Do People Just Have No F**king Taste?!

[@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain]

Now that it's 2023 I'm planning my January group Zoom Chat Nights where I chat absolute shite with a small group of you for an hour. Please, join me if you feel up to it (its the Personal Chat tier): www.patreon.com/jushawk

[@SomethingAlien91]

Oh wow Mr. Hawkins that is awesome, I am a fan of yourself and the genre, I will have to sign up if i can.

[@WOLFMOON275]

Fuckin awesome. 😁👍

[@anton2417]

Modern music is all about money. No one will ever be as talented as rory gallagher, led zeppelin or jimi hendrix ever again. Modern music is talentless nonsens. I cant bare to think about how people could actually think modern music is good.

[@rumtumbugger]

Is there a fee for this opportunity? I'll probably just talk to myself instead, even though I won't get any meaningful conversation I imagine.

[@21stcenturymonk42]

Maybe as a bit of a 'pick u up" do a review of Andre Antunes 'Legendary Pakistani Singer goes Metal [Sanson Ki Mala Pe]', good luck with NOT freaking out.

[@aaron___6014]

This a perfect example of a critic vs audience opinion. It's like a rotten tomatoes film review. I would say it's a reflection of society, we're so restricted and deprived of real art in modern society. So of course something that appeals to our basic desire to move, dance, and feel alive is a hit.

[@rainman42]

Well the majority of the time the critic and audience scores are close....I can't figure why this song is the most streamed.....but hey,he's rich, famous, and has the most streamed song....who tf am i...noone ...

[@paulgordon6949]

Also the masses of teenage girls (and boys) who listen exclusively to throwaway nonsense will skew the results massively.

[@diegosotomiranda4107]

@@paulgordon6949 thats just happens every generation, Remember the beatles did countless concerts when the public didn't Even care about listening to them, just fangirling overflood every show

[@markflower8885]

Spotify generously paid him the grand total of £186.53 for all those streams (allegedly)😂

[@sonia55408]

😝🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@standardofexcellence]

Damn

[@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos]

Is that in Millions?

[@tinalouisestagg]

I’m so loving Justin whispering away at his parents’ place. It cutes me out.

[@thewalruswasjason101]

I like blinding lights. But I’m general, modern radio music is God-awful. The lack of popular bands that play instruments is shocking

[@Liofa73]

There are loads of popular bands they play instruments. They just aren’t played on commercial radio. If you listen to BBC 6Music you’ll hear mostly bands.

[@grandmasterj5]

Hmm, I wouldn't call Cher, Madonna or Sinatra overly modern. They didn't even write most of their own songs either, as well as not play instruments This isn't a modern thing It's a pop thing

[@NinStardust]

@@grandmasterj5 The difference is that Cher, Madonna and Sinatra had incredibly successful decade-spanning careers, whereas modern pop seems to be flash-in-the-pan, one-hit-wonder drivel focused on making a quick buck, as opposed to making good “popular” music. The focus has shifted away from talent and entertainment, and that’s just depressing. Not to mention those artists had incredible musicians backing them, but an increasing number of today’s pop artists are backed by a laptop. 🙄

[@grandmasterj5]

@@NinStardust there's no difference in the performer or the performance though, which is what the OP was talking about. There was also less music, performers and ways to hear them back then

[@perlundgren7797]

@@NinStardust ​ Give it 20 years and chances are Taylor Swift, Adele and Ed Sheeran are still around - and that people use them as examples to show that we still had "real artists" in the 20s. Give it another 20 years, and you'll have people talking about how there was still real music in the 40s. And so on.

[@hamblok0]

I've heard that Weeknd song so many fucking times when I briefly worked as a salesman at a local electronic store chain that every time I hear it now I immediately feel suicidal.

[@holliswilliams8426]

I used to work as a cleaner and they were overplaying a song of Ed Sheeran on the radio, if I heard it now I would legitimately let out a primal scream of anguish.

[@thundercptts1452]

I had a job where I had to listen to the radio while working and I quit within 2 weeks. The song that was on repeat was that moves like jagger song and to this day I want to slice my ears off when I hear it

[@diegosotomiranda4107]

Tbh i can't name any song ir music piece that wouldnt became insufferable with overexposition, i mean i barely can stand most of Queen famous songs for that matter, "another brick in The wall" or "money" from pink floyd too and i love them, but literally skip those songs after years

[@lucysmart1476]

I think we all know the most liked song ever will never be something of pure jaw dropping talent. To most people unlike us music is just part of the passing time. For those of us that sink deeper into music, we can never understand that mind set fully again.

