Following the whole idea of Purgatory and After Life, I really think the car crashing into a sign and then the song playing from the radio that leads him to the party is really just his “life flashing before his eyes” as he makes stops at all his memories. Old Abel full of wisdom and experience sees his younger self indulging in reckless behavior and trying to warn him about the path he is on. I feel like Old Abel doesn’t know he’s dead, and this journey he’s on as he travels to the light will be portrayed in the music videos.
I think the same, maybe young Abel will suffer a lot after this. Old Abel tried to warn him about the consequences of being the worst version of him. Even tho this was just a music video, it was really sad to see his old version getting beaten to death just bcoz he tried to warn his younger self.
Yes ... Another way I see is Maybe he is killing his old self because he hates his older version.. He doesn't want see him like this when he is old so he killed the old him n will make his life as he wants to see now..sorrow dies with his old self
The elder Weeknd's face morphing into the younger Weeknd's face is probably the most terrifying shit I've seen in a music video of his (especially with that creepy, creepy smile), and I've seen this man get choked out by a different version of himself.
@@SMOOKY_gz sure m8 we are really delusional it seems. Please guide us through your 5head explaination and enlighten us to break free from the ignorance we happily sit in
@@SMOOKY_gz He's aware of it and sending out a message don't you understand? Most of the people watching it get that he "sold his soul". Sacrifice video was pretty in the face.
This is what I think I understand. The “old Weeknd” dies in a crash and is now in Purgatory. We know this because Dawn fm station turns on. When he steps on the water/liquid he is transported to a different level of purgatory. According to Dante’s poem, The Devine Comedy, purgatory has 7 levels (for different sins committed; one of them is lust which is the level The Weeknd seems to be on judging by the crowd) Water is often symbolic as gateway to a different state. We see people looking up and looking down at others in levels above and below them. We see arms and bodies of people moving from one level of purgatory to another, presumably as they resolve/come to terms with their sins from that level. Notice the level above looking down might be greed as they all dressed fancy and wearing diamonds. The white lily represents purity and rebirth. I think they also have hallucinogenic properties. What I don’t understand is how did The Weeknd get old? Why are there two versions a young and an old? Why does the young version see the old version as a demon? Not sure what the lunar eclipse has to do with it either. The moon is associated with emotions, often hidden emotions. If there’s an eclipse perhaps his emotions are hidden from him….? No guiding light? Also side note. Yesterday Abel said we are in the middle of another trilogy. In Dante’s Devine Comdey there are 3 parts. Hell, Purgatory and Paradise (heaven). After Hours=Hell, Dawn FM=purgatory, the next album=Paradise.
Thank you this makes so much sense now! He became old in the Sacrifice video when he sacrificed his time/youth like the lyrics suggest. As for 2 abels there have been 2 in his music videos before where the new character abel makes for his album kills the one of the previous album. Such as starboy, tell your friends, etc. At the end of Snowchild there was the regretful Abel watching After Hours Abel as well. So interested to see how this plays out!
Also I’m assuming the eclipse has something to do with the light of the dawn being blocked? And as the character advances up the levels like you mentioned the sun will eventually come out and then it’ll actually be bright and dawn and he’ll eventually transition to the afterlife?
I think it might be that the old Abel is trying to save the young abel from the evil that he went through, so he doesn't make the sacrifice of his time and doesn't end up like him. But the young abel is blinded by the parties and clubbing and doesn't listen to the older Abel and thus continuing the cycle. It comes full circle with the sacrifice video
I thought it was a Dorian Gray type of situation when I first saw the cover and heard the album. Like he sells his soul so the cover is the old, broken portrait of himself filled with all the sins of his life while he stays young in real life. That story ends with him trying to fix everything, stabbing the painting, turning as old and broken as the portrait and dying. While the portrait returns back to his younger self.
I feel like the old Abel is his soul trying to escape this nightmare but his ego the younger self is too blinded by the beauty of the club not to realize it’s evil stuff. His ego is too large and it kills his soul
Yoo , Does anyone remember that in AfterHours title track where he says ' Different girls on the floor distracting my thoughts of you,I turned into the man i used to be ' since it was his only escape to find his love and in this MV right here him transitioning to him being the guy he used to be just fits perfect in this No?
@@petersocko9135 that's the weeknd's brand of MV. There always has to be darkness to it. That's what makes his music come to life because it's just as dark. Dawn fm in contrast to Afterhours has lighter sounds hence why it's a bit "lighter"
This is my interpterion of the video: Video starts with Old Abel crashing his car at a deadend/do not enter sign showing that he is at his lowest in life. "WRONG WAY" could be mean that if he goes down this road any further, he will never be able to come back. Young Abel is in his HoB days. At a rave, indulging in life. The arm that sticks up to hold Old Abel is the grip that this life (partying, carefree outlook) once had on him trying to get him to come back and "relapse". Young Abel sees the face changes of the girls to show what we the AUDIENCE know can happen if he gets mixed up with this life again. The flowers pop up on the wall when the couple is hooking up in the rave maybe to show the start of a something pretty, but it only goes on to die to show that everything has a season/life cycle. Have not quite figured out the hearing aid or the crowd floating above the other people. But once again, we have a version of Abel dying like we have seen in so many of his videos. Really hope he makes videos for all of these tracks and we can have a full movie experience with this album!
