The Weeknd just scored the highest-charting song debut of his career with his new Playboi Carti-assisted single, “Timeless.”
The track arrived at No. 3 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, while also being the most-streamed song. This is the highest first-week chart position in Abel’s years-long career, and it’s also his 19th top 10 single. This is Carti’s fifth.
An all-star collaboration between the pair and producers Pharrell and Mike Dean, “Timeless” is considerably moodier than “Dancing in the Flames,” the lead single from the Toronto native’s upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Weeknd premiered the track with help from Carti during a show in Brazil last month, then released it to streaming services on September 27 – where it racked up over 10 million streams in just its first day.
In the song’s music video, the pair don all black in various outfit changes on a dimly-lit set, occasionally being joined by a few dancing women with far less clothing on.
Hurry Up Tomorrow will serve as the third and final installment in a trilogy that includes The Weeknd’s previous albums, 2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM.
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“Yesterday was 14 years ago… We held our breath, falling into a shimmering sea in the after hours of the night… Attempted to cleanse the wounds with melodies and lights, a bulletproof bandage to shield what lies beneath,” he said when announcing the effort.
“In a place where the seasons never changed, where time ceased to exist. But therein lies the problem. Today has felt like an endless spin. I keep distorting the truth, immune to the dizziness, numb to the nausea. What lies beneath — screams in silence.”
The statement continues: “I look in the mirror and feel both old and new, stuck in limbo and unable to move. I still haven’t faced myself. More songs could help, but what do I have left to say? Woes is me in my gilded cage, right?
“The very thing that once made me invincible failed me on the world stage. A new trauma surfaced, opening floodgates. A new path awaits. When today ends, I’ll discover who I am.”