[@krusher74]

basic bitchs make high numbers.

[@KWin246]

It's also subjective. I consider myself a music nerd and I think this is legitimately one of the best crafted pop songs of all time.

[@craigchristian344]

@@KWin246 Same here, sometimes snobbery is just snobbery. It's a legitimately good song.

[@mrcoatsworth429]

You are correct. However, The Weeknd is incredibly talented.

[@anton2417]

@@mrcoatsworth429 compare him to rory gallagher and hes talentless

[@niccoloaurelius1587]

I think the movie "Drive" set the precedent years ago for bringing this kind of 80s synth music back...and the song is incredibly catchy. I do like it.

[@reverendrobertparsimony8475]

Nightcall is an earworm

[@MrDblStop]

Yet one more reason to hate that movie, as if Ryan Gosling's dire acting wasn't reason enough.

[@niccoloaurelius1587]

@@MrDblStop it can be a good approach to life to focus on things that you enjoy. Being overly critical, to the point of hating things that most people admire, doesn't lead to anything that I think anyone would want.

[@crackbaby4444]

@@niccoloaurelius1587 you know, the same can be said for advice no one asked for

[@niccoloaurelius1587]

@@crackbaby4444 that is true

[@cbigb1000]

"All the edge of a balloon". 🤣😂 You sir, are terminally polite and there is no cure.

[@chriscapehart7394]

Man...i can't stop laughing sometimes when I watch your reviews,I love you man! Don't ever stop,you make my days easier to deal with

[@DonPandemoniac]

I like to imagine that he's singing 'Sim City is cold and empty' in the role of a gamer who made a terrible creation and is desperately trying to bring it to life. So much so, that he stays up all night and is eventually blinded by a sunrise.

[@production2353]

It's basically discount Take On Me without the classic vocal melody or iconic keyboard line or the musically subversive arrangement.

[@GregorBarclay]

The beginning is EXACTLY Take On Me

[@dragonqueen6589]

It’s like Take on me but minus the natural musicality of Morten Harket’s Norwegian accent😂 as well as the undeniable rip-off of the immediately recognisable synth line🤣

[@production2353]

@@DeadtotheWorld91 It's nowhere near as good as the song as it's templated on. Not snobbery. I love Max Martin. But it's just not anywhere near the same level.

[@shma1israel]

And minus all vocal character, because the Autotune took that away.

[@HocusPocus6969]

With some brutally horrible autotuned vocals.

[@emmaludmilla]

Love your singing voice and your musical, brilliant mind!

[@bottlebowling]

Listen to Washed Out. It has all of the synth sounds of the time when we were growing up, but it, too, has grown up. Especially his most recent album, Purple Noon.

[@FloydHaven]

To quote John Lydon (Who was talking about The Cure at the time.), "It's very safe, isn't it?"

[@KrugerFS]

It's a decent song, always a good listen, while not being great.

[@ChrisM541]

It's cookie cut, bubble gum produce. One day in the distant future, we'll all be eating and living healthily and high sugar content material like this will cease to exist...by popular demand.

[@KrugerFS]

@@ChrisM541 as long as I'm dead and buried by then

[@timriley4543]

"It has all the edge of a balloon." Hahah! F-ing funny, Justin. Must keep that one.

[@Nicolasmondragon707]

Justin Fucking Hawkins Rides Againnnn 🎸🥁🎶🎶🎶

[@marksirrah4653]

Just lying on the beach in South Goa watching a couple of your rides again vids. Thanks mate, keep em coming. Like your sense of humour and general muso analysis 👌

[@MrSitemaster2]

"Blinding Lights", sounds like a rip off of "Young Turks" by Rod Stewart, to those of us old enough to remember.

[@WarrenPostma]

This song is powered by nostalgia (even for people who were not alive in the actual 1980s, nostalgia is also a collective hallucination of a group of humanoids). It's about the synthwave sound, and about lofi vibe, and the rather mechanical rhythm of a drum machine.

[@gatchrocks]

hallucination definition: Perception in the absence of external stimulation. Music is an external stimulation. Hallucination may be the wrong term.

