2023 single by The Weeknd, Playboi Carti and Madonna
"Popular" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd featuring vocals from American rapper Playboi Carti and American singer Madonna. It was released as a single through XO and Republic Records on June 2, 2023. An R&B song, it was originally intended to serve as the second single from The Idol, Vol. 1, the scrapped soundtrack to the Weeknd’s HBO drama television series, The Idol.[1] The Weeknd and Playboi Carti wrote the song with producers Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, and Tommy Rush, alongside The Idol co-creator Sam Levinson, Michael Walker, and John Flippin.[2][3][4]
Commercially, "Popular" charted within the top 10 in the Weeknd's home country of Canada, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand and it became a top 20 hit in countries such as United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, India and Lithuania. "Popular" was certified gold in New Zealand and silver in the United Kingdom. The song earned positive reviews from music critics. Upon its release, it was picked up as one of the best songs of the year at that point by Rolling Stone.
Background
On May 31, 2023, the Weeknd announced that the accompanying soundtrack for the HBO drama series The Idol would include a single by himself, Madonna and Playboi Carti, titled "Popular".[5] A snippet of the song was first teased at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where the series premiered on May 22, 2023.[6]
Originally a collaboration between only The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, and with a different version prior to Madonna, in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the Weeknd said "I've always wanted to work with her".[7][8] He continued saying: "She's the ultimate co-sign for this song, for this album, and for this TV show. And you'll hear more of her in the show as well too. She is the ultimate pop star".[9]
On January 26, 2024, after seeing a resurgence in commercial performance, an EP with multiple versions of the single was released.[10]
Composition
"Popular" is a midtempo R&B song,[1] whose lyrics give allusion to the "allure and pitfalls of fame and fortune" referring to a woman that “will do anything to achieve celebrity status".[11][12] Starr Bowenbank from Billboard called a "slinky track", laden with "booming synth instrumentals and plinking percussion" reminiscent of early 2000s R&B Urban Pop.[13]
Critical reception
"Popular" was well received from music critics. In a positive review for Billboard, Jason Lipshutz wrote: "The Weeknd, Madonna and Playboi Carti function like Kendall, Shiv and Roman pre-boardroom drama: what looks like an odd collection of artists on paper complement each other nicely, with The Weeknd and Madonna providing pop flourishes over plinking rhythms and Carti accentuating the song with some of his trademark mumbling to polish off what could be a kicky summer song".[14] Remarking on its lyrics, Jennifer Zhan of Vulture hailed the song a new anthem for "clout chasers".[11] Sebas E. Alonso from Jenesaispop complimented the song, and said sounds a bit like Madonna and Michael Jackson's dream collaboration.[15] American Songwriter's Thomas Galindo called The Weeknd's verse "ingenious"; Madonna's "a standout moment"; and noted how the song is able to use Playboi Carti's "squeaky-voiced bridge to the fullest", despite a minimal contribution.[16] Kevin Bourne from Shifter Magazine called it "a surprising treat that we didn't know we wanted".[17]
Upon release, "Popular" won a poll conducted by Billboard as reader's favorite new music release of the week.[18] On June 14, 2023, Rolling Stone picked it as one of the best songs of the year so far.[19]
Commercial performance
"Popular" debuted at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 10.1 million official streams, 2 million airplay audience impressions and 4,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Luminate.[20] The song acts as Madonna's 58th chart entry and the first Hot 100 chart entry, in approximately 8 years with "Bitch I'm Madonna", and her highest peaking in 11 years since "Give Me All Your Luvin'".[21][22] Madonna's entry also makes her one of few artists to have a Hot 100 hit across five consecutive decades, and the second woman to have a Hot 100 hit in five different decades.[20] The song also marks Madonna's first R&B number-one song in a Billboard chart, topping the component R&B Digital Song Sales.[23]
In the United Kingdom, "Popular" peaked at number 11, becoming Madonna's highest peaking single in the UK since "Celebration" reached the number 3 in 2009.[24] "Popular" debuted within the top 30 in a number of countries, including Australia,[25] Iceland,[26] India,[27] Lithuania,[28] New Zealand,[29] Romania,[30] Switzerland[31] and also Canada, where it debuted in the top 10.[32]
