The Weeknd has been a mainstay in hip-hop and R’n’B for the best part of a decade and remains relevant. The Toronto vocalist (real name Abel Tesfaye) is revered for his unconventional and experimental approach to music and has been a breath of fresh air in the industry. Initially, the act recorded and released his music solely through YouTube.
However, after failing to succeed, the musician founded his own record label, XO, on which he would release three highly successful mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence. These three projects would get uploaded to DatPiff, a popular mixtape-sharing platform.
The Weeknd accrued millions of downloads on the website. As a result, in 2012, Tesfaye signed a record deal with Republic Records. The Canadian is known for exploring dark subject matters in his music. He often looks at life and love through a somewhat dystopian lens, so it was no surprise when he delivered ‘Here We Go…Again’ featuring Tyler, The Creator, for his 2022 album DAWN FM. However, following swirling rumours that the artist was in a relationship with Angelina Jolie after paparazzi photographed the two on a dinner date in LA, there was much speculation surrounding the track.
The first verse of ‘Here We Go…Again’ is delivered by The Weeknd. During his verse, the Toronto vocalist addressed heartbreak by referencing the Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson as he sings, “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” The singer also reflects on how he repeatedly makes mistakes when he states, “‘Cause it’s never what it seems / But you’d rather love and lost with tears / Than never love at all / So here we go again.”
The second verse is rapped by Tyler, The Creator, who uses the song to express his scepticism concerning traditions around marriage. He explained that he is unsure about marriage because he is never sure how long a relationship will last and doesn’t want the financial burden that comes with being married.
You can hear the track in the video below.
