Ahead of the series premiere of HBO’s The Idol this weekend, the show’s co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has given us another taste of the show’s soundtrack. Tonight (June 2), he has shared “Popular” which features Playboi Carti and the original pop idol herself, Madonna.
These days, getting Playboi Carti and Madonna on a track is a task that proves equally difficult, however, The Weeknd, who is considered an idol of his time, managed to make it happen. On “Popular,” The Weeknd, who is likely singing from the perspective of his character, a cult leader named Tedros, alludes to a woman doing whatever it takes to become famous.
Over the course of the song, The Weeknd is likely alluding to Jocelyn, a fictional pop star on The Idol played by Lily-Rose Depp. Carti and Madonna garnish the song with hypnotic ad-libs and harmonies.
The Idol had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival last weekend, however, the series, which The Weeknd co-created with Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, was panned by critics, who likened the series to softcore pornography.
Viewers will finally get to see the often-delayed series this Sunday.
The Idol premieres 6/4 at 9 p.m. EST on HBO. Episodes will air weekly on Sundays and be available to stream on Max.
Madonna is a Warner Music artist. .
