The Weeknd’s New Music For ‘The Idol’ Was Inspired By Pink Floyd And Prince, He Explained

The Weeknd is gearing up for the premiere of his upcoming HBO series The Idol, which he co-created alongside Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson. Over the past few weeks, the “Blinding Lights” singer has been teasing new music for the series.

He previewed some new music via Instagram Live, which sounded rather dark and ominous.

In a recent interview with Interview, The Weeknd revealed that he has produced an entire album to accompany the show. He also shared that he had been listening to iconic albums by Pink Floyd and Prince for inspiration.

“I’ve been inspired by The Wall and Purple Rain,” said The Weeknd.” “But even films like Shaft, the music is literally telling the story of the film. But I want to take it to the next level. I want to challenge myself and I feel like, as a musician, I’m the best I’ve ever been. But I have ADD. I can’t focus on just that. It’s like, how do I throw a wrench in it”

Elsewhere in the interview, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, revealed that his character, Tedros, who is a cult leader, is someone who appeals to him, but he insists he is nothing like him.

“I wrote him,” he said, “but what drew me to play him was just getting to pretend to be someone else. It was a challenge, because The Weeknd, obviously, isn’t me. But I drew a lot from myself to create that character. Tedros is nothing like me.”

The Idol premieres 6/4 on HBO and will be available for streaming on Max.