Performer at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2021, The Weeknd is extremely famous. Having received four Grammys and retaining 108.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he has become a well-known superstar. However, he has been known to have some toxic and sexist lyrics in his songs. This post will look at two s that contain harmful messages, with lyrics that glorify sexism and drug abuse.
The Weeknd
This song is deeply misogynistic and has harmful lyrics that promote drug abuse and the objectification of women. Despite this, it has topped the charts and is still played on the radio to this day. The chorus sounds like this:
I only call you when it's half-past five
The only time that I'll be by your side
I only love it when you touch me, not feel me
When I'm f***** up, that's the real me
The first thing to unpack in this chorus is the statement that he only speaks to this girl for sexual gratification. He only calls her in the small hours of the morning, signifying late nights partying. She is not special enough for him to see her during the day. Later, he even tells the woman, "I just f****** two b****** 'fore I saw you." —reinforcing the dehumanization of women, reducing them to conquests while utilizing derogatory language. Furthermore, he explicitly states that he doesn't want a real emotional connection (“touch me, not feel me”).
Additionally, there is this chorus with the line:
Always tryna send me off to rehab
Drugs started feelin' like it's decaf
This shows the drug abuse that he is dealing with; that when he is intoxicated, that is the “real” him, meaning he needs drugs to feel comfortable, a key early sign of addiction. Finally, drugs feeling like decaf shows that he has been having this problem for a while and has built up an extreme tolerance to the issue.
The Hills
Kiss Land
Similar to The Hills, this song portrays sexism and addiction. To begin with sexism, he says:
Cause if you're back here only takin' pictures
You gon' have to take your a** home
Cause the only thing you're takin'
Is your clothes off
Go 'head girl, strip it down, close your mouth
I just wanna hear your body talk
The narrator explicitly values women only for their bodies and has no interest in getting to know them as people. The transactional nature of the encounter is clear:
You can meet me in the room where the kisses ain't free
You gotta pay with your body
Not really into kisses leading into nothing
This further explores the idea that he doesn't believe that it is worth it to see a woman or interact with them if they are not fulfilling his desires or doing anything for him.
To move on to the substance abuse, he says:
"I'm high, my doctor told me to stop
And he gave me something to pop
And I mix it up with some Adderall's and I wait to get to the top
And I mix it up with some alcohol and I pour it up in a shot
The lyrics detail mixing prescription drugs with alcohol, a potentially lethal combination. Medical advice is ignored, and risky behavior is presented as aspirational (“wait to get to the top”). He treats his body similarly to the way he speaks about women, with no respect or appreciation.
Finally, to combine the two issues, he says:
I don't care about you, why you worried 'bout me?
All I want is that smoke, give me all of that smoke
This shows that he is selfish in relationships and prioritizes drugs over real connections and stability.