




Abel Tesfaye who goes by the stage name of The Weeknd is a Canadian born singer and songwriter. The Weeknd became extremely popular after the release of his album “Beauty Behind the Madness” in 2015. This shot him into stardom and success that he had been working to achieve for years. His newest single is called Starboy which he released a few weeks ago along with Daft Punk. The music video was produced by Grant Singer who also collaborated with The Weeknd for music videos on his last album. In this four and a half minute music video there are many visual motifs that are used to illustrate the main purpose that the Weeknd is trying to explain. The main purpose of this video was for The Weeknd to show that he is able to transition from the point where you become a music star and how that transition has changed him as a person. He uses his looks, past accomplishments, darkness, and the color red all as visual motifs to exemplify this evolution as a person.

In the first scene when the audience sees The Weeknd he is sitting at table on one end while a man wearing a mask is sitting at the opposite end. A few moments later it is revealed that he is tied up and trying to break free. After this is revealed the masked man walks over behind him and slips a bag over his head. Then there is a quick struggle and The Weeknd is shown laying on the ground lifeless while the man walks away. As the song starts to play the killer takes his mask off to show that it is The Weeknd as well. The first time the audience is shown The Weeknd at the table he looks how he did a year ago with long hair that is put together so that it stays atop his head. The second version of him that the audience sees looks different though. This version of him has shorter hair, a leather jacket and gloves, as well as a diamond cross necklace. Other than the cross that is hanging from his neck all of the clothes are black, which is different from his past version which was in a tuxedo. This change in appearance could show how The Weekend sees himself or thinks the world sees him since he has become a star. 

After the song begins The Weeknd begins walking down a hallway in the house he is in. On the wall are pictures, the first one he passes by is a photo of Daft Punk with a black panther. The next one he passes by is his last album cover framed on the wall, he glances at it as he keeps on walking. Right beside that are a few Platinum Album Awards, although it is not shown, most likely from the last album. At the end of this hall is a cross which he picks up and returns to the hallway with. He then swings the cross through a glass shelf holding what looks to be his old music awards. Right as he first breaks his things, “Starboy” the title of the song is used for the first time.  The Weeknd continues breaking the shelf along with the pictures that he passed earlier. Breaking his old accomplishments and timing it along with the first use of the word “Starboy” could symbolize that this new version of himself is destroying what is left of his older self now that he has become a star.

From the beginning to the end of the video the use of darkness is evident. This feeling of darkness from The Weeknd is nothing new, from the last album almost all of the songs created this same feeling of darkness. At the beginning before killing his former identity, there is a dimly lit chandelier in the middle of the table. This is one of the only true sources of light during the entire video. The light from the chandelier could have been to symbolize the light that was in his former self. After killing his former self, the audience sees no more light from this new version of The Weeknd. The clothes he is wearing are all black leather along with a black ski mask. As he walks by all of his past accomplishments there are white lights that are shinning onto them. When The Weeknd picks up the glowing cross the red was the only light that was shining on the awards. As he begins smashing the objects though there are bright flashes of light which could be his old self fighting back while he is trying to get rid of it. The Weeknd ends up lighting his closet on fire and as he is walking away the light is very bright in the background but in the foreground he remains dark. In the next few seconds he begins destroying the chandelier then leaves the cross sitting in the wreckage of it as he goes driving off into the darkness. This lack of light from the weekend shows that this new identity of himself has become darker now that he has become a star.

The only light that is connected to the new version of the Weeknd is a cross that shines bright red almost like a light saber. This is the second use of a cross in the video, along with the necklace that had a cross.  The use of the crosses could be to show that he has moved away from his past “sins” in this new version of himself. The red illumination of the cross was used in the video to attract attention and contrast from the darkness of the rest of the video. When The Weeknd first goes to pick it up the audience is shown the reflection of the glowing red light on his face then from another angle the cross is visible from the reflection on his eye. The color red in the video seems to give off a feeling of darkness even though it is light. This could show that although he is in the “Limelight” he still feels the darkness around him. When The Weeknd uses it to destroy all of his accomplishments confirms this feeling. As he drives off in a red car the cross laying on the chandelier is repeatedly shown. The audience is then brought back to the car by seeing the back end which has taillights the same bright red as the cross. The use of the color red is used to associate the darkness of the Weeknd’s new persona with the destruction of his old identity.

Producer Grant Singer and musician The Weeknd used this music video for the song Starboy to display the changes The Weeknd has been through since becoming a star and how he is dealing with those changes. They used visual motifs such as his looks and clothes, past accomplishments like his last album and awards, the color red from the cross, and the darkness that he gave off to show his change of identity. After watching this video these visual motifs successfully aided in the change that Tesfaye and Singer were trying to project to the audience.