You hear about his next album potentially being called After Life? He advertised it a lot in Every Angel is Terrifying. Abel is such a genius when it comes to these music vids. So much to take in and all of the symbolism. Pretty sure his older self is trying to save his younger self from his life of sin and remorse. Love it.
This is his arguably his best music video. As said the symbolism here is insane. And you can also see Abel's acting skills on point here. The end left me very unsettled after how the Old abel was killed.
@@fernblitz2078 Do you think this harmless music video that is supposed to be an artistic expression will suddenly make the amount of violence and hate towards Black elderly rise? You're looking too much into it. There's a place for your virtue signalling and it's not here.
This one was extremely moving for me. It was hard to watch the pain in the older Abel's eyes, almost as if he was being tormented by having to relive his regrets with older, wiser eyes. I myself have an unreasonable fear of mortality, and constantly feel like I'm trying to outrun time. But noone gets out of here alive.
Great video as always Jon! Just thought I'd share a detailed theory on the main messages in this MV for you and anyone else! The previous MV 'Sacrifice' is basically him officially breaking out into the mainstream and being signed by labels, hence hes “sacrificing” his own life and practically selling his soul. and then in gasoline we see abel beating up his older self at some sort of party. i think this represents his younger self basically killing his older body through drugs and substance abuse (which would’ve occurred in his trilogy-bbtm days im assuming) and he’s surrounded by people cheering him on, most likely representing the execs of the label, his fans (or at least the new found fame), and just the lifestyle of LA. the car scene at the beginning might be his older self trying to escape the bad decisions of his younger self, but in the end it’s futile cause these decisions already happened. that might be what the hearing aid represents, his inner self warning him that nothing he tries to do will revert the actions of his younger self. I also think the flower represents his potential to change - it blooms right before he sees his old self, popping through the wall right after a monstrous woman cuts his heart. At first he seems to want to help, or is at least interested, is drawn towards the old him. Then he hallucinates his older self as an enemy to be destroyed; he then indulges in literal self-destruction. The flower wilts when young Abel is really setting in to beat old Abel to death, like at the point the decision is made.
Definitely his life flashing before his eyes, maybe this whole album takes place during the ambulance ride in Faith/blinding lights. He might’ve been in a limbo for awhile.
idk why but the demon young the weeknd sees, looks like a disfigured face of the man who appears in both the "Can't Feel My Face" and "Tell Your Friends" music videos. The man might be the reincarnation of the devil or something related the deal with the devil. Near the end of the MV, young weeknd kills the old weeknd. He also shoots the demon in "Tell Your Friends". I belive that the young weeknd thinks that the demon is here for his part of the deal or something like that 4:15 I think the dying flower means that old weeknd was a purer version of himself. White flowers generally imply purity and innocence. When the old weeknd dies, so does the flower. What i believe abel is trying to say is, the old weeknd is trying to make an attempt to talk or do something but he fails because the young weeknd sees his fears instead of the older version of himself. The only thing we can hope is abel releases more MVs to understand the plot.
He saw her walking in the crowded club. And she scratched him with her love. At first he cried but then the pleasure took over from the pain and everything became alive ... Or dead ... Depending on the perspective. Yes it is all about perspective. For perhaps what has become feared (the drugs, the lust, the night), is what is finally needed to become free from the world below that is trying to hold us back....the old rugged future....the weakened form of ourselves....the death awaiting all.... Let's not forget the contrasts. "If I finally die in peace .... " Is being beaten by yourself peaceful? "The only thing I understand is the zero sum of tenderness ..." So in the end, is he alive or is he dead? Are we alive or are we dead? Is this all but just a dream....??? "Life is a dream.... Cause it's never what it seems... But you'd rather lost and lost... Than never love at all.. Here we go again..." "We're going back in time..." It is all an eclipse and we need special glasses to enjoy it all.
I feel like this entire thing is just a cyber-dystopian version of A Christmas Carol with a little death twist instead of it being a dream. He is being lead through his life to show various points of recklessness, sin, gluttony, greed, hate, violence, lust, etc. What's intriguing is his memories attacking him in this video. Definitely going to give this a TON of rewatches to try and get a better grip on just whats happening. About to stitch all the videos together and start trying to build a story from Take My Breath, Sacrifice and Gasoline. I may even throw in Like A Moth To A Flame because it seems to at least be a precursor or loosely tied to this universe in someway.
