrist or someone of that matter to help him heal because I feel like since the pain in his heart hurts so much, he will soon end up committing suicide, and if he dies, that's when I will cry, because he's my favorite artist 😢
He wont go that far as commiting suicide, he might attempt an OD but Abel is very very proud of this album, i think he is finally moving forward, he will start living life as he wants now.
@@leviclrn I sure hope so because in his latest albums, he's been talking about drugs, depression, and his ex's so it makes me sad to hear Abel this way but I hope he does get better.
@@seby-1234 Abel talks about doing drugs in every album. He started when he was 11 years old. Let's hope for the best
seby 1234 let’s hope he will get better
DON'T EVEN SAY THAT
We need more albums like After Hours I'm a big Pink Floyd Fan and Big Fan of Concept Albums. For me listening to an Album First to Last is the best way to listen to it.
the flow of the conversation between the hosts is so soothing. Damn, and the right amount of clip and caption through out the video. Thank you
The Weeknd makes "insanity" feel pretty attractive and indulging...
I love coming back to this video to see how far my babies have come, it’s so heart warming 🥹
Wow. Just wow. Super happy this popped up in my recommended! Keep this up
we need a documentary about him
the weekend is so talented and it’s amazing to see how far he’s come, this album was amazing ✨
the only bad part of this video is, it ends 🤐
xo
And mistake about kindness is so weak. Everyone knows is from escape from la. Otherwise the quality was good
Thank you for acknowledging just how much this album is about Bella. So many reviews I watch leave her out completely- when it's so obviously heavily influenced by her on many parts.
For the song In Your Eye i think the song is about how his lover (bella) seeing him. throughout the whole music video the woman is running for him symbolizing how bella left and sees him as a “bad guy“ that’s why in the music video The weekend is the murderer this is another way that he shows that he’s alluding to the thought that he is the bad guy/playboy persona as shown in heartless and blinging lights .
Holyyyyyy you only have 2.9k like how? Your content is such a high quality, literally listening to hardest to love after this video had me in tears 😭😭😭
i just hope Abel finds a good soul
I absolutely love your guys' use of Allusion with other popular songs and cinema, and how you tie it all together. Really nice work!
Thank you for the kind words!
Save your tears is a song you sing laughing and dancing though the pain of a terrible heart break
I just love how every album captures the loneliness/essence of these bigger cities/countries
You described everything I felt listening to this album
The mind of an Aquarius. Weeknd is a genius.
i looked it up to confirm it because I am an an Aquarius too, and I have totally gotten Aquarius vibes from him, and i was right
It feels good to know Im not the only one crying alone to this songs. Great video you guys!
Abel posted this on his Instagram congrats!!!
I feel like theres a love triangle in his album. Hes not singing about just one girl, if he is it's very confusing.
Marisela lopez
Yea I agree, Abel directly stated it was a cuisine piece telling a specific story so it can’t be only one person
@@priyankatiff3397 he needs to date until he's 37
Marisela lopez I think most of the album is about Bella and their break up and how he missed her, but there’s definitely some Selena references. He contradicts him self in these songs because just as you think he’s talking about one person, eg bella in escape from la when he says she’s got chrome hearts hanging from her neck. He then says “she’s all mine for the night” which sounds like a selena/jelena reference. Idk he’s smart
Madeleine Gibson he was talking about Bella cause Bella was dating Drake. The one who was hitting her phone I think is Drake not Justin
Yeah, you can tell he’s not being apparent about the other girl he’s interested in because he’s probably protecting her from the media since they ruined his past relationships.
Hope he sees this . Genuinely funny and I’m sure he’s interested in how other people perceive it
He saw it he posted it on his instgram story!!!
You’re podcast is perfect 👌🏾
In yo eyes is abt Selena, part 2 of secret, cos in bella s side he was hardest to love en in scared to live again letting her go, triangle of two women
Save your tears was linked before they broke up,maybe it abt another girl, like a relationship which ended with out a closure ,but the weeknd en bella have been friends since they broke up, he even whispered Selena his name in save yo tears, asking for someone to love him for a second time while him en bella have already dated passed 2 times,so it's not abt bella ,en Selena is not the only person who broke the weeknd s heart, look back in his old albums he was also heart broken before bella en Selena
I might be wrong, but i also think that song's about selena too 🥺
😂😂he didn’t whisper Selena’s name in save your tears. It was one of those random noises singers make when they’re in the moment. Also it sounds more like it was “said” not Selena
@@theofficialtd0t255 Nope you could clearly hear him whispering selena...if it is what you said y is the girl in the music video similar to selena in her dance again music video
You are right! He literally dropped the MV for snowchild on Selena's Birthday, and the girl in save your tears MV looks exactly like Selena in her 'dance again' MV plus she is wearing the same ring and earrings...
I swear there is no mind more beautiful than Abel's ❤
Abel is just the best story teller musician ever
7 months and still under a million? The way this was edited makes it all the more underappreciated. You guys deserve wayy more.
Snowchild is also a song about drugs like cocaine. Some og his songs he even sings about drugs but refer them as a girl. Listen to "Can't feel my face" he is actually not singing to a girl in that song. "She" is actually cocaine. So yeah thats also why he may need an "escape from la" because there is to many drugs and fake people there, and thats also why he may have become like depressed and stuff.
He talked about his BBTM phase and how he went through a dark time and was dealing with very personal issues so that makes sense.
Im so dumb i had no Idea "cant feel my face" was about drugs
@@Giodesire youre kidding right lol
@@eddieprieto1842 frfr 😂😔👉🏽👈🏽
@@Giodesire lmao it happens man
Abel posted about this on his Instagram Story!
Damn blinding lights takes place in the ambulance Abel is dying as soon as billboard learns about that blinding lights would be “canceled”
Toaster stroodl HAHAHAHAHA🤫🤫🤫
Toaster stroodl there is an uncensored reference to doing cocaine in star boy. Nothing would ever happen to blinding ligjts
Do you know how dumb you sound when Can't Feel My Face won many awards? But Blinding Lights might get cancelled... Okay... 🙄
Mid blowned by your analysis. First time listening to your podcast. Imma repeat again the After Hours playlist. Thank You!
i love this and love how we all get to really understand the album and his thoughts. i always took it a different way, as people usually do to fit their own issues, this really opens your eyes to what the albums about. thank you! i love it
Who else is here because of abel’s instagram story?
What a fucking masterpiece of a video! Awesome stuff
I’m so glad someone else said it cuz I’ve been thinking it ever since this album came out that it gives me real Uncut Gems vibes in tone, style, and themes.
Should definitely do his previous albums and ep. This video is so good!
You guys are incredible tbh y’all look at this in the same way people interpret poetry and I’m all for it
Man y'all guys made this up so beautifully. Makes me cry everytime I watch this video. Abel is a genius expressing his life. Much love to you. XOTWOD
It's a perfect dichotomy of the person the industry has made him and the person who hates it and is tired of it