The Weeknd hit #1 with “Starboy”

Starboy The Weeknd with Daft Punk

Writer(s): Abel Tesfaye, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Thomas Bangalter, Martin McKinney, Henry Walter, Jason Quenneville (see lyrics here) Released: September 22, 2016 First Charted: October 8, 2016 Peak: 11 US, 11 DG, 26 AC, 10 A40, 17 RB, 2 UK, 17 CN, 2 AU, 26 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 1.18 UK, 13.26 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2042.0 video, 2548.04 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: After landing two #1 hits from his previous albums, the Weekend found his way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a third time with the title cut from his next album, Starboy. It also reached the pinnacle in Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, and Sweden. The song’s road to #1 was not a quick one. “Starboy” debuted at #40 and made an impressive leap to #3 the next week. However, it got stuck in the runner-up position for eight non-consecutive weeks behind the Chainsmokers’ “Closer” and Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” before finally ascending to the top. The song grew out of a beat by Guy Manuel de Homen-Christo. He heard the song while in a studio in France. He’d been invited to Paris after expressing interest in working with Daft Punk. WK The R&B and electropop song shows how the Weeknd “understands the impotance of constant evolution in both his music and his image.” WK Like David Bowie and his Starman persona, the Weeknd sought to create a new image for himself. He developed Starboy, which was Jamaican slang for a cool or important person, by shedding his famous dreadlocks. SF [is infused] with lyrics that contain themes of extravagance of a celebrity life” WK and how it “can make an entertainer fragile.” WK Meanwhile, the video creates a story around “the Weeknd’s attempt to murder his former personality” WK by “suffocating himself, clipping his old hairstyle, and crushing his glass-framed platinum records.” WK Grant Singer directed after previously working with the Weeknd on “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 2/6/2021; last updated 7/22/2023.