Im someone who struggles with addiction and depression and this song more than any incapsulates how it feels in my world 🌎 The knowledge and fear that death is stalking me and the desire to run towards it and from it simultaneously.
Been watching for well over a year now mate. Glad to see you growing more popular in the space. Also glad to see you’re putting in more effort and style with each video. You’re doing great !
I know Abel loves to tease us and he is amused about all the theories we are describing and thinking about. Here is mine: Abel has always been fighting against his demons or he tried to. So here, he gave us his view of this demon. Actually, he himself has been the demon all the time. His inner demon. But the new fact is, that the demon never wanted to harm him. He was terrified, what his younger version was doing (taking drugs, living promiscuous etc.) knowing that this is not the right way. By still doing ist, the flower (symbol for purity) dies. Young Abel, not able to recognize the demon as his older version (maybe his own God), kills him, but old Abel will always come back. So this is a fight, he will never win or lose. It's just perpetual. As life is. It's being born and dying. Being born and dying.
My brother, is not an English accent, it's a German accent speaking English, the track is a tribute to Kraftwerk, that's why the accent and the way of singing.
It's almost like the star boy video.. he kills off beauty behind the madness able. I love it.. and then lyrics basically going with the faith song. Able is everywhere and it's beautiful!
When he started to still a connected story with After Hours I was really hoping that he would make a music video for each episode. Just like Daft Punk did with their Discovery album. It would be so amazing if he did this for this Album.
Abel always finds a way to die or kill himself by different versions of himself in every music video possible...and that's both terrifying and fascinating at the same time.
For everyone saying he may retire. He’s not, he’s referring to The Weeknd not Abel, after life will be the end of The Weeknd, but the next trilogy will be something totally different
Ok, just a thought: crowd floating above the other people. Video starts with an eclipse, so maybe the "veil" is thin between this world and the next? so when the people are using the eclipse glasses, that's why those people from the other plane are above? can see but not get through to the physical world? and the flower growing and dying maybe represents the length of time of the eclipse? Definitely can be interpreted so many way but that's why this video is so darn cool.
I think him beating up the older version of himself symbolizes not only him dying, but the fact that he wants to kill off the idea of him continuing his toxic lifestyle even when he gets old. He wants to stop now while he’s still young rather than being an old man and regretting that he never stopped.
I totally agree with the explanation of many in the comment section i.e. He's trying to stop his younger self doing sinful acts. However, could it also be that he is killing his older self when he tries to warn him because he wants to live in the moment as in right now. Since, as Jim said in Phantom Regret, "Heaven is not that, it's this" and "You gotta be heaven to see heaven". Meaning that we need to act now and in the moment and live it well to live a good life. All in all love the work Abel is doing, looking forward for more. XO
lets give Dawn FM a little more time to marinate imo. the album has not yet stopped growing on me so i presume the same can be said for a lot of people
Agree, it could have been the first video but it’s also a good resource to story tell, going back with different chapters as well to explain how that started
I know it feels too soon to ask but this album seems like the final chapter to the dark toxic nature of The Weeknd. I wonder if this is his last album? if not will it be the end of the dark lyrics and toxicness and instead his future projects will lean towards remorse & regret and looking to do better?
I think this is a double of old Abel trying to save young Abel from the life he has been living. The people dancing are the "demons" that he seems to be happy around (drugs, sex, etc.). As old Abel knows where this path leads, he is trying to save himself from the regrets he will experience when he dies (the theme of the album). Young Abel is resisting, showing the path he was down a couple of years ago. Also seeing his old self has a meaning of him starting to realize the regrets that are coming his way if he doesn't change. Him beating his old self up is a way of him fighting the future that he is starting to understand is coming for him.
Here's something cool. Where they are upside down looking at each other, that little piece just before the second chorus, the weeknd says "I love it when you watch me sleep" in reverse. Check it out! 5:35
Hey so I actually was curious and Dm’ed the director of the music video on Instagram to ask if she was inspired by silent hills but unfortunately she wasn’t but it was a nice thought😁
@E kitz and many others, this also partially a completion to you all’s theories so I don’t have to retype the beginning of it all. I begin, it’s a also that younger Abel is in the club, like during after hours with lines like “My darkest hours, girl I felt so alone inside of this crowded room, different girls on the floor distracting my thoughts of you” & “I saw you dancing in a crowded room”. He’s so Blinded by the Lights that he can only see his future self as a Demon, because why else would his older self be in the club? UNLESS! (Here’s the kicker) His goals of winning his girl back didn’t work out because of him sabotaging something in the future, so he must destroy that future self/or punish to alter that reality.
I’d love to see an analysis from videos from After Hours and these. There are many parallels like the white flower and the grin. Keep the videos coming. XOTWOD
i pray everyday that you get into the Twenty one pilots music videos because they've built an entire world and its beyond amazing! There's a city connected to every album and its simply amazing the thought and care they put into it.