[@squaremug]

@@gatchrocks I think he meant - nostalgia = hallucination, not music.

[@_Sixthstep]

idk if I'd criticize the use of the word "hallucination" because it is clear what they mean, but there is a useful word coined by the dictionary of obscure sorrows - anemoia, meaning nostalgia for a time which you never experienced.

[@anton2417]

And the 80s was the worst decade for music.

[@mcburnski]

@@anton2417 no it wasn't

[@stephenmarsh3986]

"It's got all the edge of a balloon" Another Justin classic 🤣🤣

[@southerncomfortuk]

What ever was I doing in the 80s? Never heard this song before today 😮😆

[@DjAlexWax]

Its not the worst, its catchy and his early stuff is genuinely great imo

[@sonia55408]

It's always with great anticipation I feel when I hear "It is I, Justin Hawkins" ..

[@wolfshield6110]

Very 80s sound. Him and Bruno Mars borrow from the Past a lot. Not so Original but they give homage really and remind you how good the 60s, 70s. And 80s was

[@krokovay.marcell]

…watered down

[@RickReasonnz]

Musically regressive, an echo of the past, with no thought to the future.

[@anton2417]

Why listen to them in the first place? There is endless of good music from the 60/70s and some 80s

[@alivesinging2351]

This so awesome delivered, with so much Justin Hawkins sarcasm love it. I'm laughing at Justin laughing at his own jokes!😉

[@badgerello]

I didn’t know what song you were talking about until you started playing it… then; ahh. That one. Yes.

[@megaascension2748]

I love this song. In my opinion, The Weeknd is the best artist in the mainstream right now. It may be simple, but it still is so grand. That opening with the descending synths just sounds larger than life and often gives me chills. The lyrics aren’t that complicated, but stand out more in context with the whole albums After Hours. The song is about the narrator realizing the error in his past ways and his desire to fix himself after a breakup. The synth break is the real chorus for me- it’s a rare instrumental that is recognizable to almost everyone. Just an amazing song in my book. And while I’m young, I listen to all eras of music, and this stands out to me as one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.

[@moorehaha1]

i could list so many better artists

[@ryanparker4996]

@@moorehaha1 you should list all the ones who are worse, you'd be here for a much shorter time

[@guciowitomski3825]

If this is one of the best songs you’ve ever heard then I have no idea what the hell have you been listening to. It’s fine if you like it, but let’s not exagerate this too much

[@kingller6545]

​@@moorehaha1 do it

[@junhayakawa1538]

@@moorehaha1 do it

[@FH-ug2dg]

No matter what! I remember watching Live Aid 1985 and it was boring as FK....... and then Queen hit the stage. That is something everyone should treasure. I had to live off memories until they released the DVD boxset. Now we can watch that musical, and true live, performance over and over again. Someone said they even made a movie about it. I can't find one about a Weeknd, except the one at Bernies!

[@theumbranhammer]

this comment section is showing its wrinkles and gray hairs. calm down its a good song. just cuz youre closeminded doesnt make the song any better or worse. stop being pretentious and comparing it to literally anything. just let it be its own thing. its kinda easy tbh

[@absta100]

Oh Justin 😍 loving the quieter reviews and theme tune 😉😙

[@noddynewbold]

Love the AC/DC comment Justin. If Bogify was available 30 years earlier, it may well have been!

[@bibbletang]

Sounds like a combination of Take on Me by Aha, and Major Tom by Peter Schilling (theme for Deutchland 83)

[@gspianoguitar4369]

There's a whistling synth pop career waiting - right there ...Top man !

[@bridgetyoung190]

How funny...I was just here on the KZbin listening to "The Age of Darkness" having a chortle at the lyrics when this notification came up. Serendipity. The Age of Darkness needs more streams y'all, so it can rival the most streamed song of all time. Get to it. 😉😂 "My fingers look like toes." 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@bengalvin9932]

when i first heard this song i thought it was cher doing the vocals.

[@tiffanigulbransen5297]

I can tell you why I like it. The first time I heard it, it reminded me of alot of the 80s synth bands I liked. I don't seek it out, but if I am somewhere and it comes on, I enjoy it. I am always curious to see what The Weeknd (and Bruno Mars) are going to do next. When The Weeknd played at the Super Bowl and I heard Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House" sampled in, I paid attention because that was something I didn't expect.

