When The Weeknd gets real.
When news broke last week that The Weeknd was dropping a surprise project, fans went into a frenzy. While the new album, ‘My Dear Melancholy,” sees a return to the Scarborough native’s mixtape days (think ‘House Of Balloons’), it also delivers a side of Abel we’ve never seen before. He’s back, and with a vengeance.
But what exactly inspired this drastic turn of events? Could it be a former romance? You’ll soon find out in our latest edition of Behind the Lyrics which dissects the real meaning of his song “Call Out My Name”.
[Verse 1]
We found each other
I helped you out of a broken place
You gave me comfort
But falling for you was my mistake
Yikes. One verse in and we’re already intrigued by this song. While he hasn’t confirmed himself, The Weeknd’s fans pieced together that this one is all about Abel’s ex flame Selena Gomez. The pair dated for 10 months; a period during which Selena suffered from tremendous illness due to Lupus. But how could it have all been a mistake?
[Pre-Chorus]
I put you on top, I put you on top
I claimed you so proud and openly
And when times were rough, when times were rough
I made sure I held you close to me
Through his lyrics, Abel wants to assure the fans that he always did the right thing when it came to his relationship. She was a huge priority in his life; so much so that he even cancelled a few shows on his “Legend of the Fall” tour to be by her side. That was not the only way he showed support, he often showcased his love through loved up social media posts.
[Chorus]
So call out my name (call out my name)
Call out my name when I kiss you so gently
I want you to stay (want you to stay)
I want you to stay even though you don’t want me
Girl, why can’t you wait? (why can’t you wait, baby?)
Girl, why can’t you wait ’til I fall out of love?
Won’t you call out my name? (call out my name)
Girl, call out my name, and I’ll be on my way and
I’ll be on my—
The title of the track alludes to the intimate nature of his relationship with Selena. While the rest of the world knows him as The Weeknd, Selena is one of few people that can say they know him by his true name: Abel.
A sentence that stands out prominently in the chorus is “Girl, why can’t you wait ’til I fall out of love?” If only that was the way break ups worked, it would be a lot less painful for everyone.
[Verse 2]
I said I didn’t feel nothing, baby, but I lied
I almost cut a piece of myself for your life
Guess I was just another pit stop
‘Til you made up your mind
You just wasted my time
Abel is notorious for singing of his emotional detachment in past relationships. He says he claimed to feel nothing, but that was all untrue. His admiration for her was so strong, he quite literally considered cutting a piece of himself for her life. That’s love.
The wait is over, The Weeknd has officially delivered the video for “Call Out My Name” and it is SO emotional. Check it out right here:
What do you think: could it all be true? Is this song really about Selena Gomez? Let us know how you interpret the song in the comments below or over on Twitter @umusic!