Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, scored big on the charts again in early 2022 with his latest album DawnFM. In addition to collaborating with a bunch of talented musicians, the Canadian singer also got comedian Jim Carrey on board. With cinematic influences in his music videos and his film star friends, it is not surprising to find The Weeknd’s songs popping up every now and then in films and TV shows.
In the case of movies such as Black Panther and Fifty Shades of Grey, The Weeknd has even recorded original singles. One of the most trending musicians on the planet right now, his popularity looms large in all spheres of pop culture.
Fifty Shades Of Grey – Earned It
The Weeknd’s songs are notoriously racy when it comes to themes of intimacy and sex. Hence, he just had to be one of the featured artists on the star-studded soundtrack for Fifty Shades of Grey. On the R&B ballad “Earned It,” he croons on how his romantic interest has earned the love that he gives her.
Much like other singles from the Fifty Shades film adaptation of the popular novels, the song was received positively among critics and fans, and it even went on to major film awards. Apart from garnering an Oscar nomination for best original song, The Weeknd earned himself a Grammy win for best R&B performance in 2015.
Insecure – Die For You
Issa Rae’s hilariously quotable HBO series Insecure deals with a young Black woman as she explores love, careers, race and a lot more. Accompanying her in this awkward journey through modern life is a peppy soundtrack laced with some of the hottest artists in current times such as The Internet, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and The Weeknd.
“Die For You” from The Weeknd’s album Starboy plays during a darkly funny scene in which the character Lawrence has sex with two women. It suits the steamy scene until the encounter turns awkward when the women start making stereotypical assumptions about Lawrence’s ethnicity.
Black Panther – Pray For Me
Black Panther boasts easily one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe soundtracks, curated by Kendrick Lamar. The Weeknd lends his vocals to the chorus of “Pray For Me,” one of the three singles from the album.
Playing in the scene during which T’Challa and his allies walk into a Korean casino, the song addresses themes such as leadership, loyalty and sacrifice. Both singers take on the persona of Black Panther to address the challenges they would face if they were to be the “messiah” and the “king” that T’Challa has to be to the people of Wakanda.
Ms. Marvel – Blinding Lights
The Weeknd’s work with the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t end with Black Panther, as his chart-topping hit “Blinding Lights” plays in both the trailer and first episode of the MCU Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.
Given that “noor” (Urdu for light) plays a major role in the show so far, the After Hours single seems to be a good fit. The intro’s dancey ’80s vibe goes along well with the teenage protagonist Kamala Khan’s charismatic energy. Even though The Weeknd might not always make teen-friendly music, his songs find their way into universal franchises such as the MCU.
Game Of Thrones – Power Is Power
For its final season, the HBO series Game of Thrones assembled some of the biggest names in music for a star-studded soundtrack inspired by the mythos of the fantasy show. A lead single was “Power Is Power” that found The Weeknd getting joined by singer SZA and rapper Travis Scott.
Given how most of the lead characters of Game of Thrones were after the Iron Throne, the song touches upon the hunger for fame and power. With The Weeknd taking charge of the first verse and the chorus, he channels his inner “king” energy. The song’s title is, of course, a reference to one of Cersei Lannister’s best quotes.
Titans – Party Monster
In one of the best episodes of the TV series Titans, Jason Todd starts dealing with how cut out he feels from the rest of the team. When Rose Wilson seems to understand his inner demons, the two strike an unlikely romance that is sealed with a kiss. The song that plays in the background of this intimate moment is a The Weeknd record.
As “Party Monster” plays, Rose dances around before eventually kissing Jason. Co-written with frequent The Weeknd collaborator Lana Del Rey, “Party Monster” is a hallucinatory trap song that finds the singer reminiscing on the lavish lifestyle he leads as a “Starboy.”
Uncut Gems – The Morning
One of his earliest tracks from the House of Balloons era, “The Morning” is a self-reflective song set in the titular time of the day when The Weeknd wakes up from an intense night of intoxication and lovemaking. A cult favorite among XO fans, the song plays in Uncut Gems, a movie that also marked The Weeknd’s acting debut.
The claustrophobic thriller finds Adam Sandler playing a compulsive gambler who must run for his life. The Weeknd drops in for a cameo playing himself. It’s funny seeing Sandler’s protagonist have no clue about who the famous singer is. Later on, the two have an altercation after Sandler’s character thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him with the “Heartless” hitmaker.
Westworld – Wicked Games
The first official single in the Weeknd’s career put him on the map and changed his career forever. Touching upon familiar themes like self-destruction and intoxication, “Wicked Games” is a morbid track that would go down in the pantheon of the artist’s most haunting tracks. An added dose of melancholia is added when composer Ramin Djawadi arranged an orchestral version of the track exclusively for a third-season episode of Westworld.
The instrumental version has been equally well-received and has emerged as one of the most popular tracks from the sci-fi series.
American Dad – I’m A Virgin
Singers often cameo in adult animated shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. But in American Dad, The Weeknd gets his very own episode, aptly titled “A Starboy Is Born”. The episode finds the star yearning for an average life. While The Weeknd visits the protagonist’s family as a guest, the grey alien Roger temporarily takes the singer’s spotlight.
Sporting his Starboy-era haircut, he is asked out by Hayley only for him to break out in a soulful number called “I’m A Virgin”. The song is pretty self-explanatory from the title but is only ironic for The Weeknd to perform this, given that a healthy dose of his discography deals with promiscuous themes.
Spring Breakers – The Zone
Drake and The Weeknd have had an on-again-off-again friendship culminating in collaborations as well as subtle disses. Falling in the former category, “The Zone” is an early collaboration between the two Canadian artists with the title being a reference to The Weeknd getting “into the zone” to fall in love with a woman he has just met.
Both artists deliver in their respective verses while the underlying minimalist beat attempts to mimic a human heartbeat sound. The song’s ominous nature suits the adrenaline-fueled mystery of Spring Breakers, a movie that deals with the turbulent lives of four college students whose lives turn upside down when they befriend a criminal.