[@swisschaletsauce]

he's a huge fan of 80's music wears his influences on his sleeve. the song sampling happy house was one of his earliest records. he's also interpolated the romantics talking in your sleep and sampled tears for fears pale shelter on the song 'secrets'

[@girl_on_fire_x_x]

It's got that Knight Rider/Tron/Cyberpunk quality about it. And obviously it was huge on tiktok too. (Not on tiktok myself and even I know that). Very catchy and easy to sing along to, makes for a decent pop track.

[@xkidmidnightx]

They just ripped off the synth wave trend and just made it more commercial

[@sirdo946]

@@xkidmidnightx I mean... i'm not his greatest fan but even i know it was The Weeknd himself who basically started this synthwave trend into pop with this very album. Then everyone started copying him (ahem, see STAY and As It Was). Ofc instrumental experimental synthwave has already been coming back for a decade or so, but The Weeknd was one of the first to integrate into pop with catchier vibes.

[@xkidmidnightx]

@@sirdo946 he just jacked what people were doing 10 years ago in the synthwave scene. He took it and made it boring and trendy. Now the scene dying because it was co-opted by the mainstream and commercialized.

[@swanstep]

I used to think that 'Take On Me' was principally an awesome video achievement and that *musically* it was just in the pack of '80s staples - not bigger than 'Enola Gay' or 'Thriller' or 'Living on A Prayer' or 'Relax' or... - but with 'Blinding Lights' and 'As It Was' plugging up the charts for the last 3 years solid, I think you have to say that A-Ha's 'Take On Me' is currently (in the 2020s) the single most influential piece of '80s music. Gulp.

[@jiros00]

@I Just Wanna Talk About Games Take on me wasn't a one hit wonder.

[@acampomft]

A-Ha! Exactly!

[@acampomft]

Plus, I just love Enola Gay!

[@Dogy0909]

@@jiros00 The only other song I think charted in the us was the sun always shines on TV, and i don’t think it got very high in the charts, so a lot of Americans think of them as ohw

[@britta.photography]

I'm at minute 7.30 and I'm expecting your parents to come in every second now 😂😛

[@rivaslefox]

Spotify keeps adding this song to all my playlists even though I don't like it. I'm not surprised it's the most streamed, they've been forcing it into everyone's ears.

[@bguerra4]

Exactly why this ranking is a joke. A large portion and even majority of streams were unintentional and the song is background noise itself where people just ignore it when it came on and let it play

[@Fiveash-Art]

I'm sure that adds to it, but I don't know how anyone can deny the catchiness of the tune ... even if you don't like it, .. is it that hard to believe this is as popular as it is? 😂 ... most of us are simpletons ... myself included.

[@mcburnski]

I've never had spotify add any song to any playlist. Strange

[@Elwaves2925]

@@mcburnski I think you can get Spotify to create playlists for you based on your listening habits. Never used that feature myself so I'm not sure. It won't get added to your fully customised playlists, which is what I do.

[@craigchristian344]

Literally never had that or any other song forced into any of my playlists ever, bollocks.

[@lindalaw5466]

It does have that 80’s vibe, I do like it, it’s a bit of an ear worm though…………thanks Justin!

[@mr.ch4rli3_]

The Weeknd! Love the tune Blinding lights, not a big pop music person, but this song is really good

[@dianneoberski2212]

I thought it was AHA Take on me at the beginning.

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

It's an alright song, but one of those ones you immediately forget the existence of when it ends.

[@CorbCorbin]

Just like a wild Weekend.

[@tamaszlav]

No surprise then it is the most streamed song of all time.

[@J_Trask]

Psycho Holiday makes an appearance in my head every couple days 😅

[@TomaszKalusMusic]

idk, it's been 3 years and I still love it, just because it's popular and mainstream doesn't mean it's necessarily bad

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

@@TomaszKalusMusic I specifically said it was alright.

