The Abyss
by The Weeknd (featuring Lana Del Rey)

Album: Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)
Charted: 68
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "The Abyss" is a song about love teetering on the edge of oblivion - The Weeknd clings to his partner as the world dissolves into chaos around them. Time is running out, love is slipping away, and every shared moment becomes almost painfully precious.
  • The title "The Abyss" doesn't appear in the lyrics, but it captures the song's brooding sense of inevitable loss.
  • This haunting ballad sees The Weeknd reunite with Lana Del Rey, marking another chapter in their long-running creative partnership. Del Rey enters in the song's final stretch, offering up an ethereal outro.
  • The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey, friends since 2012, have spent years weaving their voices together. They first collaborated on his 2015 track "Prisoner" from The Weeknd's sophomore album Beauty Behind the Madness. Their creative partnership continued with several studio sessions that same year, producing "Stargirl Interlude" and "Party Monster" for his Starboy album. In 2017, they joined forces once more on the title track of Del Rey's Lust For Life album.
  • Co-written with Mike Dean and Patrick Greenaway, "The Abyss" takes a stark, stripped-down approach. It begins with a fragile piano melody before swelling with mournful synths, creating a thick atmosphere of despair and finality.

    Dean, a heavyweight producer with credits spanning Kanye West to Travis Scott, co-produced 18 tracks on Hurry Up Tomorrow and mastered the entire album.

    Greenaway is a guitarist and musician who has played guitar on some of The Weeknd's tours and contributed to his music. His resumé includes reimagining "Call Out My Name" as a synth arrangement and "Dancing In The Flames" as an acoustic ballad.
  • Fans got their first taste of "The Abyss" when The Weeknd previewed it on X on July 23, 2024. He gave it its live debut on September 7 in São Paulo, Brazil.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?