I'm curious what the significance of the ants and bugs at the beginning, his hearing aid that was shown several times, and the part of the video where the crowd of people put on 3D glasses and gaze at the people above them almost like its a movie. Can anyone explain any of these? Also, the flowers growing and dying!
So the synthesizer overlayed with his voice @2:32 reminded me a lot of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" by the Smiths. Also, both songs have a little similarities in rhythm and thematics so i think you are on to something with his British spin on the song.,
Hmmm maybe it’s like the (older) weekend is a symbolism for responsibility and a healthy long live. But the (younger Abel) is caught in this loop of partying, drugs and woman then he sees the older him and starts killing all his responsibilities so he can do the things he think makes him the most happy. We also see from the (younger) weekends POV that he sees his responsibility’s as a demon or evil and a obstacle from continuing partying.
I think Abel is reflecting on his younger self and how his excessive lifestyle is about to kill his older self. Speaking of OD. His younger self is trapped in his nihilistic mindset, whereas his older self knows there‘s more to life. He wants to warn him but it won’t work. This could also portray the inner conflict we sometimes have about knowing what is objectively right, but being emotionally unable to make the right decision. It also matches the song‘s title as his younger self is living a fast life, not caring about the consequences. #livefastdieyoung
Following the whole idea of Purgatory and After Life, I really think the car crashing into a sign and then the song playing from the radio that leads him to the party is really just his “life flashing before his eyes” as he makes stops at all his memories. Old Abel full of wisdom and experience sees his younger self indulging in reckless behavior and trying to warn him about the path he is on. I feel like Old Abel doesn’t know he’s dead, and this journey he’s on as he travels to the light will be portrayed in the music videos.
I think the same, maybe young Abel will suffer a lot after this. Old Abel tried to warn him about the consequences of being the worst version of him. Even tho this was just a music video, it was really sad to see his old version getting beaten to death just bcoz he tried to warn his younger self.
Nice explanation.
@@dejoelf2883 Thing is, from young Abels point of view, he doesn't actually see his old self, but a demon. Thats what he think he's beating to death.
@@LawlessGaming13 ohh yep, completely forgot that.. maybe he thinks that the better version of him is evil and he doesn't want to be like him.
Yes ... Another way I see is Maybe he is killing his old self because he hates his older version.. He doesn't want see him like this when he is old so he killed the old him n will make his life as he wants to see now..sorrow dies with his old self
The elder Weeknd's face morphing into the younger Weeknd's face is probably the most terrifying shit I've seen in a music video of his (especially with that creepy, creepy smile), and I've seen this man get choked out by a different version of himself.
In starboy music video he literally killed a different version himself by suffocating him with a bag
My favorite video for a minute was false alarm but I love this one a lot
@XANA🎀 life?
I think this was one of the best and the most intriguing videos from Abel. The symbolism is mind-blowing and soo minute. Loved Jon's reaction on it
Hes Illuminati worships the devil y’all are rlly blind n brainwashed sad.
@@SMOOKY_gz explain how you made that assumption
@@SMOOKY_gz sure m8 we are really delusional it seems. Please guide us through your 5head explaination and enlighten us to break free from the ignorance we happily sit in
@@SMOOKY_gz He's aware of it and sending out a message don't you understand? Most of the people watching it get that he "sold his soul". Sacrifice video was pretty in the face.
@@SMOOKY_gz y'all literally say this ABT every artist out there...like tf is ur problem
This is what I think I understand. The “old Weeknd” dies in a crash and is now in Purgatory. We know this because Dawn fm station turns on. When he steps on the water/liquid he is transported to a different level of purgatory. According to Dante’s poem, The Devine Comedy, purgatory has 7 levels (for different sins committed; one of them is lust which is the level The Weeknd seems to be on judging by the crowd)
Water is often symbolic as gateway to a different state.
We see people looking up and looking down at others in levels above and below them. We see arms and bodies of people moving from one level of purgatory to another, presumably as they resolve/come to terms with their sins from that level. Notice the level above looking down might be greed as they all dressed fancy and wearing diamonds.
The white lily represents purity and rebirth. I think they also have hallucinogenic properties.
What I don’t understand is how did The Weeknd get old? Why are there two versions a young and an old? Why does the young version see the old version as a demon?
Not sure what the lunar eclipse has to do with it either. The moon is associated with emotions, often hidden emotions. If there’s an eclipse perhaps his emotions are hidden from him….? No guiding light?
Also side note. Yesterday Abel said we are in the middle of another trilogy. In Dante’s Devine Comdey there are 3 parts. Hell, Purgatory and Paradise (heaven). After Hours=Hell, Dawn FM=purgatory, the next album=Paradise.
Thank you this makes so much sense now! He became old in the Sacrifice video when he sacrificed his time/youth like the lyrics suggest. As for 2 abels there have been 2 in his music videos before where the new character abel makes for his album kills the one of the previous album. Such as starboy, tell your friends, etc. At the end of Snowchild there was the regretful Abel watching After Hours Abel as well. So interested to see how this plays out!
