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Starboy (song)

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"Starboy"
Song

"Starboy" is a song by Canadian singer The Weeknd featuring French electronic duo Daft Punk, released as the lead single from The Weeknd's third studio album of the same name on September 22, 2016. The artists co-wrote the song with Doc McKinney, Jason “Daheala” Quenneville and Henry "Cirkut" Walter. Doc McKinney and Henry "Cirkut" Walter assisted Daft Punk in the song's production.[2]

Background and lyrics

"Starboy" was released on September 22, 2016, following the announcement of the album and its accompanying artwork a day earlier.[3] Lyrically, "Starboy" incorporates themes of the extravagance associated with a celebrity lifestyle, as well as discussing how the celebrity lifestyle can make an entertainer fragile.[4]

Music video

Background and development

The music video for the song was directed by frequent collaborator Grant Singer, who directed The Weeknd's previous music videos for "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills". It was released through the singer's official Vevo account on September 28, 2016 on YouTube, along with an accompanying poster which Rolling Stone described as "pulp-horror-inspired".[5] The video has been described as the singer's attempt to kill his former/old persona, perhaps signaling he is reinventing himself with this new album,[6] by suffocating himself, clipping his old hairstyle, and crushing his glass-framed platinum records.[7]

Several cars that were mentioned in the song's lyrics were featured in the video including the Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster which he sings in his second verse: "Pull off in that Roadster SV/ Pockets overweight, getting hefty," a Bentley Mulsanne: "No competition, I don't really listen/ I'm in the blue Mulsanne bumping New Edition," and the McLaren P1: "I'm trying to put you in the worst mood/ P1 cleaner than your church shoes."[7] The Weeknd used his own McLaren P1 in the video. Billboard approached John Paolo Canton, McLaren Automotive's director of public relations, in order to find out the owner of the car, as their website stated "[not] even the world's biggest carmaker [can] afford product placement like this, let alone a boutique British brand".[7] Canton later confirmed that the car did belong to The Weeknd.[7]

Synopsis

The song as well as the video prominently features the McLaren P1, which The Weeknd drives at the end of the video.[7]

In the video, a man in a black ski mask and diamond-encrusted cross is sitting across from The Weeknd, who is zip tied to the chair. The figure then kills The Weeknd by asphyxiating him with a plastic bag. The figure is revealed to be the Starboy incarnation of The Weeknd - his other self represented his Beauty Behind the Madness era. He then walks through a house full of awards that he's received, as well as a portrait of the posthumous Daft Punk and a cat. When he comes upon a large glowing red neon cross, he destroys various evidence and history of his older self, including numerous trophies and posters and a crystal chandelier before setting fire to the closet. Walking through the garage, he passes several luxury automobiles before deciding on a McLaren P1 and drives off with a cat in the passenger seat, which transforms into a panther as he rides off on Mulholland Drive. The video features product placement from clothing company PUMA.

Reception and accolades

Kat Bein of Billboard who called the track "dark, bossy, and alluring" commented that the music video is "equally moody".[8] A writer from Slate magazine drew comparison of the video to Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video, which he has been compared to frequently for his musical style. The bleak focus on celebrity and transformation, as well as the morphing of the cat into a black panther, were some of the aesthetics that resembles Jackson's video.[9]

The video was nominated for Best Video at the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards a day before its release, leading many observers to wonder whether it was included based on merit, or instead as a result of the singer's popularity on the channel.[10]

Commercial performance

The song reached number one in Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico and Sweden, while also going top ten in various countries, including Australia, and the United Kingdom.

In the United States, "Starboy" peaked at number 2, behind The Chainsmokers' "Closer" for five weeks and Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles" for an additional week on the Billboard Hot 100. The single opened at number 22 on the Digital Songs chart with 28,000 downloads, and opened at number 37, following its first week of airplay on the Radio Songs chart, equating to about 36 million plays in total. The song also became Daft Punk's second top 40 entry.[11]

The following week, "Starboy" jumped 37 positions to reach number three, becoming The Weeknd's fifth top 10 single and Daft Punk's second. Additionally, "Starboy" made the biggest jump into the Hot 100's top five since Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" leapt from number 53 to number one in June 2015. It has so far peaked at number two.[12] It sold 88,000 copies in its second week,[13] and 92,000 in its third week.[12] As of December 2, 2016, it has sold 741,000 copies in the country.[14]

"Starboy" additionally topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it became The Weeknd's fourth number one single and Daft Punk's first.[13]

In New Zealand, the single debuted at number five, which was followed by two consecutive weeks at number 2 before moving to number one on the chart for the week of October 24, 2016. This marks The Weeknd's second number one single, as well as Daft Punk's first number one single in the country.[15]

Track listing

Digital download[16]
No.TitleLength
1."Starboy" (featuring Daft Punk)3:50
Digital download – Kygo Remix[17]
No.TitleLength
1."Starboy" (featuring Daft Punk) (Kygo remix)4:04
Germany CD single[18]
No.TitleLength
1."Starboy" (featuring Daft Punk) (explicit)3:50
2."Starboy" (featuring Daft Punk) (clean)3:50
Total length:7:40

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[65] Platinum 70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[66] 2× Platinum 0^
France (SNEP)[67] Gold 66,666‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[68] Platinum 30,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[69] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[70] Gold 400,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[71] Gold 20,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Version Label(s) Ref.
Worldwide September 22, 2016 Digital download Original
[72]
Italy September 23, 2016 Contemporary hit radio Universal [73]
United Kingdom
  • XO
  • Republic
 [74]
United States September 27, 2016 [75]
Rhythmic contemporary [76]
Germany November 4, 2016 CD single Republic [18]
Worldwide November 11, 2016 Digital download Kygo remix
  • XO
  • Republic
 [77]

References

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  69. ^ certweek IS REQUIRED FOR SWEDISH CERTIFICATIONS.
  70. ^ "British single certifications – Weeknd Ft. Daft Punk – Starboy". British Phonographic Industry. November 18, 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Starboy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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