Released in May 2015 as the second single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness , by The Weeknd is a dark, trap-infused R&B track that became one of the most defining hits of his career. Core Themes & Meaning
: The lyrics detail a relationship kept hidden from the woman's actual partner, with Abel (The Weeknd) demanding honesty only within their illicit bubble. Production & Sound the weeknd - hills
: Produced by Mano and Illangelo, the track features a dissonant synth haze and a heavy, "Inception-like" alarm intro. Released in May 2015 as the second single
: The production includes sounds painstakingly recreated from a leaked live performance, such as a fan screaming right before the chorus drop. : It reached No
: The famous hook, "When I'm fucked up, that's the real me," is an admission that his truest self emerges during moments of drug-induced debauchery rather than in the "sanitized" version of pop stardom.
: The title refers to the Hollywood Hills, where "the hills have eyes"—a nod to Wes Craven’s horror film—symbolizing the prying eyes of the paparazzi and the judgment of a public watching his rapid rise to fame.
: It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 , replacing his own song "Can't Feel My Face," making him the first solo artist since 2014 to replace themselves at the top.