The Weeknd Drops New Single “Heartless”
Written by SOURCE on November 27, 2019
The Weeknd begins his “brain melting psychotic chapter” with “Heartless”—his first solo release since 2018’s My Dear Melancholy EP.
The Grammy-winning singer premiered the track Tuesday night during the seventh episode of his Beats 1 radio show Memento Mori. “Heartless” was teased on The Weeknd’s newly reactivated Instagram account on Monday, when he shared a blurry, black-and-white photo of himself captioned: “The fall starts tomorrow night.”
We got our first taste of another song, “Blinding Lights,” earlier this week, when Mercedes-Benz released a commercial featuring Abel and the track. “Blinding Lights” retains that polished, super-produced sound The Weeknd is known for, but with some heavy 1980s influences—most notably the hand clap-driven beat and spacy keyboards.
According to the Mercedes ad, a “full film” is scheduled to drop on Friday, November 29.
Meanwhile, “Heartless” is classic Abel, as it leans more into the R&B landscape with a healthy dose of hedonistic lyrics about drugs, sex, and partying. But it’s not exactly a braggadocious cut, as The Weeknd suggests he’s not proud of this kind of lifestyle: “‘Cause I’m heartless, and I’m back to my ways ’cause I’m heartless,” he sings. “… Said I’m heartless/Tryin’ to be a better man, but I’m heartless.”
“Heartless” are expected to appear on the long-awaited follow-up to 2016’s Starboy. The Weeknd has remained relatively tight-lipped about his fourth studio album, but suggested his next chapter was going to be his biggest one yet.
“I wanna let you guys know, being in Toronto these past two days … I haven’t been this inspired in years, I got to tell you,” he said during a November 2018 concert.”I’m working on my my album right now. Chapter 6 coming soon, let’s get it!”
Anticipation increased in early August, when The Weeknd tweeted he was locked in “album mode.”
The Weeknd has yet to announce the project’s official drop date, but his new single suggests it’s right around the corner.
You can stream “Heartless” up top on YouTube or below via Spotify. The track was produced by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and Illangelo while the song was written by Abel, Andre Eric Proctor (Dre Moon), Illangelo, and Metro.
