barttttender

So, the track is doing amazingly on Spotify. More than 2 million streams per day, which is a lot more than Tough did. To give you an idea, Summertime Sadness (her highest streaming songs) generates about 1.2 million per day. So, this is huge. Already out streamed some 60 LDR songs, too. This is for sure going to Billboard 100 as Lana's 17th song to chart. I know y'all don't give a damn about Lana's chart success at all, but just thought I'd share. More info here: https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/00FQb4jTyendYWaN8pK0wa_songs.html

i need the "mirror." Releasing that track as the first single would be such a curve ball and an absolute slay.

haha. That's kinda on ldr, really

Brat is a full-on dance record. It deserved dance record and just that, as far as album categories go imo. AOTY should be a bit more serous / universal - like an album everyone should listen to. The greatest accomplishment in music, not club bangers.

they fixed it now. i wonder if this will make it to Billboard 100, hope so. Having tough and this both end up there compensates for ob not charting at all.

this 100%%%. great year for music! and this year we have two fantastic albums already (the weeknd and fka) and lana's about to drop, so great time to be alive music wise.

yeah to think that pretty much every publication in the world had it as number 1, and they still gave it to billie 🤦🏻‍♂️ billie's first record too against lana's 5th. I knew then and there that they were worthless and only follow the money trail. This year billie got some karma for that. Love her to death, but needed to happen 🤭

Tbh, Billie has won many Grammies and Oscars (9 Grammies, 2 Oscars) - she's fine. She's 23 years old. She'll have 100 Grammies by the time she's done making music.

Gurl, you are in the wrong era for that. Person will be her most stripped-back album yet. Henry is the first single, for Pete's sake. On the plus side, it might still be a phenomenal record.

Open Hearts gets an MV https://youtu.be/Bn-3ICGjz0U?si=1VeqVK9BU1Ann-Zo

Okay, so Gaga is back to her feeding the gays era.... Her most commercial effort in years? That being said, these singles are doing nothing for me. It's just trashy. Also, I thought her lyricism reached its nadir with "Ra, ra, ah-ah-ah. Roma, roma-ma · Gaga, ooh, la, la. Want your bad romance" Until we got: "Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na Abracadabra, morta-ooh-ga-ga Abracadabra, abra-oo-na-na" I'm so glad Lana Del Rey actually exists and I didn't just make her up.

Brat had a big cultural impact, yes. But that's a dance record that really appealed to the young crowd, club-goers, etc. I don't think it was worthy of AOTY. Dance record of the year, sure. And like I said, Hit Me Hard and Soft had about 8 tracks only, a few of which were just not on the level of others (as much as I adore the album and think it's Billie's best so far). CC was a big sprawling record appealing to all generations, with ballads, country, covers, bops, etc. and it just had more going for it. The moment I heard it in full, I knew it will win AOTY. The production on it was pure fire too. Still not over the bass on Bodyguard...I'm probably in the minority, but CC truly deserved this imo.

I mean, she's been singing and giving it her all for about 40 years. The fact that they never gave her AOTY is, frankly, shocking. She could have won for Beyonce or Lemonade or Reneissance, but she didn't. Basically, she was overdo. And I prefer Billie as an artist. To me, it's just like black women never wining Lead Actress at the Oscars, for some "mysterious" reason. The first and last time was Halle Berry. Can you f-ing believe that? Like, seriously? I'm glad Kendrick and Beyonce swept.

I LOVED Billie's album, but I'm glad Cowboy Carter won. That record was more epic whereas Billie's was a tad short and a bit front-loaded. She shoulda won song for Birds of a Feather, though. Snubbing Taylor was also a god-send, that girl is overrated af. Now, the big crime for me is that Lana didn't get a Grammy for Best New Artist (who even did?) or Best Pop Album for BTD, whereas Chappel and Sabrina both got their flowers on their first try. At this point, the artists should collectively boycot the Grammies until Lana gets one. There, I said it.

Love your love for Sao Paolo (BANGER NEXT LEVEL) and Timeless but not having Open Hearts among your mentions is legit criminal and you should be locked up (joking).

Tbh, i can't imagine billie on an abel record at all? for some reason. She's got too butch of an energy for him,. (Huge billie fan so i can say that). He needs feminine girls like lana, ari, and anita.

Hahah, no worries. <3 It just glitches; issues with formatting, I can't like comments on desktop, nor post new threads, yadda yadda yadda. But my two fav artists (Abel and LDR) have a collab today, so I'm here, workin' it

Honestly, having a few glitches with my computer. Well, this website specifically. Sorry about that. <3

Those are some great choices! Bif fan of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Godfather 1, and Blue is the Warmest Color. I just opened the profile, so not sure how it works. But will try to follow. EDIT: done

Aww-shucks. Thanks! I'd DM to you here, but I legit don't know how.

