The Weeknd Debuts ‘Dancing in the Flames’ and More New Songs in São Paulo
Written by Ashley Iasimone on September 8, 2024
“How come it’s not tomorrow?” The Weeknd closed with a number featuring that lyric Saturday night in São Paulo, Brazil, leaving fans awaiting new album Hurry Up Tomorrow asking the same. (How come they can’t get Hurry Up Tomorrow … tomorrow? Especially that one song about “dancing in the flames”?)
The one-night-only concert on Sept. 7, livestreamed on YouTube, featured several tidbits of new music from Abel Tesfaye. Concertgoers and viewers at home got to hear tracks never before played live mixed in with chart toppers; the collective chatter had “Abel” trending on social media throughout the evening.
The Hurry Up Tomorrow tracklist has yet to be unveiled, and Tesfaye didn’t introduce songs by name at Saturday night’s event at Estádio MorumBIS.
Based on what was teased during the show, though, a few presumed new titles include “Dancing in the Flames,” “Run Away” and “In Heaven.”
Highlight “Dancing in the Flames” — heard in part by some in São Paulo during soundcheck earlier in the day, and making its wide debut about 30 minutes into the concert — has the hallmarks of a hit from first listen.
Tesfaye’s voice soars over an indelible synth line, singing of an odyssey where “We’re dancing in the flames/ It’s indescribable.” (Press play on the video below to stream the concert starting at the “Dancing in the Flames” timestamp.)
A special appearance from Brazilian superstar Anitta on a song that might be known as “São Paulo” had the São Paulo crowd going wild.
Billboard cover star Playboi Carti also appeared on The Weeknd’s stage at Estádio MorumBIS, treating the audience to a performance of Travis Scott’s “FE!N,” plus an unreleased track of Carti’s that’s possibly called “Timeless.”
Hits like “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears” sparked massive crowd sing-alongs toward the end of the set. “I want you to scream so loud they can hear you in Rio,” Tesfaye encouraged.
The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow album cover was revealed just hours before the show, as well as a preorder link for the set, which is the third part of a trilogy preceded by After Hours and Dawn FM. While vinyl and CD orders can be put in now, Hurry Up Tomorrow‘s release date hasn’t been announced.
Watch a replay of Saturday’s entire concert here, courtesy of The Weeknd’s YouTube channel.
