Although we still haven’t been given a date for the premiere of The Idol, The Weeknd is already making preparations for its release.
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Listed as the creator, executive producer, and lead actor, The Weeknd’s upcoming HBO series The Idol will be directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, and will star prominent actors like Lily Rose-Depp, Dan Levy, Troye Sivan, and more. The show will see Rose-Depp’s character, a troubled pop star, fall under the guidance of a self-help figure and cult leader, played by The Weeknd.
On Wednesday (April 12), The Weeknd revealed that he will provide the soundtrack for the series, dubbed THE IDOL VOL. 1. With the addition of the “Vol. 1” designation, this announcement leads fans to believe that The Weeknd will be crafting a soundtrack for each subsequent season of The Idol.
Making the decree on Twitter, The Weeknd also shared a clip of him in the studio making a song for the project, accompanied by esteemed producer and engineer Mike Dean. Earlier this week, The Weeknd took to Instagram Live to preview an unreleased song with Future, which could very well end up on the impending soundtrack. However, THE IDOL VOL. 1 currently does not have a track list, confirmed feature roster, or release date.
In early March, The Weeknd, Levinson, and The Idol ran into some turbulence. Releasing an in-depth exposé about the show’s creation, Rolling Stone accused the creators of conjuring a toxic work environment on set, where misogyny and abuse behind the scenes led to tangible changes in the script and plot.
In response to these claims, The Weeknd tweeted a never-before-seen clip from The Idol, where he and Rose-Depp’s characters trash Rolling Stone. It appears that The Weeknd believed that RS had viewed the scene before publishing their story, motivating them to spread lies about The Idol. “Did we upset you?” The Weeknd captioned the tweet.
With quite a bit of media attention surrounding The Idol, it will be fascinating to see how The Weeknd and Levinson handle the official release of the series. The show and soundtrack are both expected to come out at some point in 2023.
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