[@junhayakawa1538]

Blinding Lights is a fire song and no amount of “these plebs don’t understand *real* music” is gonna change my mind. The vocal performance is great, and although the harmony is simple, the sound design and arrangement on the synths is 10/10. Sure Stravinsky or Coltrane or fuckin idk John Lennon could come up with a beautiful and moving opus that pulls out every harmonic and instrumental stop but that isn’t what blinding lights claims to be. It’s just a simple, hype dance pop song-it doesn’t claim to be a work of genius, but it does what it does phenomenally. You guys are right, most people aren’t listening to music because of some deep artistic appreciation of the craft, they’re listening because the song is fun to listen to and you can dance to it at the bar. But when you strip away all the structural bells and whistles of a song and you’re working with a simple four chord arrangement, it takes serious talent to elevate that arrangement to the level that Blinding Lights does

[@grandmasterj5]

Quite how Build me up Buttercup, or B52's Love Shack aren't the most listened to songs of all time is beyond me 😜

[@Fiveash-Art]

Love Shack is such an insipid, annoying song. 😂

[@grandmasterj5]

@@Fiveash-Art then you're listening to it wrong 😜

[@Kasino80]

Good song, catchy, with a compressed almost invisible vocal.

[@deborahanlon2323]

" It's got as much edge as a balloon"...literally had to pull to the side of the road I couldn't stop laughing😂😂😂😂

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

Balloons are more known to Pop than for edge.

[@Kinypshun]

The first time I heard it I immediately thought of Rod Stewart's "Young Hearts Be Free Tonight."

[@WildeVid]

Personally, I think Blinding Lights, and the whole After Hours album is incredible. The videos, the music, the message, it's all fucking incredible, and I think a big part of why I love it so much is the pure vulnerability he puts into the whole album. Maybe Blinding Lights looks like a shallow pop song on it's own, at a glance, but in the context of the entire album it's really not.

[@anton2417]

Compare it to anything rory gallagher created and you'll quickly see how incredibly low talented nonsens you think is good.

[@craigchristian344]

@@anton2417 We all bow to your superior knowledge oh wise one

[@mrcoatsworth429]

Agreed. I think it's an awesome song and album.

[@andyscott5277]

It’s just another derivative Max Martin song, cobbled to together from 80’s hooks.

[@tofubutcher7456]

Yeah The Weeknd changes a lot when you listen to a bunch of his songs together, including his Gesafelstein songs

[@sianspherica]

I don't love or even like pop music but I can't deny that Blinding Lights is an absurdly great tune. It's the definition of 'catchy'. I also might be bias because I'm from Toronto (where The Weeknd is from).

[@inkwisitive]

Yeah, it’s at least better than Shape of You.

[@PedroSilvaMusic]

Justin , you have to review Scorpions don’t you? Incredibly influential and Klaus Meine is a brilliant front man

[@karenross4529]

I'm not surprised it's the most played song. During lockdown it was all over Tiktok with people dancing to it.

[@christinetransue]

“All the edge of a balloon.” That sums it up right there.

[@davesealey8517]

I see the price of balloons has gone up again, bloody inflation!

[@Forgonia]

'most streamed' is so interesting in its own way due to the algorithm. i went to a talk a few years ago now about what kind of music the algorithm will suggest to you. spotify isn't about challenging you, it's about it throwing something at you that you will like so that you think it understands you. that you leave with a positive experience. but it needs to be a safe bet. and they likened it to ice cream. if you walk into an ice cream store and the server just had to give you something they think you will like, what are they most likely to give you? the answer is vanilla ice cream. it's no ones favourite, but not many people don't like it, or are offended by it. now, you may prefer the minty choc chip or the lemon swirl, but that's risky, so they throw vanilla ice cream your way instead. it's safe. you like it. you leave satisfied. not as satisfied as you could be, but not dissatisfied and that's all that matters to them. but, because everyone is given vanilla ice cream, it's now the 'most popular', but that really just means 'safest'. so, next time you see 'most streamed song on spotify' just think it actually means 'safest song on spotify'.

[@Dogy0909]

You can see this on a small scale by going to any artists page. The Beatles are a good example. The most played is Here Comes the Sun, which I don’t consider anywhere near the most important or best Beatles track, but it’s accessible and easy to listen to for basically anybody

[@scottmoyle879]

Could easily be an Aha comeback single.

