One Of The Girls
by The Weeknd (featuring Jennie)

Album: The Idol, Vol. 1 (2023)
Charted: 21 51
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "One Of The Girls" is a collaboration between The Weeknd, Jennie of the K-pop group BlackPink, and Lily-Rose Depp. The trio joined forces to create the song specifically for the HBO series The Idol. The show revolves around a pop star named Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), who gets entangled in a controversial relationship with the enigmatic self-help guru and cult leader, Tedros, portrayed by Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd).

    Jennie appears in The Idol as one of Depp's backup dancers, Dyanne. "One Of The Girls" is part of episode 4, titled "Stars Belong to the World."
  • "One of the Girls" is a down-tempo, introspective track that delves into themes of control and intense desire. The song aligns with the dark storyline of the show. Depp's harrowing lyrics like "Hands on my neck while you push it up," directly allude to the show's portrayal of explicit scenes involving choking. The Weeknd's addition to the track further intensifies the atmosphere, as he evocatively sings, "Force me and choke me 'til I pass out."
  • The Weeknd co-wrote and co-produced the song with Mike Dean (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyoncé). Dean's work has earned him several Grammy wins including Best Rap album for Kanye's Late Registration, Graduation and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy records. He first worked with The Weeknd on the Canadian star's 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness, and his single "Where You Belong" for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Like The Idol, Fifty Shades of Grey delves into themes of sadomasochism and power dynamics in relationships.

    Dean appears in the "Stars Belong to the World" episode when he's invited to help Jocelyn produce her "Fill the Void" song.
  • Sage Skolfield assists The Weeknd and Dean on the production side, while additional songwriting credits go to a Lily-Rose Depp, indie-pop artist Ramsey, and Sam Levinson, co-creator of The Idol.
  • The Weeknd first previewed the song in his Instagram Live on April 10, 2023, under the title "One of the Girls (Tough Love)." Exactly a month later, Jennie shared a snippet of the unreleased track during a DJ set at the launch of her capsule collection for Calvin Klein in South Korea.
  • "One of the Girls" features on The Idol Episode 4 (Music from the HBO Original Series), an EP featuring music from the "Stars Belong to the World" episode, released on June 23, 2023.
  • For Jennie, the track is her first non-BlackPink song since her 2018 solo debut single "Solo."
  • In the months following its release, "One Of The Girls" steadily gained traction on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where the Jennie-sung segments of the song became a highly used soundtrack for a variety of videos. Riding this wave of popularity, on December 8, 2023, the trio released four additional mixes of the song: sped-up, slowed, instrumental and a cappella versions. The track debuted on the Hot 100 at #100 on December 30, 2023.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.