I'm Clifford Stumme, and I use literary analysis and research to explain the deeper meanings of pop songs. Feel free to leave a comment or to email me at clifford@popsongprofessor.com with questions or ideas!
All in the weeknd
"Starboy" by The Weeknd is a super popular song right now, and I want to help you to understand the deeper meaning of it. There's a lot to talk about here, but I think one of the most important themes is The Weeknd's dubious relationship with fame and success. Is he really happy he has so much money? Even though he's bragging about it here?
"Love to Lay" by The Weeknd is an interesting song on the Starboy album because it's one where The Weeknd is on the receiving end of some of the other habits that he brags about. The song is an interesting take on a relationship that leaves The Weeknd taken advantage of.
"True Colors" is one of my favorite tracks from The Weeknd's album Starboy because it's one of the few that highlights and focuses on a true emotional maturity on the part of The Weeknd. The song is about a lover who has a dark past that The Weeknd feels he needs to hear about from her rather than from someone else. He asks her to explain and does so in an understanding, kind, and empathetic way.
"Secrets" is one of the grooviest, most interesting songs on the Starboy album. The Weeknd wrote it about a relationship that's not going so well, and the song is awesome. it's got a little bit of a Michael Jackson vibe, and it's an interesting take on a relationship that could be very close to falling apart.
"Stargirl Interlude" by The Weeknd is the shortest song from the Starboy album and also one of the most artistically creative ones. While other songs from the record come across as braggadocios or shallow, "Stargirl Interlude" somewhat artistically describes a sexual encounter. The song provides some pivotal but not graphic details and further develops the relationship between The Weeknd and the woman that the Starboy album could be about.
"Reminder" has to be the most unique on The Weeknd's record Starboy. And that's just lyrically. The music side of the song is similar to other tracks, but while most of the other songs on the record focus on sex or self-definition based on fame, "Reminder" focuses on self-definition in relation to the music industry. It takes a slightly different tact than other songs and certainly contains quite a bit of information that we can use to learn about The Weeknd and his character Starboy.
And we continue marching through Starboy by The Weeknd. It's my goal to explain the whole thing, and we'll see if that happens, but we're going to try. In the meantime, "Six Feet Under" is one of the more interesting songs on the Starboy album if you consider that it's one of the only songs that it isn't about him at all. Most of the other songs on the album, The Weeknd uses first person pronouns like "I" or "me." But in "Six Feet Under," he keeps purely to describing a character or person he has in mind.
This last weekend, I spent more than 30 hours creating and editing videos explaining songs from The Weeknd's album Starboy. This week, I'm going to be explaining all of those songs again but here on the blog. I hope you're ready for some good description of The Weeknd's amazing album and are ready to go deeper behind the lyrics.
I'm going to give you a peek behind the curtain. This may be the only song explanation you've ever read or ever will read by me, but I want to take a moment to be transparent. I'm sitting on my couch in my living room at 1 in the morning furiously typing out this song meaning explanation. It's two cold in here, and I'm exhausted.
I've been waiting for The Weeknd to release new singles from his upcoming Starboy album! He's an excellent musician, and I think when I first started explaining songs, he impressed me because he was proof that a pop artist could write about deeper things while still being incredibly "poppy." The Weeknd proves it in songs like "Can't Feel My Face," "The Hills," and "Starboy."
In the first verse, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) sings about who he is and how he's changed since his last album came out. He sings, "I'm try'n'a put you in the worst mood," to explain what he's about to do. Since he's going to sing about his own personal success, which is considerable, he's saying that when he's done, we'll be unhappy with our lives.
In the first verse, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd's real name), sings about a mysterious and enigmatic woman: "Bathroom stalls for the powder nose / High heel shoes with the open toes." Those first two lines aren't super unique, but they begin to paint for us a picture of a high class, sophisticated, and fashionable woman.
Hey! Be sure to check out my most recent podcast about what "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd means! The meaning of this song may surprise you, and it definitely isn't about what it sounds like. Enjoy!
If you're a Christian, a mistake you can make right now is to ignore songs like "The Hills" by The Weeknd and to write them off as evil, pointless pop hits that encourage the depravity of mankind and corrupt children. If you and your kids intentionally interact with the lyrics of "The Hills," the experience may change the way you see pop artists. Discussion of this song is recommended for ages 15-18.