Also I’m assuming the eclipse has something to do with the light of the dawn being blocked? And as the character advances up the levels like you mentioned the sun will eventually come out and then it’ll actually be bright and dawn and he’ll eventually transition to the afterlife?
oh my god this makes so much sense!!!
I think it might be that the old Abel is trying to save the young abel from the evil that he went through, so he doesn't make the sacrifice of his time and doesn't end up like him. But the young abel is blinded by the parties and clubbing and doesn't listen to the older Abel and thus continuing the cycle. It comes full circle with the sacrifice video
I thought it was a Dorian Gray type of situation when I first saw the cover and heard the album. Like he sells his soul so the cover is the old, broken portrait of himself filled with all the sins of his life while he stays young in real life. That story ends with him trying to fix everything, stabbing the painting, turning as old and broken as the portrait and dying. While the portrait returns back to his younger self.
I feel like the old Abel is his soul trying to escape this nightmare but his ego the younger self is too blinded by the beauty of the club not to realize it’s evil stuff. His ego is too large and it kills his soul
Yoo , Does anyone remember that in AfterHours title track where he says ' Different girls on the floor distracting my thoughts of you,I turned into the man i used to be ' since it was his only escape to find his love and in this MV right here him transitioning to him being the guy he used to be just fits perfect in this No?
I actually love you for this
Holy shit you have a point
This video has a lot to be uncovered and so does the album
Get where you’re coming from but no, that would mean that After Hours is from the perspective of old Abel which just doesn’t make sense
Man. You are just very observant. Damn.
@@roll2ones but i think it makes sense cuz he did say we are experiencing a new trilogy..idk 😅
Damn this shit is sad even after all his previous deaths, you can feel the sadness in this one😭😭
yes, his acting improved to the point where you feel sad about it....this was painful to watch.
When this man will make a "happy disco" dancing mv? As usual dawn fm mv instead of light its the opposite dark,disturbing again lmao
@@petersocko9135 that's the weeknd's brand of MV. There always has to be darkness to it. That's what makes his music come to life because it's just as dark. Dawn fm in contrast to Afterhours has lighter sounds hence why it's a bit "lighter"
@@petersocko9135 closest we got to this was I Feel It Coming
That’s what I’ve been saying I felt so bad watching this
This is my interpterion of the video: Video starts with Old Abel crashing his car at a deadend/do not enter sign showing that he is at his lowest in life. "WRONG WAY" could be mean that if he goes down this road any further, he will never be able to come back. Young Abel is in his HoB days. At a rave, indulging in life. The arm that sticks up to hold Old Abel is the grip that this life (partying, carefree outlook) once had on him trying to get him to come back and "relapse". Young Abel sees the face changes of the girls to show what we the AUDIENCE know can happen if he gets mixed up with this life again. The flowers pop up on the wall when the couple is hooking up in the rave maybe to show the start of a something pretty, but it only goes on to die to show that everything has a season/life cycle. Have not quite figured out the hearing aid or the crowd floating above the other people. But once again, we have a version of Abel dying like we have seen in so many of his videos. Really hope he makes videos for all of these tracks and we can have a full movie experience with this album!
Great explanation
u should become an english teacher
@@mateuszguz6174 appreciate the confidence, but English was my least favorite subject in school
You hear about his next album potentially being called After Life? He advertised it a lot in Every Angel is Terrifying. Abel is such a genius when it comes to these music vids. So much to take in and all of the symbolism. Pretty sure his older self is trying to save his younger self from his life of sin and remorse. Love it.
i believe he said that it would be called Heaven or Las Vegas which goes into the afterlife concept
He already said we're in the midst of a new trilogy so makes sense
since the next album is gonna be the after life, he will definitely have a song with MJ. I just feel it coming.
we’ll come back to this comment
@@spierto_salvo we sure will😂💯
Omg
"I Feel It Coming"
Lets wait
The Weeknd's so talented because he never _runs out of fuel._
You may say he never runs out of Gasoline. (Buh-dum-tss).
That flower also pops up within the album storyline Of after hours in heartless
Never fed up with Jon x Weeknd content! Keep it coming! Love this song and video!
Plot twist: Abel is gonna do a video for every song on Damn FM and it will be a whole movie in the end
Abel’s love for cinema is showing, David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick references are all over this thing
First thing that came to my mind. Major David Lynch vibes
@@salmansitra that opening shot alone is straight outta Blue Velvet!
Shazam too
This video reminds me a lot of Jacob's Ladder too, the visuals of demonic people at a party.
This is his arguably his best music video. As said the symbolism here is insane. And you can also see Abel's acting skills on point here. The end left me very unsettled after how the Old abel was killed.
