With The Single “Take My Breath,” The Weeknd Is Ushering In A New Era

Following a series of not-so-subtle hints, The Weeknd appears to be gearing up for his post-After Hours phase. In a video released yesterday, he teased over two minutes of new music, and now he’s revealed even more of it. He also announced that the song’s title is “Take My Breath,” and that it will be released on Friday, August 6.

The song is featured in a new NBC ad for Olympic coverage in 2020, specifically some track and field events. Although the commercial discloses the song’s name, it is a less comprehensive preview of the actual music than the previous teaser, however it does show off what appears to be the hook, which the teaser did not.

In an interview from last September, The Weeknd indicated that the album he was working on at the time was cinematic in nature, saying, “I’m guilty of wanting to outdo my last album, but it’s never like, ‘I’ve got to do the same type of song.’ I’m so happy I’m not like that. My palette is so wide. […] I’m trying to find a perfect balance with the film and the music, and so far it’s going really well. I think I might have cracked the code.”