The Weeknd “Expected” The Idol’s Negative Backlash

The Idol is in the middle of its first (and possibly only) reason, and has ushered in a shocking critical consensus and episode-per-episode ratings. The HBO series, which stars and is executive produced by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, has not shied away from having polarizing moments — but according to Tesfaye, the reaction garnered by those moments might not be a bad thing. In a new interview with Variety, Tesfaye said that the negative reaction to The Idol was “very much expected,” and argued that the show inherently has surreal genre influences.

“Brian De Palma is a huge inspiration for all this, and of course [Paul] Verhoeven [“Basic Instinct,” “Total Recall,” “RoboCop”],” Tesfaye explained. “But look, we’re playing with genres with this show, we’re doing exactly what we wanted to do. And none of this is a surprise. I’m excited for everyone to watch the rest of the show.”

What happened with The Idol?

Last year, it was announced that The Idol would be creatively retooled, with original director The Girlfriend Experience series co-creator Amy Seimetz dropping out of the project even after production on most of the series had been completed.

“The Idol’s creative team continues to build, refine, and evolve their vision for the show and they have aligned on a new creative direction,” HBO said in a statement back in April about the show’s direction. “The production will be adjusting its cast and crew accordingly to best serve this new approach to the series. We look forward to sharing more information soon.”

What is The Idol about?

The Idol focuses on Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp), an aspiring pop idol who, after having a nervous breakdown that causes her last tour to be canceled, resolves to reclaim her title as the sexiest pop star in America and begins a complex relationship with Tedros (Tesfaye), a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult.

The Idol also stars Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Jennie Ruby Jane, Eli Roth, Rachel Sennott, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Dean, Ramsey, and Hank Azaria.

Are you tuning in to The Idol? What do you think of Tesfaye’s newest comments? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Idol is set to premiere on HBO on Sunday, June 4th, with episodes also streaming on Max. If you haven’t signed up for Max yet, you can do so here.

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