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The Weeknd, Madonna and Playboi Carti Debut Their “Popular” Video Exclusively At Fortnite Festival
The Weeknd, Madonna and Playboi Carti teamed up with Fortnite to premiere the visuals for their hit song, “Popular.”
The “Material Girl” artist shared a sneak peek of the project via her Instagram on Thursday (Feb. 15). “The video debuts finally and exclusively in the Fortnite Festival! Tune into the game Feb. 15-18! It’s the only way to watch the video,” she wrote in the caption.
In December 2023, Rap-Up reported that The Weeknd was the festival’s first headlining act. His virtual appearance included a new microphone design, two bass designs and playable characters. The Toronto singer also joined a long list of musicians who’ve partnered with Fortnite in the past, such as Eminem, Kid Cudi and Travis Scott.
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It’s also worth mentioning that “Popular” was originally crafted for The Weeknd’s HBO series “The Idol,” which was canceled after only one season. Other songs on the TV show’s soundtrack included “False Idols” featuring Lil Baby and “My Sweet Lord.”
“I’m definitely proud of it. Me and Carti had this… I mean, we’ve jammed out before, and I’ve actually worked with him. We’ve had a different version of this song prior, so I’ve had these vocals for a while, and I kind of, you know, worked around it and then kind of kept it in the tuck,” The Weeknd told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in June 2023. “It felt right, and it felt cohesive with this album I’m working on right now. So, I’ve been producing this song for a while, and then Madonna matched. The thing is, I’ve always wanted to work with her. I’ve always wanted to write and produce a Madonna album.”
He continued, “She’s such a visionary, and she has such a singular vision, and I just want to come into her world, you know, and create a classic Madonna album. That was always my dream. So, you know, this, hopefully, could be the appetizer for that.”