[@dejadejayoutube]

i agree his vocal stylings are minimalist and maybe a little safe,...but while insanely elite colourful vocalists like yourself are able to casually summon up "your thang" with relative ease, most of us are holding on to those longer notes with our limited vocal capabilities for dear life, utilising any technique possible to keep it smooth and on the rails:). cool vid as always 👍

[@R_SENAL]

I'd love to live in a world where AC/DC's Sin City was topping Spoti-whatever. And yes, it was on Powerage. This Weekend song sounds like something from the GTA Vice City soundtrack remixed. As far as Ed Sheerin goes (can't be bothered to google spelling) I only know of him. If I've ever heard any of his songs they were soon forgotten as I couldn't tell you the name of even one. Not even the one you just mentioned, it has zipped right out of my head that quickly. Utterly forgettable. If he hadn't been in Game of Thrones I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a lineup.

[@SaraAlexi]

"It has all the edge of a balloon" - 🤣

[@justathumb]

the timing of this song really set the vibe for me too, when the pandemic hit and we went into deep dark months of lockdown, dancing around the room to "the city's cold and empty, no one's around to judge me" hit different.

[@anton2417]

Only thing you need is blues not this pop crap.

[@darkcrim7397]

Loser music

[@benjaminmorgan1562]

Bloody lovely video, big man. Helped me appreciate a track I don’t really care for. Saw you play at the BIC years ago…maybe the first tour after the “big break”…funny memory about you “dealing with” an energetic fan to cheers from the audience. Still play that album most months, and just always thought you were a decent chap. Super love this channel. Just spot on. Wouldn’t have found it without Pat Finnerty!

[@Gabrielishere]

"Blinding Lights" is just rearranged "Take On Me" by A-ha.

[@alexjenner1108]

rearranged again to make "As It Was" by Harry Styles.

[@Gabrielishere]

@@alexjenner1108 Yesss... There's obviously a popular set of go to formulas for these pop songs, but with a different voice / persona, the combinations are infinite! I'm not mad at any of the good ones, although I don't listen to this type of music.

[@pinkttamburini]

The 80's was my music scene as a teenager, so I have always been drawn to songs with synth in. I love Blinding Lights, can't help dancing to it around the house! 😎

[@CharlesTRose]

have you heard of The Midnight?

[@pinkttamburini]

@@CharlesTRose I haven't! They sound a bit like FM-84. Thanks for the heads-up! 🤘

[@CharlesTRose]

@@pinkttamburini no problem. they have a deep catalog of great songs. enjoy!

[@samscott5230]

Also check out Gunship. The Midnight is great as well.

[@justinguitarcia]

The fun part about this somewhat uninspired pentatonic melodies found in modern pop is you can reharmonize them to your hearts content- i.e scary pockets, adam neely etc, its a fun exercise

[@AnthonyCassidy50]

And as a guy who lived through the 80s, I'm very happy with it being the most streamed song of all time. It's an amazing song - and evocative of an amazing universe that synthxxxx music seems to evoke in our minds.

[@jefyhunt6219]

That's a nice take on it, similar to my experience, reminds me of AHA !

[@reallynotyourbusiness1659]

@@jefyhunt6219 the intro is identical to 'take on me'.

[@MrDblStop]

As a guy who survived the synthesiser wasteland which was the early 80's by being in a guitar based psychedelic punk-garage band I disagree. It's a crap song and evokes only cold loathing in me. OTOH I can get turned on to real talent in any genre, even dance-pop, when my kid plays something new to me, so I'm not just an old curmudgeon. Years And Years, for example.

[@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos]

@@MrDblStop or maybe you're so full of yourself? Lol i can understand not like the song cuz of different taste but c'mon.....i mean u low key sound like an elitist ryt there...

[@AnthonyCassidy50]

@@MrDblStop I think you might have shown your hand there by admitting you've been anti-synth since the 80s.

[@Lisztomania1]

I've never heard this huge song ..... never heard of this band until now ....Nutz

[@Phil1982]

Just sounds like they've done the ol' switcharoo with Ahas Take on Me riff! Also reminds me slightly of The Darkness' Speed of the Nite Time. And that reminds me of Ultravox's Dancing with tears in my eyes. Now I've gone down the soundalike rabbit hole. What I'm trying to say is that the Week 'nd' (because calling yourself a thing when you're a solo artists and dropping a letter makes you cool 😴) song is derivative at best and there are about a million songs I'd put ahead of it for top spot, the aforementioned Darkness and Ultravox being two of them 😉

[@StephenSE9]

Gutted to hear the passing of Alan ASSOCIATES Rankine and Terry Hall. RIP fellas.

