* READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Dawn FM’ review: soulful star meets a new day with hope and hindsight
The singer – real name Abel Tesfaye – has been teasing fans with the hopes of new music over recent months, suggesting that the upcoming third chapter to his ongoing ‘After Hours’ and ‘Dawn FM’ trilogy may be closer than we think.
Now, he has set speculation alight once again – sharing a gif from his ‘Blinding Lights’ music video with the cryptic caption: “Saturday we ride at dawn”.
It is worth noting that this Saturday (September 7) will see him play a one-off gig at the Estádio MorumBIS venue in São Paulo, so the post could simply be a nod to that.
That being said, last month the artist did promote the gig once again, as well as confirming that he will be livestreaming it for international fans and sharing a snippet of a new song.
SATURDAY WE RIDE AT DAWN pic.twitter.com/jpPwKpTJGT
— Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) September 2, 2024
The Instagram teaser marked just one of a handful The Weeknd has shared in relation to an upcoming third chapter to his trilogy. In July he shared a snippet of what appeared to be a new song on social media, accompanied by a cinematic teaser and a mysterious caption quoting German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “When you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you…”
Then, on August 6, he shared another taste of new music, with a dark teaser video that includes two new songs. In line with the horror theme, the second track seems to hint at an ominous force, as he sings “You can change locations, you can change your name / They will always find a way”.
The final addition to the trilogy will mark the first album from The Weeknd since 2022’s ‘Dawn FM’. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “‘Dawn FM’ feels like the first steps on a journey for The Weeknd to find peace with himself; perhaps next time we hear from him, he’ll be fully embracing the light of day.”
As for his upcoming show in Brazil, the set will be unlike his record-breaking tour, which saw him perform across North America, Europe, the UK and Latin America – instead focusing on putting a new performance forward. This is expected to include a mixed-up setlist to previous shows and “never-before-seen production”.
In other news, it was reported earlier this year that The Weeknd’s huge hit single ‘Blinding Lights’ had become the first song in history to reach 4billion streams on Spotify. Named Spotify’s most-streamed song of all time, the track featured on his ‘After Hours’ album, which was released at the end of 2019.
The post New music from The Weeknd may be arriving later this week appeared first on NME.
http://dlvr.it/TClvBP