@@fernblitz2078 You just had to be that guy
@@fernblitz2078 Do you think this harmless music video that is supposed to be an artistic expression will suddenly make the amount of violence and hate towards Black elderly rise? You're looking too much into it. There's a place for your virtue signalling and it's not here.
Gasoline is the best song on the album… who agrees?
Absolutely. Out of Time is close for me tho
Yeah, it's got such a cool vibe to it that is pretty unique to his other work. Definitely my favourite on the album.
He didn't have to do Grandpa Abel like that
This one was extremely moving for me. It was hard to watch the pain in the older Abel's eyes, almost as if he was being tormented by having to relive his regrets with older, wiser eyes. I myself have an unreasonable fear of mortality, and constantly feel like I'm trying to outrun time. But noone gets out of here alive.
He says death at the same the flowers bloom white lillies are traditionally used at funerals. They also represent purity.
Great video as always Jon! Just thought I'd share a detailed theory on the main messages in this MV for you and anyone else!
The previous MV 'Sacrifice' is basically him officially breaking out into the mainstream and being signed by labels, hence hes “sacrificing” his own life and practically selling his soul. and then in gasoline we see abel beating up his older self at some sort of party. i think this represents his younger self basically killing his older body through drugs and substance abuse (which would’ve occurred in his trilogy-bbtm days im assuming) and he’s surrounded by people cheering him on, most likely representing the execs of the label, his fans (or at least the new found fame), and just the lifestyle of LA. the car scene at the beginning might be his older self trying to escape the bad decisions of his younger self, but in the end it’s futile cause these decisions already happened. that might be what the hearing aid represents, his inner self warning him that nothing he tries to do will revert the actions of his younger self. I also think the flower represents his potential to change - it blooms right before he sees his old self, popping through the wall right after a monstrous woman cuts his heart. At first he seems to want to help, or is at least interested, is drawn towards the old him. Then he hallucinates his older self as an enemy to be destroyed; he then indulges in literal self-destruction. The flower wilts when young Abel is really setting in to beat old Abel to death, like at the point the decision is made.
Holy fuck
Wow you really have analysed this and fair play because if makes so much sense when you say that!
You’re incredible XO
👏👏👏
Definitely his life flashing before his eyes, maybe this whole album takes place during the ambulance ride in Faith/blinding lights. He might’ve been in a limbo for awhile.
That's what I was thinking.
Don't forget about the flower from After Hours and he did kill himself in Tell Your Friends Music Video and in Starboy so he's done it before.
6:22 "It's rare that he kills himself."
Tell Your Friends (2015) he buries himself.
Starboy (2016) he suffocates himself.
It's sweet that you sick that you do the video reactions for the weekend songs every time I want to get a reaction I go to yours. Good stuff bro
aside from feeling heartbroken seeing old abel like that , i am really lovin where this all is going
idk why but the demon young the weeknd sees, looks like a disfigured face of the man who appears in both the "Can't Feel My Face" and "Tell Your Friends" music videos. The man might be the reincarnation of the devil or something related the deal with the devil. Near the end of the MV, young weeknd kills the old weeknd. He also shoots the demon in "Tell Your Friends". I belive that the young weeknd thinks that the demon is here for his part of the deal or something like that
4:15
I think the dying flower means that old weeknd was a purer version of himself. White flowers generally imply purity and innocence. When the old weeknd dies, so does the flower. What i believe abel is trying to say is, the old weeknd is trying to make an attempt to talk or do something but he fails because the young weeknd sees his fears instead of the older version of himself. The only thing we can hope is abel releases more MVs to understand the plot.
If you get tired of Weeknd reactions you are on the wrong channel...keep em coming Jon🔥
This song was already my favourite on the album by far, so getting a video less than a week after release was a treat
He saw her walking in the crowded club. And she scratched him with her love. At first he cried but then the pleasure took over from the pain and everything became alive ... Or dead ... Depending on the perspective.
Yes it is all about perspective. For perhaps what has become feared (the drugs, the lust, the night), is what is finally needed to become free from the world below that is trying to hold us back....the old rugged future....the weakened form of ourselves....the death awaiting all....
Let's not forget the contrasts.
"If I finally die in peace .... "
Is being beaten by yourself peaceful?
"The only thing I understand is the zero sum of tenderness ..."
So in the end, is he alive or is he dead?
Are we alive or are we dead?
Is this all but just a dream....???
"Life is a dream....
Cause it's never what it seems...
But you'd rather lost and lost...
Than never love at all..
Here we go again..."
"We're going back in time..."
It is all an eclipse and we need special glasses to enjoy it all.
Song gets better after each listen.