[@ALovelyLad]

The thumbnail and title of this video has a lifespan of one hour before being edited 😂

[@that-avr-drummer]

I'm in a cover band right now and we pretty much have no choice but to play this LOL the crowd goes nuts for it!!

[@concretel10n]

I genuinely thought Blinding Lights was refreshingly excellent compared to a lot of stuff at the time. Weird video though..

[@scottsnow6965]

Sounds like a total retread of Take On Me by AHA

[@KaldDodeGitarist]

And not one of those streams was from me lol

[@bobgreen8142]

Me neither. I'd go further and say that I've never knowingly heard it.

[@Cheesus4jesus]

It sort of like watching people in public playing video games and what not on their phones vs reading a book or even having a conversation. Just a mindless, shallow way to fill time(void?) But what do I know, I'm wearing a t-shirt featuring a dancing skeleton that says, This is the sound of existential dread.

[@ItsMeWendyvee]

I take that standing with a huge grain of salt. I have NEVER intentionally streamed one of his songs but Spotify certainly has tried to push this song a staggeringly ridiculous about of times.

[@jackryan444]

His EP trilogy before he got signed is fantastic. Then the labels got ahold of him.

[@holliswilliams8426]

This might sound hard to believe, but he was actually quite good at one point when he was younger before he started doing really watered down synth stuff.

[@gatchrocks]

You mean like record companies used to push radio stations and other media forms to play songs?

[@Fiveash-Art]

@@holliswilliams8426 I like his synth stuff ... but I'm kind of a pinhead when it comes to anything channeling that 80s nostalgia. I eat it all.

[@ItsMeWendyvee]

@@gatchrocks Yep ... and they still do.

[@blablablablabittybla561]

“I would love to live in a world where AC/DC is the most streamed… we don’t live in that world.”

[@carley0x]

The Weeknd is an incredible artist and a talented singer. After hours is probably one of the best albums from the last 10 years. He’s dared to be different and it’s paid off massively!

[@paulcollins5586]

You need to listen to more albums.

[@anton2417]

Incredible artist my ass, does he write his own song? Does he use auto tune? Does he play guitar or any other instrument?

[@mutleyeng]

for a great artist, there seemed to be a lotta auto tune going on

[@iTeacupPanda]

He has dared to be Michael Jackson and it's paid off massively! * ( There, I fixed it. )

[@iTeacupPanda]

@@anton2417 Let's not be rude. He is talented and everyone uses auto-tune. I don't think you really know what autotune is.. It's pitch correction. It's a MUST-do phase and has been for releasing a professional album? It just is. You wouldn't have even noticed if he wasn't using it for aesthetic and it weren't a synthy electric song more than you would any other song. and he has written seemingly around 3-dozen songs that have been released. That said some of them have more people on them than there should be and makes me not count some of them, but he has likely written dozens and dozens of others that just haven't been documented. and he plays the keyboard? I know that much. According to his wiki it says he also plays drums, guitar, base. I don't know how effectively but, I do know he plays keyboard. But even if he played all of those on a solid level, you'd still shit on him and say he isn't shit compared to _____ , let's be real. You're biased.

[@andyburch1819]

I can definitely think of worse songs and less talented artists than The Weekend. I despise the vapid, soulless music of the last decade but The weekend, (contextually during this decade of suck) is actually a shining star. …Don’t forget how disgustingly spoiled we all were pre 2000’s.

[@SplottMassive]

Don't go changing Justin. National treasure.

[@JohnDoe-bw3tz]

It's pretty much an extended tv commercial jingle.

[@Blurple128]

The fact that it sounds like someone singing along to their Walkman is kinda the point. Easy for anyone to sing along to. Another brilliant vid Justin. A bit quieter next time please.

[@holliswilliams8426]

you can lower your volume, don't be so fussy

[@leamog]

Southern River Band have a song called Vice City...'Ere! Why don't you do a SRB song, Justin?

[@witch_haunts_ghost]

"It has as much edge as a balloon". Brilliant analogy. I watched your previous Weeknd video and I was in two minds about it. I don't mind the Weeknd as kinda a thing I hear in the background and this song I think is catchy. I think the flashback to synth pop of the 80's music is what I like about it. Resembling artists like Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For that" where they used the overly compressed drums, Eddie Murphy's "Party all the Time" for that kinda non strain vocal and catchy synth hook and pure reminiscence of 80's synth pop is what makes it work.

