At midnight ET on Friday (June 2), The Weeknd released the second song, “Popular,” for the soundtrack of his upcoming HBO original series, The Idol. While the lead single for the soundtrack saw the singer collide with beloved collaborator Future, who he had worked with multiple times in the past, this new release sees him work with two new icons for the first time ever.
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“Popular,” along with The Weeknd’s infectious Beggin’ on her knees to be popular hook, includes vocal assists from pop legend Madonna and enigmatic hip-hop star Playboi Carti. Throughout the song, the trio’s lyrics give allusions to a woman who will do anything to achieve celebrity status, likely referring to the protagonist Jocelyn in The Idol.
Madonna’s verse midway through is surely a standout moment of the track, as she sings about wanting to keep her humanity while in the limelight. I know that you see me, time’s gone by / Spend my whole life runnin’ from your flashin’ lights / Try to own it, but I’m alright / You can’t take my soul without a fuckin’ fight.
While Carti’s contribution to “Popular” is minimal, The Weeknd is able to use the squeaky-voiced bridge to the fullest, as it shows up two separate times on the song. Money on top of me, money on top of her / Money on top of me, money on top of her / Yuh, shawty fuck with me ’cause she know I’m popular / Yuh, shawty fuck with me ’cause she know I’m popular.
Last week at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of The Idol, The Weeknd previewed the song on the red carpet, exciting fans for his first-ever collaboration with Carti. Additionally on Thursday, just hours before the release of “Popular,” The Weeknd tweeted out that Madonna is “the original pop idol.”
The Idol premieres its first episode on Max on Sunday (June 4), but the full soundtrack does not release until June 30. As we await the exciting developments that The Weeknd has in store for this summer, listen to “Popular” below.
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