Abel: killing himself in video
My head: ⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️⬆️⬇️
The symbolism from dawn fm is crazy. Always love your reactions Jon 🤩
I feel like this entire thing is just a cyber-dystopian version of A Christmas Carol with a little death twist instead of it being a dream. He is being lead through his life to show various points of recklessness, sin, gluttony, greed, hate, violence, lust, etc. What's intriguing is his memories attacking him in this video. Definitely going to give this a TON of rewatches to try and get a better grip on just whats happening. About to stitch all the videos together and start trying to build a story from Take My Breath, Sacrifice and Gasoline. I may even throw in Like A Moth To A Flame because it seems to at least be a precursor or loosely tied to this universe in someway.
You bringing up silent hill just makes me love you more. You're so cultured, great video as always.
it was the flourishing flower from the heartless video this is the beginning of a new trilogy!
Im someone who struggles with addiction and depression and this song more than any incapsulates how it feels in my world 🌎 The knowledge and fear that death is stalking me and the desire to run towards it and from it simultaneously.
Been watching for well over a year now mate. Glad to see you growing more popular in the space. Also glad to see you’re putting in more effort and style with each video. You’re doing great !
there was one comment below the gasoline video, where someone mentioned that old abel could be the soul and young abel could be the ego
Abel is just an absolute GENIUS who creates nothing but MASTERPIECES!!!! XOTWOD❤️🔥
I know Abel loves to tease us and he is amused about all the theories we are describing and thinking about.
Here is mine: Abel has always been fighting against his demons or he tried to. So here, he gave us his view of this demon. Actually, he himself has been the demon all the time. His inner demon. But the new fact is, that the demon never wanted to harm him. He was terrified, what his younger version was doing (taking drugs, living promiscuous etc.) knowing that this is not the right way. By still doing ist, the flower (symbol for purity) dies. Young Abel, not able to recognize the demon as his older version (maybe his own God), kills him, but old Abel will always come back. So this is a fight, he will never win or lose. It's just perpetual. As life is. It's being born and dying. Being born and dying.
I swear this is the first video I've seen where it gets straight to the point, good shit Jon
My brother, is not an English accent, it's a German accent speaking English, the track is a tribute to Kraftwerk, that's why the accent and the way of singing.
6:21 He kills himself in like every video lmao
you do an amazing job with your interpretation and insight of his videos. you are the GOAT of reactions. love you JD
I just hope he dont give up singing and become an actor. he is so good at acting is beyond believe
"It's 5 am my time again"
"I only call you when it's half past five"
👀
These to albums (After Hours and Dawn FM) feel like a new Trilogy is one the way.
It's almost like the star boy video.. he kills off beauty behind the madness able. I love it.. and then lyrics basically going with the faith song. Able is everywhere and it's beautiful!
When he started to still a connected story with After Hours I was really hoping that he would make a music video for each episode. Just like Daft Punk did with their Discovery album. It would be so amazing if he did this for this Album.
Abel always finds a way to die or kill himself by different versions of himself in every music video possible...and that's both terrifying and fascinating at the same time.
I'm excited af for the deluxe
I heard it might happen expect that "lalala" tour snippet there maybeee
@@petersocko9135 I'm waiting for the la la la or I love it when you are angry song
3:30 - Not a rose, but a white lily. Classic symbolism is hope, purity, and rebirth.
For everyone saying he may retire. He’s not, he’s referring to The Weeknd not Abel, after life will be the end of The Weeknd, but the next trilogy will be something totally different
Ok, just a thought: crowd floating above the other people. Video starts with an eclipse, so maybe the "veil" is thin between this world and the next? so when the people are using the eclipse glasses, that's why those people from the other plane are above? can see but not get through to the physical world? and the flower growing and dying maybe represents the length of time of the eclipse? Definitely can be interpreted so many way but that's why this video is so darn cool.
I think him beating up the older version of himself symbolizes not only him dying, but the fact that he wants to kill off the idea of him continuing his toxic lifestyle even when he gets old. He wants to stop now while he’s still young rather than being an old man and regretting that he never stopped.
Loving The Weeknd content!
He’s such an amazing actor! I can’t wait to see the rest of the MVs and The Idol! XOTWOD x
The visuals in the Weeknd's videos never disappoint
A lot of people still don’t understand that this is a visual album even tho he said it himself
"dont touch that dile now, we're just getting started..."
I totally agree with the explanation of many in the comment section i.e. He's trying to stop his younger self doing sinful acts. However, could it also be that he is killing his older self when he tries to warn him because he wants to live in the moment as in right now. Since, as Jim said in Phantom Regret, "Heaven is not that, it's this" and "You gotta be heaven to see heaven". Meaning that we need to act now and in the moment and live it well to live a good life.
All in all love the work Abel is doing, looking forward for more. XO
I love how the old face morphs into his young face so smoothly.
Jon Hey huge fan of you and Abel, hey when I hear this first part I get Prince and the Revolution vibes from this song in particular.
I love your videos man!
