Will it be a series full of songs by The Weeknd?
It’s the show that’s currently got everyone talking and with only a matter of days before The Idol lands on our screens, audiences are nervous with anticipation about what the new six-parter has in store for us.
Aside from being a tale about stardom and Hollywood’s music industry, The Idol follows rising pop star Jocelyn “who faces the challenges of fame as she navigates a relationship with club owner Tedros,” according to the series’ synopsis.
The show stars Lily-Rose Depp and Abel Tesfaye as Jocelyn and Tedros, but music fans will know that Tesfaye is best known for being popular music artist and producer, The Weeknd. Naturally, fans have begun to wonder whether The Idol will be home to some tracks from the Canadian singer and whether the music artist laden cast will lend their talents to the soundtrack.
Read on for everything you need to know about The Idol’s soundtrack.
The Idol soundtrack: The Weeknd new album confirmed for HBO series
As of now, there’s no official tracklist for the series, but fans have been hoping that a series that’s co-created by The Weeknd will also be home to a new track or two of his. And they’re in luck, as The Weeknd has now revealed that The Idol will also boast a soundtrack by none other than himself.
Speaking to Interview, Tesfaye announced that he’s working on a new album which will double as The Idol soundtrack stating that “the music is just as important”.
He confirmed: “There’s a whole album. I’m not shying away from making music. It’s just adding another element to my already crowded schedule.”
Speaking about his inspiration for releasing “a television show that is also an album”, Tesfaye said: “I’ve been inspired by The Wall and Purple Rain and when Bowie was doing it, but even films like Shaft, the music is literally telling the story of the film. But I want to take it to the next level.”
“I want to challenge myself and I feel like, as a musician, I’m the best I’ve ever been. But I have ADD. I can’t focus on just that. It’s like, how do I throw a wrench in it?”
It seems as though the musical accompaniment to the series could very well be in multiple volumes, with Tesfaye having just announced that Volume 1 is available to pre-order now, with its release date being this Friday 2nd June. He has also revealed that the new single from the album will feature Playboi Carti and Madonna, alongside the hashtag #POPULAR, which is likely to be the single’s track name.
The Idol Vol. 1 ALBUM PRE-ORDER this Friday! + new Single with @playboicarti / @Madonna : https://t.co/7NToxfKdhc pic.twitter.com/IeJZVfiTfn
— Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) May 31, 2023
The Weeknd, Madonna and Playboi Carti’s new track isn’t the first to be released in conjunction with the series, though, as Tesfaye previously released Double Fantasy, featuring Future. The moody music video features Depp and some general shots of the series.
Watch the video for Double Fantasy below.
As for who else is confirmed for the album, there’s been no word on that just yet, but with a cast full of musical talent, there’s bound to be some appearances from the artists-turned-actors.
Lead actress Depp is confirmed to have at least one song, as does BLACKPINK’s Jennie, who stars in the series as Jocelyn’s friend Dyanne. A snippet of her rumoured song with The Weeknd has been doing the rounds on TikTok, but it’s yet to be confirmed as to whether or not Jennie will feature on the soundtrack.
Other cast members who could have a song in the soundtrack also include Australian star Troye Sivan, singer-songwriter Moses Sumney and Broadway star Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
The Idol will air on 4th June on HBO in the US and on 5th June on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK – sign up for Sky TV here.
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