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The Weeknd’s romances have often been the subject of his songs, and his new album, After Hours, is no different. The R&B singer’s fourth album is rife with references, both subtle and explicit, to his romance with model Bella Hadid. Tracks like “Snowchild,” “Scared to Live,” “Save Your Tears,” and “Hardest to Love” find the XO boss reflecting on their tumultuous relationship.
“Save Your Tears,” in particular, seems to point to a specific moment in their relationship. Genius contributor theheartbreakprince breaks it down in an annotation:
He continues to reflect on the incident on the song’s second verse:
You could’ve asked me why I broke your heart
You could’ve told me that you fell apart
But you walked past me like I wasn’t there
And just pretended like you didn’t care
On the song’s third verse, he seemingly alludes to their two attempts at dating as well as his relationship with Selena Gomez:
Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine
And now you won’t love me for a second time
That isn’t the only song on the album that seems to point to some autobiographical details about their relationship. On the second verse of “Snowchild” he sings:
She never need a man, she what a man need
So I keep on falling for her daily
We was at Coachella going brazy
Stack a couple M’s like I was Shady
Now I’m in Tribeca like I’m Jay-Z
Rockin' Sorayama like he pay me
The Weeknd and Hadid reportedly met at Coachella in 2015, and were also spotted together at the festival in 2018. They also lived together in his Tribeca condo in 2018. It’s worth noting, however, that The Weeknd also went to Coachella with his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez in 2017.
As Genius user ibmac26 notes in an annotation, a line on “Escape From LA” may reference Hadid as well:
She a cold-hearted b*tch with no shame
But her throat too fire
She got Chrome Hearts hangin' from her neck
And them sh*ts going wild
Chrome Hearts is a streetwear brand closely affiliated with Hadid, who is friends with the founder’s daughter.
Other songs, like “Scared to Live,” seem to gesture more broadly at their on-again, off-again relationship:
When I saw the signs, I shoulda let you go (Yeah, yeah)
But I kept you beside me
And if I held you back, at least I held you close (Yeah)
Should have known you were lonely
Many of these same feelings are echoed on “Hardest to Love,” where The Weeknd blames himself for a relationship’s failings:
I can’t, can’t believe you want me
After all the heart breaks, after all I’ve done, oh-oh-oh (Oh, oh, oh)
No, I can’t, can’t believe you trust me (Trust me)
After all the rough days, you still call me up (Me up, oh-oh-oh)
Heartbreak is a common theme in The Weeknd’s music, and songs like “In Your Eyes” may also draw inspiration from their relationship. He previously drew from their romance on his 2018 song “Wasted Times.”
Catch up on all the lyrics to The Weeknd’s After Hours on Genius now.
