Playing himself on Josh and Benny Safdie’s Diamonds in the Rough, voicing him on American Dad!, Robot Chicken and The Simpsons, and finally writing an unpublished piece for the highly anticipated Avatar: la via dell ‘acqua”, chorale and drums “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”, Abel Tesfaye finally decided to take the plunge and try his hand at soundtrack the official spokesperson for the Hbo series Idol, which he also co-produces with director Sam Levinson and writer Reza Fahim.
If the character of Tedros, masterfully played by Tesfaye, is elusive, then the melodies written by from scratch they are not impregnable at all and correspond to the latest productions. In a nutshell: sweet ballads with airy synths that set you in motion sliding doors with the past. In fact, it seems like The Weeknd wants to follow the teachings of Giorgio Moroder, apparently someone who borrowed the movie he apparently draws inspiration from, to give a fuller meaning to his new role as a handyman composer for streaming platforms. Starting with One of the Girls, played with Jenny and Lily-Rose Depp, and with “A Doll’s House”, this time with only Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny and Vanessa Paradis, also in the cast as the protagonist. Jocelyn, a budding pop star who gets caught up in the web of Tedros, a dark and unorthodox nightclub owner played by Tesfaye. The song, the last one, is so lacquered that it would not look out of place in the center of one of the many collections. informal from Lana Del Rey, a real music star that The Weeknd knows well.
Consisting of six separate EPs and released between June 9 and July 9, 2023, The Idol, Vol. 1 (Music From The Hbo Original Series)” mixes actual moments from the script somewhat inadvertently. Basically, these are passages in which the tension and scope of the turn are at the highest level. Equally popular, but a heck of a lot more intense, is a cover version of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord”, interpreted for the occasion by Troy Sivan, who brings back the gospel version, but sung in a hypothetical semi-abandoned synth cathedral once more at the forefront of the finale. Then there’s Madonna and Playboi Carti on “Popular,” a single that puts The Weeknd in a bold confrontation with two stars far removed from the time and music. This time the pace is Caribbean and the words explore the feeling of success and its undeniable pleasures.
I get money and keep it
§I receive money and keep it for myself
Money on me, money on her
Yeah baby fuck me cause she know I’m popular
Among many others questioned, Moses Sumney certainly excels in “Get It B4”, the most popular song of them all, with a paused beat and comedic melody. sincere which is warm. Instead, “Double Fantasy” with Future is another hit in The Weeknd’s perfect style on the “Dawn Fm” stage, so conceived without too much persuasion to rise to everything known with a melody, unfortunately only compelling on paper, in which the most classic of bridge in rap sauce. Between highs and lows, bursts of vocalizations (“Take Me Back”) stand out well on the instrumental “Devil’s Paradise”, which features a saxophone in the lead before the synth attempts to momentarily take over the stage again.
The Idol, Vol. 1 (Music From The Hbo Original Series)”, minus a few good passages, divides and, in fact, poses the question: who benefits from all this overproduction? In Tesfaya for sure. But those who have followed him from the beginning and seen his artistic tale expand may have little interest in his desire to be a brilliant “cantator.” And in the end, that’s okay too.
07/23/2023