Here's the full write-up. 20 “I Can’t F–king Sing” / “São Paulo” (feat. Anitta) With “I Can’t F–king Sing” as an eight-second interlude and transition to The Weeknd and Anitta’s 2024 collaboration “São Paulo,” the star power on paper doesn’t produce handsome results as The Weeknd dives into the world of Brazilian Funk. The inflated production drowns out the vocals and leaves listeners yearning for more, especially from what was first deemed a fiery pairing like The Weeknd and Anitta. – C.L. 19 “Big Sleep” A woozy lullaby downshifts the album down a few notches as The Weeknd pivots to “Big Sleep,” which samples the 1978 Midnight Express theme song. Initially previewed in 2021, the downtrodden opera feels like more of a haunting palette cleanser setting Abel up for a grand final act. – M.S. 18 “I Can’t Wait to Get There” A slinky tune to accompany your next road trip. Abel bathes in his greatness as he nears billionaire status and touches on his non-existent relationship with his father. But there’s still more work to be done, “Tryna end up my traumas, tryna clean up my closet” while avoiding the traps laid out by media members. Death to the misinformation, The Weeknd’s out to make his enemies pay. – M.S. 17 “Drive” Pretty simple, roll the windows down and cruise down the West Side Highway while taking in all the Big Apple skyscrapers illuminating the way. The Weeknd tries to outrun issues in his life while clearing his head and looking back on the innocence he had as a kid. Why did we want to grow up so fast? “Cause fame is a disease,” he admits. – M.S. 16 “Given Up on Me” Split into two parts, “Given Up On Me” is a chilling tale of The Weeknd. Spilling his pain in cathartic fashion, The Weeknd shines over this Metro Boomin and Mike Dean collaboration, which features a brief cameo on Future on the bridge. Seemingly accepting his fate and imminent demise, The Weeknd urges his lover to let him fade to black. The second half finds him floating over somber piano keys, realizing that as challenging as it is, he can no longer be with his “sunshine.” – C.L. 15 “Open Hearts” “Open Hearts” feels very copy and paste for The Weeknd, in terms of delivering a loaded synth-pop record and speaking on one day falling in love again with aplomb. With him considered the ultimate needle-mover in pop right now, The Weeknd punches in another formulaic song lacking the same punch and fury as his previous tracks, even with super-producer Max Martin at his disposal. – C.L. 14 “Without a Warning” A journal entry in the form of a letter to the fans who helped fuel his greatness and push him to dig deeper into the depths of his soul which elevated his artistic capabilities to heights he didn’t think were possible. A celestial penultimate outro, but the crowd’s roar made it all worth the journey, even if we don’t know if tomorrow’s coming. This is really the end. – M.S. 13 “Reflections Laughing” The Weeknd is again battling his demons head-on and is on the brink of losing again. With the aid of oft-collaborator Travis Scott, they once again prove why they’re a potent tag team, with The Weeknd nearly succumbing to his afflictions and losing grip of his pop throne. “I won’t make a sound/ Blood on the ground/ When they take my crown/ If they take my crown,” he sings. – C.L. 12 “Wake Me Up” Weeknd’s affinity for Michael Jackson is the music industry’s worst-kept secret. Aside from mirroring MJ’s vocal capabilities and chart dominance, Weeknd has never shied away from sampling the King of Pop, with “Wake Me Up” being his latest flip. This time, from his Hurry Up Tomorrow album, the intro samples Jackson’s 1984 opus “Thriller” and is a five-minute exhibition of Weeknd’s exploration of legacy, reality, and disillusionment. Initially teased in 2024, Weeknd’s deftly executes on the pop-synth intro with sizzling precision. – C.L. 11 “Take Me Back to LA” After fans got a taste of the track in 2020, the glorious “Take Me Back to LA” is finally here and the ride was worth the wait. Abel flips the script on After Hours‘ dark “Escape From LA” with an emptiness in his soul. Channeling Ye’s “Ghost Town,” he puts his hand on the stove to ensure he still feels alive. It was a lonely road in the City of Angels and the one thing we can’t buy back is time. Does anybody do sonic transitions better than The Weeknd? – M.S. 10 “Red Terror” A haunting funeral. A goosebumps-inducing track, “Red Terror” finds Abel grappling with death. The Weeknd’s powerful narration details how this chapter is closed, but the connection remains forever. The production feels grand — larger than life in a sense — and other artists can only hope to make something this poignant in their careers. – M.S. 9 “Cry for Me” In “Cry for Me,” The Weeknd’s vulnerability is palpable as he positions Hurry Up Tomorrow as his swan song. He leans into his mortality and departure, realizing it may be too late to resuscitate his relationship. His achingly honest lyrics, “And I hope you cry for me like I cry for you/ Every night for you, take it easy on me, baby/ ‘Cause I tried with you, saw my life with you/ End of time with you, now we’re strangers,” convey a side of The Weeknd that is often overshadowed by his heartless lothario persona. – C.L. 8 “Hurry Up Tomorrow” A profound outro allows Abel to talk directly to his day one fans with some help from the synth god Mike Dean. The Weeknd floats above Dean’s piano keys while confessing about trying to fill the void his absent father left in his life. After pouring every part of his being into his art, fans will go on with a piece of him, but who’s there to pick up what’s left of himself? A final transition into “High for This” makes for a true full-circle moment, and another trilogy is complete. – M.S. 7 “Give Me Mercy” Have mercy on his soul, The Weeknd is looking for forgiveness. A soothing ’80s synth-pop cut, the electro ballad features Abel with a renewed sense of clarity while the ghosts of his nihilistic past scurry by. “Give Me Mercy” feels like something Michael Jackson could make in the 2020s soundscape. “Sinner in the night/ Seeking refuge in the day,” The Weeknd croons. – M.S. 6 “Opening Night” Despite being bite-sized and compact, “Opening Night” has substantial replay value. Here, The Weeknd sings about the everyday tug-a-war between a man’s logic and a woman’s emotions, with the latter proving victorious. – C.L. 5 “Timeless” (feat. Playboi Carti) The XO and Opium link-up reaches a crescendo with “Timeless,” which is far more digestible than anyone expected when combining Abel’s icy synth-pop with Carti’s left-of-center rage. The duo builds off The Idol‘s “Popular,” with The Weeknd subliminally jabbing at Drake about filling up Toronto’s Rogers Centre before him, while Carti compares himself to The Rock and elevates another track with a paranormal guest appearance. – M.S. 4 “Enjoy the Show” One of the top highlights of the first half of Hurry Up Tomorrow, “Enjoy The Show” is an unbridled and unfiltered R&B showdown between The Weeknd and Future as they’re drowning in their sorrow after losing their significant others. This toxic duo unabashedly resorts to drugs to soak in the pain since their obsessive needs can’t no longer be met. “I don’t wanna make it past thirty-four/ And when the curtains call, I hope you mourn,” The Weeknd spills. – C.L. 3 “The Abyss” The Weeknd’s falling into “The Abyss” while a love he has a burning desire for seems to always be fleeting. “I tried to be something that I’ll never be,” he laments over the piano-driven melody. Just two months after questioning Billboard not having Lana Del Rey on our Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century list, Lana returns the favor for her “Lust for Life” collaborator on the outro, and appears like a floating angel. “It’s a threat not a promise,” she sings as her airy vocals reverberate into the universe — turning “The Abyss” into a standout. – M.S.

