In September, The Weeknd played a special one-off concert in São Paulo, Brazil. The city is apparently still on his mind, as today (October 31), he teamed up with Brazil’s own Anitta on a new single, “São Paulo.”
In addition to a five-minute version of the song, there’s also a shorter three-minute version that’s heard in the song’s video. The video is a trip, by the way, as it features Anitta, who is pregnant but in a sort of grotesque way.
In an eerie teaser video shared in September, The Weeknd wrote, “Yesterday was fourteen years ago… We held our breath, falling into a shimmering sea in the after hours of the night… Attempted to cleanse the wounds with melodies and lights, a bulletproof bandage to shield what lies beneath. In a place where the seasons never changed, where time ceased to exist. But therein lays the problem. Today has felt like an endless spin. I keep distorting the truth, immune to the dizziness, numb to the nausea. What lies beneath — screams in silence. I look in the mirror and feel both old and new, stuck in limbo and unable to move. I still haven’t faced myself. More songs could help, but what do I have left to say? Woe is me in my gilded cage, right? The very thing that once made me invincible failed me on the world stage. A new trauma surfaced, opening floodgates. A new path awaits. When today ends, I’ll discover who I am. Hurry Up Tomorrow.”
Listen to “Sáo Paulo” and watch the video above.
