Starboy (song)

"Starboy" is a song recorded by Canadian singer The Weeknd for his third studio album of the same name, featuring French electronic duo Daft Punk. The artists co-wrote the song with Doc McKinney and Henry Walter.[3] Daft Punk handled the majority of the song's production, with McKinney and Cirkut serving as co-producers. It was released on September 22, 2016, by XO and Republic Records, as the first single from the album.

Contents 1 Background and composition 2 Music video 2.1 Background and development 2.2 Synopsis 2.3 Reception and accolades 3 Commercial performance 4 Charts 4.1 Weekly charts 5 Release history 6 References 7 External links

Background and composition
"Starboy" was released on September 22, 2016, following the announcement of the album and its accompanying artwork a day earlier.[4]

The song incorporates themes of the extravagance associated with a celebrity lifestyle, as well as discussing how the celebrity lifestyle can make an entertainer fragile.[5]

The song is written in the key of A minor.

Music video
Background and development

The official music video for the song was directed by frequent collaborator Grant Singer, who directed the singer's previous music video for "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills". It was released through The Weeknd's official Vevo account on September 28, 2016 on YouTube along with an accompanying poster which Rolling Stone described it as a "pulp-horror-inspired film poster."[6] 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,[7] by suffocating himself, clipping his old hairstyle, and crushing his glass-framed platinum records.[8]

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."[8] The Weekend used his own McLaren P1 in the video. Billboard approached John Paolo Canton, McLaren Automotive's director of public relations to find out who the car belonged to, which the site said in order to feature such an expensive car "even the world's biggest carmaker couldn't afford product placement like this, let alone a boutique British brand. Canton later confirmed that the car did belong to the singer.[8]

Synopsis

The song as well as the video prominently features the McLaren P1 which he drives at the end of the video on Mulholland Drive.[8] In the video, a man in a black ski mask and dimond-encrusted cross is sitting across from The Weeknd, who is zip tied on his hands and ankles. The figure then kills The Weeknd by strangling him with a plastic bag. The figure is revealed to be The Weeknd himself, a new incarnation of the Starboy era (his other self represented the older version of the singer from the height of 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 Daft Punk (who otherwise do not appear in the video) and a cat. When he comes upon a large glowing red neon cross, he destroys various items with it (evidence and history of his past that represents his former self), including numerous trophies and posters and a crystal chandelier before setting the closet on fire. Walking through the garage, he passes several high-end automobiles before deciding on a McLaren P1 and drives off with a black cat in the passenger seat, which transforms into a panther as he rides off into the night in Mulholland Drive.

Reception and accolades

Kat Bein of Billboard who called the track "dark, bossy, and alluring" commented that the music video is "equally moody".[9] 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.[10]

The video was nominated for Best Video at the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards a day before its release, when the nomination was announced, leading to many observers to wonder whether it was included based on merit or instead as a result of the singer's popularity at the channel.[11]

Commercial performance
In the United States, "Starboy" debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated October 8, 2016. The single opened at number 22 on Digital Songs with 28,000 downloads. On Radio Songs, it opened at number 37 following its first week of airplay (36 million in audience). The song also became Daft Punk's fourth top 40 hit.[12]

Charts
Weekly charts

Chart (2016)

Peak position

Australia (ARIA)[13] 9

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] 27

Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[15] 22

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] 55

Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[17] 25

Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[18] 7

Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 5

France (SNEP)[20] 31

Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 13

Ireland (IRMA)[22] 9

Italy (FIMI)[23] 24

Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[24] 46

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 29

Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 9

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 5

Norway (VG-lista)[28] 2

Scotland (Official Charts Company)[29] 9

Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[30] 2

Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 2

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 2

UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[33] 3

US Billboard Hot 100[34] 40

US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[35] 12

US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 25

US Rhythmic (Billboard)[37] 29

Release history
Region

Date

Format

Label(s)

Ref.

Worldwide September 22, 2016 Digital download XO · Republic [38]

Italy September 23, 2016 Contemporary hit radio Universal [39]

United Kingdom

XO · Republic [40]

United States September 27, 2016 [41] Rhythmic contemporary [42]