The Weeknd Samples Michael Jackson's Thriller In His New Track Wake Me Up
The Weeknd performed in São Paulo with a mega one night only concert at Estádio MorumBIS. During the show, which was broadcast in streaming, the artist performed some unreleased songs and was joined by two special guests: Anitta and Playboi Carti.
Among the unreleased songs presented by Weekend and that we will likely find in Hurry Up Tomorrow, his new album whose cover he revealed, there is Wake Me Up which samples Michael Jackson's Thriller, from which he has always drawn inspiration.
In 2016, The Weeknd said he couldn't help but draw inspiration from Michael Jackson. His second studio album, “Beauty Behind the Madness” has in fact been compared to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” an album the Canadian singer practically grew up with. He told Vogue.com: “Michael Jackson is part of my family. When I was born my mother always listened to him. He's a bit like a father to me.”.
In the video for Blinding Lights, The Weeknd wears a red jacket, white gloves and socks, shorts at the ankles and is accompanied by nice cars, a beautiful woman to conquer and a brawl with bodyguards to achieve his goal: in some ways, all of this is a rather obvious reference to Michael Jackson's “Thriller” and the King of Pop in general.
In 2023, The Weeknd beat Michael Jackson to hold the record for the highest-grossing tour by a black artist, which had previously been held by the King of Pop. According to Buzzing Pop, The Weeknd's After Hours Til Dawn Tour has already grossed $350 million, while the King of Pop's 1987 Bad Tour in support of his album of the same name grossed $311 million, adjusted for inflation.