Billboard does a track by track ranking and places The Abys at number 3. https://www.billboard.com/lists/the-weeknd-hurry-up-tomorrow-album-song-rankings/given-up-on-me/ Now, don't get too excited, they also have Open Hearts at number 15, lmao. T(hat song is the absolute highlight, which is why Abel performed it on Fallon on the fuckiing release day.) But still, some brownie points for Lana. Their number one pick (Niagara Falls) is a song I don't even remember (and I heart the record like 4 times today front to back.)

Guuurrrlll, we were dry af. Can you just stop appreciate that we just got 2 minutes of lana serving vocals? Lmao. Some of you guys didn't like Tough because of Quvo or whatever, now this is middle-of-the-road... Just look at Katy Perry's last record, or even Gaga's Joker output. Lana is doing great stuff - and it's just collabs, not even her own music. We're being fed with content that no one is obligated to put out. Imagine being an Adele fan - one album every 5 years. We should celebrate The Abbys throughout Feb, and then an LDR single will drop (God willing)

What is it with these DCMA comparisons? Nothing about The Abyss sounds anything like DCMA.

One of my favorites too. These are all pretty fucking great: Wake Me Up Cry for Me Sao Paulo Open Hearts (SOTY) Given Up on Me Timeless Take Me Back to LA The Abyss <3 Hurry Up Tomorrow (fun fact: David Lynch is listed as a writer, and I really wonder in what capacity and how and when this happened) Quite a few fillers on this record (I Can't Fucking Sing, Until We're Skin and Bones) and songs that are just fine or missing a bridge (Drive, Give Me Mercy), but I like the record overall. There's a lot to unpack. The song I'm not feeling at all is Red Terror (a pretty unpleasant listen for some reason despite contributions from Cirkut and Oneothrix Point Never).