The Weeknd Drops ‘Popular’ Featuring Playboi Carti and Madonna – Listen
The Weeknd has released his new collab with Playboi Carti and Madonna, "Popular."
On Friday (June 2), Abel debuted the second single from his upcoming Idol Vol. 1 soundtrack after previously teasing the record. The song has an early 2000s Neptunes bop to it, but is in fact produced by Metro Boomin, Mike Dean and The Weeknd.
Lyrics to The Weeknd’s “Popular” Featuring Playboi Carti and Madonna
"Tell me, do you see her? (Yeah) She's livin' her life (Uh)," The Weeknd croons on the chorus. "Even if she acts like she don't want the limelight (Uh, yeah, uh, uh)/But if you knew her (Yeah, uh), she lives a lie/She calls the paparazzi, then she acts surprised, oh."
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Baby-voice Playboi Carti makes an appearance on the track on the post-chorus.
"Money on top of me, money on top of her (Uh)/Money on top of me, money on top of her (Uh)," Carti repeats. "Yuh, shawty f**k with me 'cause she know I'm popular (Uh)/Yuh, shawty f**k with me 'cause she know I'm popular (Uh)."
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Madonna wraps up the track with background vocals from The Weeknd.
"Beggin' on her knees to be popular/That's her dream, to be popular (Hey)/Kill anyone to be popular/Sell her soul to be popular," they sing.
The Weeknd Previews "Popular" at Cannes Film Festival
The Weeknd initially previewed the then rumored track at the Cannes Film Festival in France during The Idol red carpet premiere on May 22. Video from the event captured audio of the single while attendees were flicking it up on the red carpet. Abel and Carti later FaceTimed each other ahead of the song's release.
The Weeknd stars in and cocreated the upcoming HBO film series, The Idol, which finds him playing the role of a cult leader-self-help guru who forms a relationship with aspiring pop star Jocelyn played by Lily-Rose Depp.
When Does The Idol Soundtrack Drop?
The soundtrack is scheduled to come out on streaming services on June 30. The lead single "Double Fantasy" featuring Future was released back in April.