The Weeknd today shared new song “Smile,” his collaboration with the late rapper Juice WRLD. “Smile” marks the first collaborative team up between late rapper Juice WRLD and Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd.
Whereas there hasn’t been much to smile about in 2020, though the new collaboration between the late Juice WRLD and The Weeknd might change that.
The Late rapper had previously hinted at the possibility of the pair working together in a tweet from last September. “Me and the Weeknd would make a diamond record…” he tweeted together.
Guess the wait is over. The Weeknd teased “SMILE” earlier this week, a special tag-team with the rising hip-hop star Juice WRLD who passed away last December 8th, 2019 from a seizure at the age of just 21.
“Smile” arrives shortly after the posthumous release of Juice WRLD’s record breaking album “Legends Never Die”, which was released seven months after the artist’s death. Although he’s been gone for almost nine months, the late rapper Juice WRLD is still releasing new music.
The Weeknd teased their single earlier in the week (August 4th, 2020) that their track would be coming out on August 7th:
Later in a follow up Tweet, he shared the title of their forthcoming team up.
On Friday, August 7, at midnight, Juice WRLD’s latest collaboration with The Weeknd, “Smile,” dropped with an accompanying music video, featuring an artist painting a portrait of Juice WRLD and The Weeknd; as announced by Abel Tesfaye (alias The Weeknd): Upon the release of ‘Smile’, The Weeknd tweeted: “Wish we could celebrate together.” 💔
At the stroke of midnight, the song dropped in full across all digital music platforms and can be Streamed here.
Clocking in at a little over three minutes and twenty-eight seconds, a simple sonic backdrop that highlights hi-hats, a heavy bass drum and timely claps is laid underneath the pair’s distinct vocals, really putting the focus on the anticipated collaboration. The cut hears the two speak on heartbreak and their willingness to sacrifice whatever they have to in order to make their partners happy. Juice kicks off the track and starts his verse with a haunting line that reads, “Devil on my shoulder telling me I’ll die soon/I don’t really want that to impact you/ But I don’t know, maybe I’m just paranoid/ I just want the best for you, I just want what’s left of you.” while The Weeknd comes in to end it, “When our skin is touching, I need drugs to love you/You want so much more from me, but I can only f*ck you.”
The tune itself offers emotionally charged lyrics from Juice WRLD, delivered over a piano backing and trap beat and tackles common Juice WRLD themes like relationships and the struggle with his inner demons, as well as declaring the happiness of his girl as his main goal.
The song serves as the first offering from The Weeknd since the R&B artist’s chart-topping After Hours album which was released earlier this year. A few hours to the release of ‘SMILE”, the song was already topping at position #1 on the trending searches on the iTunes in the US, just a few hours to the release.
The track was Produced by Taz Taylor, Cxdy & Nick Mira, Written by Taz Taylor, Cxdy, Nick Mira, The Weeknd & Juice WRLD and released exclusively under Interscope Records.
Jarad Higgins also known as Juice WRLD and The Weeknd’s pensive collab arrived with an accompanying lyrics video and was posted on Juice WRLD’s YouTube. It features a man painting both musicians on canvas as each act sings their verses.
Check out “Smile” below:
