The Weeknd Signals Possible Farewell with Haunting Jenna Ortega Collaboration

Max Sterling, 4/19/2025The Weeknd's haunting new music video "Drive," featuring Jenna Ortega, foreshadows his upcoming film Hurry Up Tomorrow, hinting at a potential farewell to his iconic persona. With a blend of nostalgia and psychological tension, this multimedia experience promises to challenge the boundaries of music and film.

Picture this: carnival lights dancing off chrome, a Ferris wheel spinning against twilight skies, and two figures caught in what might be the most unsettling "fun" fair scene since Strangers on a Train. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) and Ortega share screen time that somehow manages to feel both warmly nostalgic and deeply unnerving — proper nightmare fuel dressed up in cotton candy colors.

But that's just the beginning.

The video takes a sharp turn as Ortega's character embarks on solitary drives through vast Southwestern landscapes. Meanwhile, Tesfaye's journey spirals into darker territory — culminating in a bathtub sequence that'll make you think twice about your next bubble bath. "I fell asleep in the tub, I was met with paralysis," he sings, while the scene unfolds with the kind of psychological tension that'd make Hitchcock proud.

Director Trey Edward Shults (who's also helming the feature film) clearly knows his way around visual metaphor. The whole thing plays like a fever dream you can't quite shake off, especially when the track transitions into "Baptized in Fear" — a title that feels less like artistic flourish and more like a straight-up warning label.

Speaking of the film — set to drop May 16 — it's shaping up to be proper event cinema. Barry Keoghan's addition to the cast (fresh off his Oscar buzz) suggests we're in for something special. The recently dropped trailer features Ortega delivering what might be 2025's most memorable confrontation: "I know this is really intense, but I'm not trying to hurt you. You are hurting yourself and you are hurting everyone around you... something has to change."

The track itself? Pure Weeknd territory, but with an unexpected vulnerability. "Be precious with my heart, drive me slow," he pleads, somehow making a simple request sound like an existential crisis. It's the kind of thing that'll probably end up soundtracking countless TikTok edits — before everyone realizes just how dark the lyrics actually are.

Here's where it gets really interesting, though. This whole project might be Tesfaye's farewell to The Weeknd persona. In a recent Variety sit-down, he dropped what feels like a bombshell: "Everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it's been mastered." Talk about going out with a bang — or in this case, a multimedia experience that spans music, film, and whatever's happening at Coachella this weekend with that mysterious "Ferris wheel takeover."

The timing feels significant. With streaming numbers breaking records left and right, and the industry desperately hunting for the next big cross-platform moment, Tesfaye's choosing to potentially bow out at his peak. That's either madness or brilliance — probably both.

For those keeping score at home: we've got a music video that plays like a short film, a feature film that might be a long-form music video, and a Coachella installation that could be... well, anything. It's the kind of artistic ambition that'd seem pretentious if it wasn't so damn intriguing.

Hurry Up Tomorrow lands next month. Until then, there's plenty of time to decode "Drive" frame by frame. Just maybe keep the lights on while you're watching.

The Weeknd's latest visual offering hits differently than expected. Released just days ago, the "Drive" music video — featuring Wednesday phenomenon Jenna Ortega — serves up a deliciously dark appetizer for his upcoming psychological thriller, Hurry Up Tomorrow. And yeah, it's exactly as wild as it sounds.Picture this: carnival lights dancing off chrome, a Ferris wheel spinning against twilight skies, and two figures caught in what might be the most unsettling "fun" fair scene since Strangers on a Train. The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) and Ortega share screen time that somehow manages to feel both warmly nostalgic and deeply unnerving — proper nightmare fuel dressed up in cotton candy colors.But that's just the beginning.The video takes a sharp turn as Ortega's character embarks on solitary drives through vast Southwestern landscapes. Meanwhile, Tesfaye's journey spirals into darker territory — culminating in a bathtub sequence that'll make you think twice about your next bubble bath. "I fell asleep in the tub, I was met with paralysis," he sings, while the scene unfolds with the kind of psychological tension that'd make Hitchcock proud.Director Trey Edward Shults (who's also helming the feature film) clearly knows his way around visual metaphor. The whole thing plays like a fever dream you can't quite shake off, especially when the track transitions into "Baptized in Fear" — a title that feels less like artistic flourish and more like a straight-up warning label.Speaking of the film — set to drop May 16 — it's shaping up to be proper event cinema. Barry Keoghan's addition to the cast (fresh off his Oscar buzz) suggests we're in for something special. The recently dropped trailer features Ortega delivering what might be 2025's most memorable confrontation: "I know this is really intense, but I'm not trying to hurt you. You are hurting yourself and you are hurting everyone around you... something has to change."The track itself? Pure Weeknd territory, but with an unexpected vulnerability. "Be precious with my heart, drive me slow," he pleads, somehow making a simple request sound like an existential crisis. It's the kind of thing that'll probably end up soundtracking countless TikTok edits — before everyone realizes just how dark the lyrics actually are.Here's where it gets really interesting, though. This whole project might be Tesfaye's farewell to The Weeknd persona. In a recent Variety sit-down, he dropped what feels like a bombshell: "Everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it's been mastered." Talk about going out with a bang — or in this case, a multimedia experience that spans music, film, and whatever's happening at Coachella this weekend with that mysterious "Ferris wheel takeover."The timing feels significant. With streaming numbers breaking records left and right, and the industry desperately hunting for the next big cross-platform moment, Tesfaye's choosing to potentially bow out at his peak. That's either madness or brilliance — probably both.For those keeping score at home: we've got a music video that plays like a short film, a feature film that might be a long-form music video, and a Coachella installation that could be... well, anything. It's the kind of artistic ambition that'd seem pretentious if it wasn't so damn intriguing.Hurry Up Tomorrow lands next month. Until then, there's plenty of time to decode "Drive" frame by frame. Just maybe keep the lights on while you're watching.