How about a tierlist of his songs? i feel like the old one is outdatet by now, atleast my view on many of his songs changed in the last 2 years
lets give Dawn FM a little more time to marinate imo. the album has not yet stopped growing on me so i presume the same can be said for a lot of people
Agree, it could have been the first video but it’s also a good resource to story tell, going back with different chapters as well to explain how that started
This is truly one of the best song by abel
I know it feels too soon to ask but this album seems like the final chapter to the dark toxic nature of The Weeknd. I wonder if this is his last album? if not will it be the end of the dark lyrics and toxicness and instead his future projects will lean towards remorse & regret and looking to do better?
He already said we are in the middle of another Trilogy, so there has to be at least one more.
Those flowers are lilies and if I'm not mistaken, lillies are the flower of death and are most commonly associated with funerals... wow.
@JonDenton it is the same car model from his earlier song , The Hills
Fr?????
@@henlo8468 yeahh check it ou
The ending when they put the glasses is there old self of those on the top looking down.
I think this is a double of old Abel trying to save young Abel from the life he has been living. The people dancing are the "demons" that he seems to be happy around (drugs, sex, etc.). As old Abel knows where this path leads, he is trying to save himself from the regrets he will experience when he dies (the theme of the album). Young Abel is resisting, showing the path he was down a couple of years ago. Also seeing his old self has a meaning of him starting to realize the regrets that are coming his way if he doesn't change. Him beating his old self up is a way of him fighting the future that he is starting to understand is coming for him.
Deluxe already appears to be out! (Alternate World - videos, remixes and Moth to a Flame)
Here's something cool. Where they are upside down looking at each other, that little piece just before the second chorus, the weeknd says "I love it when you watch me sleep" in reverse. Check it out! 5:35
Hey so I actually was curious and Dm’ed the director of the music video on Instagram to ask if she was inspired by silent hills but unfortunately she wasn’t but it was a nice thought😁
Thats what i said, it was to be the video between Take My Breathe and Sacrifice but its actually the prequal to Sacrifice.
this connects with The Morning music video and the Kissland scenes
Great video and commentary!!
Abel's crazy good at looking terrifying! This video is epic
i love ur reactions
@E kitz and many others, this also partially a completion to you all’s theories so I don’t have to retype the beginning of it all. I begin, it’s a also that younger Abel is in the club, like during after hours with lines like “My darkest hours, girl I felt so alone inside of this crowded room, different girls on the floor distracting my thoughts of you” & “I saw you dancing in a crowded room”. He’s so Blinded by the Lights that he can only see his future self as a Demon, because why else would his older self be in the club? UNLESS! (Here’s the kicker) His goals of winning his girl back didn’t work out because of him sabotaging something in the future, so he must destroy that future self/or punish to alter that reality.
My favorite song on the whole project!!!🥰
I’d love to see an analysis from videos from After Hours and these. There are many parallels like the white flower and the grin. Keep the videos coming. XOTWOD
Love your videos brother 👍
i pray everyday that you get into the Twenty one pilots music videos because they've built an entire world and its beyond amazing! There's a city connected to every album and its simply amazing the thought and care they put into it.
You should react to the Trilogy and Kiss Land Era music videos too!
I'm curious what the significance of the ants and bugs at the beginning, his hearing aid that was shown several times, and the part of the video where the crowd of people put on 3D glasses and gaze at the people above them almost like its a movie. Can anyone explain any of these? Also, the flowers growing and dying!
This is what happens when you drink mushroom tea.
Jon I think the it’s 5am my time again is a reference to the hills “I only call you when it’s half past 5”
I love the Weeknd 🔥💯xo forever 🌄♥️🎶
So the synthesizer overlayed with his voice @2:32 reminded me a lot of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" by the Smiths. Also, both songs have a little similarities in rhythm and thematics so i think you are on to something with his British spin on the song.,
Jon this shit is crazy bro! Love ❤️ this psychotic episode 😍 it's a phenomenal dream world!
This Beat is a Eurpoean Beat, Abel is a Genious.
Hmmm maybe it’s like the (older) weekend is a symbolism for responsibility and a healthy long live. But the (younger Abel) is caught in this loop of partying, drugs and woman then he sees the older him and starts killing all his responsibilities so he can do the things he think makes him the most happy. We also see from the (younger) weekends POV that he sees his responsibility’s as a demon or evil and a obstacle from continuing partying.
I think Abel is reflecting on his younger self and how his excessive lifestyle is about to kill his older self. Speaking of OD.
His younger self is trapped in his nihilistic mindset, whereas his older self knows there‘s more to life. He wants to warn him but it won’t work.
This could also portray the inner conflict we sometimes have about knowing what is objectively right, but being emotionally unable to make the right decision.
It also matches the song‘s title as his younger self is living a fast life, not caring about the consequences. #livefastdieyoung
this could easily be turned into a black mirror eipsode!
Bro the new falling in reverse track is insane dude!
enjoy watching you enjoy music haha!
JON DENTON I NEED THAT YEAT -UP 2 ME REACTION