The Weeknd gained widespread critical acclaim for his three mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, which he later compiled to make a remastered, three-disc album titled Trilogy after signing his record deal with Republic. In 2013, he released Kiss Land, which was considered to be his debut studio album.
In 2014, he dropped “Often,” a remix of Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love,” and “King of the Fall.” The Weeknd released two songs in collaboration with the film Fifty Shades of Grey, with Earned It becoming his solo breakout hit.
His second studio album became highly-anticipated, with riveting singles like The Hills and Can’t Feel My Face leaving fans hungry for more. Beauty Behind the Madness was released on August 28, 2015.
His third studio album, Starboy, was released on November 25, 2016. The Daft Punk-assisted title track led the project as its first official single, released on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, before becoming his third number one track in the United States, as also his home country, Canada. The effort was a commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 albums chart with over 348,000 copies sold in its first week, all eighteen tracks debuting on the Billboard Hot 100, receiving a GRAMMY Award for the Best Urban Contemporary Album, category at the 60th annual ceremony, overall for the second time in his music career and being ranked as the third most popular album of 2017 in the U.S.
Next came the My Dear Melancholy EP, released on March 30, 2018 and revolving around his breakups with Bella Hadid during summer of 2016 and Selena Gomez in October 2017. With the lead single, Call Out My Name, the Canadian singer earned the largest first-day Spotify stream count of any song released in 2018 at that time and his eighth Top 10 entry on Hot 100.
Tesfaye’s fourth studio album (and his first in three years), After Hours was officially released on March 20, 2020, and is named after a 1985 movie directed by his idol, Martin Scorsese. It was primarily supported by November 2019-released singles Heartless and Blinding Lights, with the pair becoming his fourth and fifth #1 singles in the US and the latter his first #1 single in the UK. The title track and In Your Eyes were also released as singles.
Although widely expected to receive multiple nominations for After Hours, Tesfaye failed to receive any nominations for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (2021). Tesfaye took to his social media to criticize the Recording Academy, claiming corruption. Speculation arose that the announcement of his then-upcoming Super Bowl performance as well as the discrepancy of being nominated as pop music versus R&B contributed to the snubs. On February 5, 2021 The Highlights was released, as his second greatest hits album. Tesfaye performed at the Super Bowl LV halftime show on February 7, 2021 after announcing he would perform in November 2020. He reportedly spent $7 million on his performance at the show. Despite having a mixed response, the show resulted in a surge in streaming and downloads for Tesfaye's After Hours album as well as for the seven other songs he performed.
His fifth album, Dawn FM was released on January 7, 2022, continuing the writing and production work with Swedish pop svengalis Max Martin and Oscar Holter. The album was preceded by the single Take My Breath in August 2021, with Sacrifice announced as the second single.
He recently released his sixth album Hurry Up Tomorrow on January 31, 2025.
Real Life itemprop=offers
The Weeknd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell 'em this heart doesn't stay to one
I'll be the same, never changed for nothing
It's all I know, never learned much more
Mama called me destructive, oh yeah
Said it ruined me one day, yeah
Cause every woman that loved me, oh yeahSeemed to push them away
That's real life, oh oh oh
Real life, ooh
Mama talking that real life, oh oh oh
That real life, real life, real life, real life
I know you don't really understand it
I'm not allowed to regret my choice
I heard that love is a risk worth taking
I learned to know never been that boy
Mama called me destructive, oh yeah
Said it ruined me one day, yeah
Cause every woman that loved me, oh yeah
Seemed to push them away
That's real life, oh oh oh
Real life, ooh
Mama talking that real life, oh oh oh
That real life, real life, real life, real life
Heaven only lets a few in
It's too late for me to choose it
Don't waste precious tears on me, I'm not worth the misery
I'm better off when I'm alone
That's real life, oh oh oh
Real life, ooh
Mama talking that real life, oh oh oh
That real life, real life, real life, real life
That's real life, oh oh oh
Real life, ooh
Mama talking that real life, oh oh oh
That real life, real life, real life, real life
The Weeknd's song "Real Life" is all about the challenges of love and relationships, and how the singer has come to understand that he is not cut out for them. He begins by stating that he was "made for loving," but that his heart does not remain committed to just one person. He admits that he has never really learned much else, and that this is all he knows. His mother has called him "destructive," and predicted that this tendency will ruin him one day. He has noticed that every woman who has loved him has eventually been pushed away.
Despite all of this, the singer acknowledges that love is a risk worth taking, but that he himself has never been "that boy" who is capable of taking it. He cannot regret his choices, as this is simply who he is. He implies that love is not something that can be forced or changed, but that it is something that he does not seem to be able to handle. In the end, he states that he is better off alone and that he is not worth the misery that comes with love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell 'em this boy was made for loving
Let them know that I was born with a natural ability and desire to love.
Tell 'em this heart doesn't stay to one
Make it clear that my heart cannot be contained by one person alone.
I'll be the same, never changed for nothing
I will always be true to myself, no matter the circumstances and without alteration.
It's all I know, never learned much more
Loving and giving my heart is the only thing I have ever truly known and understood.
Mama called me destructive, oh yeah
My mother has labeled me as harmful and damaging to others.
Said it ruined me one day, yeah
She believes my destructive behavior will ultimately harm me in the long run.
Cause every woman that loved me, oh yeah
She attributes my destructive behavior to a pattern of women who have loved me in the past.
Seemed to push them away
My behavior has caused these women to distance themselves from me.
That's real life, oh oh oh
This is the harsh reality of my situation.
I know you don't really understand it
I am aware that others may not comprehend the reasons behind my behavior.
I'm not allowed to regret my choice
I am not given the chance to feel remorse or sorrow over the decisions I have made.
I heard that love is a risk worth taking
Although I have heard that love is a gamble, it is still an experience worth attempting.
I learned to know never been that boy
I have come to the realization that I am not the type of person who can be fully committed to others.
Heaven only lets a few in
Only a select few are granted access to the joys and pleasures of life.
It's too late for me to choose it
I have already passed the point of making those critical decisions for myself.
Don't waste precious tears on me, I'm not worth the misery
Do not cry for me, as I am not deserving of suffering or pain on my behalf.
I'm better off when I'm alone
It is in my best interest to be alone, rather than to hurt others with my tendencies.
That's real life, oh oh oh
This cruel reality is something that cannot be avoided or denied.
Real life, ooh
The reality of life can be a difficult pill to swallow.
Mama talking that real life, oh oh oh
My mother's warnings and advice are rooted in the harsh realities of life.
That real life, real life, real life, real life
The truth of life cannot be overstated, as it is always present and unchanging.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ABEL TESFAYE, STEPHAN MOCCIO, JASON MATTHEW QUENNEVILLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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