Singles Roundup: Sept. 16

Singles Round Up – The Arts and Entertainment Department takes a look at some of the recently released singles from the past week.

“Dancing in the Flames” – The Weeknd

The Weeknd is officially back after releasing a single in line for his new upcoming album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow.”

This song gives a very similar vibe to “Blinding Lights,” but is almost a more mature version of that hit single.

“Dancing in the Flames” follows the same theme of apocalypse and death that “Dawn FM” had two years prior, with lyrics like “Traffic dies while we are racing home,” and “I can’t wait to see your face crash as we’re switching lanes.”

The synth-fueled music gives more of the same vibe as “Dawn FM,” bringing out The Weeknd’s obsession with the 80s pop vibe.

The lyrics “My love’s beyond the pain/But if I miss the brake, we’re dancing in the flames,” seem to resemble the feeling of being in a relationship with love that is consuming.

The Weeknd and his unofficial partner in this song are living life on the edge, even if it means getting burned and hurt.

Similar to “Blinding Lights” and “The Hills,” the cinematography in the music video follows the scenes of a car crash, but this one is much more severe than the other two music videos, further implying that this upcoming album is the “death” of The Weeknd, who will be reincarnated into Abel Tesfaye.

It feels almost nostalgic listening to this song, in the sense that it brings back the old funk style of the 1980s, but also as a listener of The Weeknd, before he officially makes the transition into Abel Tesfaye.

Joshua Bartosik is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jsb6137@psu.edu.