5 Lyrics That Suggest The Weeknd's New Album 'My Dear Melancholy' Is About Selena Gomez & Bella Hadid
He pulled a Taylor Swift.
instagram Abel Tesfaye (AKA The Weeknd) has finally dropped his highly anticipated album My Dear Melancholy, his first since 2016’s pop-infused Starboy.
With My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd seems to have gone back to his dark, moody roots. But what fans are really looking for is any reference that the Weeknd's new album is about Selena Gomez and their breakup — and he did not hold back.
To refresh, The Weeknd first dated model Bella Hadid from 2015 to the end of 2016. Shortly after, in January 2017, Gomez and The Weeknd were spotted canoodling after a dinner date. “It was a romantic dinner date in the rain,” a witness told People at the time. “They acted like a couple...She seemed very into him — she was smiling a lot. They left holding hands.”
Unfortunately, the relationship was rather short-lived. The two broke up in October 2017, claiming conflicting schedules made their relationship difficult. However, the timing was suspicious considering Gomez was seen hanging out with her infamous ex Justin Bieber around the same time as her breakup with The Weeknd.
As we’ve seen via Taylor Swift’s many lyrics referencing past relationships, feuds, and basically anything else going on in her life, artists often take inspiration from their own lives to craft their music — and apparently, The Weeknd is no exception.
Check out The Weeknd’s My Dear Melancholy lyrics and song meanings for yourself to see which lyrics reference his famous exes.
“Call Out My Name” lyrics
1. “We helped each other / I helped you out of a broken place”
References: Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid
The Weeknd jumps into the album no-holds-barred with these opening lyrics on the first song of My Dear Melancholy. Here, it seems The Weekend is talking directly to someone (and by someone, I mean Gomez). Since Gomez’s most publicized and notorious pre-The Weekend relationship was with Bieber, who broke up (again) shortly before she got together with Tesfayne, it’s likely these lyrics reference The Weeknd helping Gomez get over Bieber.
Of course, we can’t ignore the line about two people helping each other. The Weeknd and Hadid broke up shortly before he and Gomez started dating, so it’s likely that lyric means Gomez helped him after that failed relationship just as he helped her.
2. “You gave me comfort / but falling for you was my mistake”
References: Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, and Justin Bieber
Again, The Weeknd notes that Gomez comforted him after his breakup with Hadid. However, he also says falling for Gomez was his “mistake.” Considering Gomez seems to be back with Bieber during her breakup with Tesfayne, it’s no surprise he feels as though their relationship was a “mistake.” It is surprising, though, that The Weeknd would call Gomez out like that, considering after their breakup Gomez told Billboard that they “ended it as best friends, and it was genuinely about encouraging and caring.”
3. “I almost cut a piece of myself for your life”
References: Selena Gomez
In September 2017, Gomez posted a photo on Instagram of her and her best friend, Francia Rasia, in hospital beds. Her caption revealed that she had undergone a kidney transplant due to her battle with lupus for which Rasia was the donor.
Although Gomez told NBC News that she “didn’t want to ask a single person” to donate their kidney to her, this lyric from “Call Out My Name” suggests The Weeknd considered it himself.
4. “Guess I was just another pit stop ‘til you made up your mind”
References: Selena Gomez
Gomez’s on-and-off (and on… and off) relationship with Bieber is well-documented. During their “off” periods, both Bieber and Gomez spent time seeing other people. Bieber has been linked to women like Sofia Richie and Hailey Baldwin while Gomez dated the DJ Zedd and allegedly Charlie Puth. But for every boyfriend Gomez has had, she always seems to fall back to Bieber — which makes it very obvious that Tesfayne sees himself as just another “pit stop” on her road to Bieber.
“Wasted Times” lyrics
5. “You were equestrian so ride it like a champion”
References: Bella Hadid
“Wasted Times” is The Weeknd’s ode to an ex that he misses. “Wasted times I spent with someone else...Reminiscin' how you felt,” he sings. Of course, this could be about any ex — until you get to a line towards the end of the song that references and “equestrian.” Fun fact: Hadid rode horses and even had dreams of making it to the Olympics. Boom. In 2016, Hadid’s mother Yolanda revealed that Hadid had to give up riding after being diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease.
Micki Spollen is a YourTango editor, writer, and traveler. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her travels on her website.