Abel Tesfaye, the artist soon-to-be-formerly known as The Weeknd, has dropped his new single “Popular,” from the soundtrack to HBO’s The Idol, in which he stars and serves as co-creator alongside Euphoria showrunner Sam Levinson. The track, which features Playboi Carti and Madonna, was first previewed on the red carpet at The Idol’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last week.
Produced by the Weeknd, Mike Dean, Metro Boomin, and Tommy Rush, “Popular” finds Tesfaye ruminating on the allure and pitfalls of fame and fortune. “Kill anyone to be popular, sell her soul to be popular,” he sings on the chorus, while Carti boasts, “Shawty fuck with me ‘cause she know I’m popular,” throughout.
Though it may have made more sense for Madonna to jump on one of the Weeknd’s sleek, ’80s-inspired synth-pop songs, the singer slips comfortably into the track’s midtempo R&B milieu. And who better to expound on the perks and perils of popularity than the Queen of Pop herself?
Listen to “Popular” below:
The Idol premieres June 4 on HBO, while the soundtrack drops June 30.
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