[@xkidmidnightx]

They just ripped off the Synthwave trend.

[@WOLFMOON275]

I'm sorry I think this is hysterical watching a rockstar that plays arenas sneaking around his parents house trying to make his Vlog as quietly as possible. Reminds me when I was a teenager in my bedroom trying to listen to led Zeppelin on my record player trying to find that happy medium where I could actually enjoy it and prevent a beating on my bedroom door at the same time. You need to have them on your show! What do you have against to guests?? I want to see your parents yell at you for keeping them up 🤣👍 You're just too damn polite 🤷

[@SouthJerseyMatt]

I would love to hear you Dad yell “hey shut up down there!!”

[@amy_music]

Haha! 😆

[@diond1333]

If I recorded a KZbin video from my parents house, all you'd see is a plain magnolia wall with flying duck wall ornaments.

[@cynthiastevens8715]

Doesn't he have flying ducks in HIS kitchen?

[@WinterRapids]

So 3 years ago someone played some underground 80s-revival like Carpenter Brut to The Weekend and said: If you can take this and strip out everything that is inspiring, original and interesting you might have something huge. ...and here we are now, with The Weekend ruining yet another weekend.

[@misse909]

Sounds like an American 80s TV theme tune. Like Miami vice meets Golden Girls.

[@sherynp9340]

I don’t use Spotify so I can’t speak for that, but I was immediately drawn to this song when it was released. Just had a great energy to it, and I was really into the gym scene at the time. There’s hardly anything good on the radio, so when I like something I download it. I played it over and over again, and then some!

[@balzini666]

It sounds like he lifted the rhythm track from the Rod Stewart song 'Young Turks'.

[@wozzywick]

I love it. It's one of the best songs to be released in decades in my opinion- very well deserved top spot

[@AnthonyCassidy50]

Yeah, I don't buy any modern music, this included. But as a 46yo guy, this might be my favorite song from since before the millenium. I've just gone through the top songs of each year, and this one has kept standing.

[@wozzywick]

There’s a lot of good post-millennium music. Bruno Mars, The 1975, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Panic at the Disco, etc.

[@mbb9258]

Number #1 song streamed may come down to it being a song used for a very popular TikTok dance routine. (Catchy song, too of course.)

[@crazyLink92]

i think The Weeknd is one of the more interesting figures in modern pop-music. The music is catchy and his videos are recognizable and off-kilter in a fun way. That said, i like "Save your Tears" quite a bit more than "Blinding Lights" but i don't know if i would ever buy an album by him. Like some people said, it's the kind of music that you can listen to on the Radio without feeling terrible and that is something i can't say about a lot of modern pop.

[@MrGnuifje]

I'm okay with Blinding light, but i can't stand Save your Tears with its wimpy synth backdrop It's like FR David's Words all over again.

[@elainekruger672]

Justin!!! Lots of love to you and please Send our regards to Mr and Mrs Hawkins❤️❤️❤️

[@czmisfitsfan]

Let this be a lesson. Even wild rockers are respectful of their parents.

[@dillrobert]

"it has all the edge of a balloon"🤣 brilliant

[@ArenHill]

This is the first time I've actually heard this song (or parts of it) and my life won't be any different if I never hear it again.

[@Funkybassplayer]

Right on dude. 👏🏻

[@anton2417]

Yeah because its terrible music that has no feeling or emotion. The only point of modern music is to earn as much money as possible with as little effort as possible

[@DerEchteBold]

@@anton2417 Oh come on, it was always like that with lots of producers. It's just the ratio of serious music and plastic stuff that changed, certainly because it's much easier now to get the means to produce professional sounding tracks.

[@anton2417]

@@DerEchteBold there is 1% serious music out there today. Nothing that gets played on radio sounds good. Even radio rock resorts to play mostly old stuff because that was what was good. Talented artists all the way around and alot of them where multi isntrumentalists. You never see that today. Most people today dont even play 1 instrument

[@DerEchteBold]

@@anton2417 My problem is more with modern recording and production practices, making everything sound as artificial as posssible. But ...ugh, you used the 't' word, I can guess what people mean by talent but what you're actually saying is that those you credit with it didn't really work for their skills, they just got lucky with them.

[@SirEpifire]

"He just sounds like a bloke who's singing along to his Walkman" yep that pretty much summarizes The Weekend.