"Sacrifice" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on January 7, 2022, through XO and Republic Records, as the second single from his fifth studio album Dawn FM. The song was written by the Weeknd, Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Carl Nordström and Swedish House Mafia; with Kevin McCord receiving songwriting credits for the sampling of the 1981 track "I Want to Thank You", performed by Alicia Myers.[1] Production was handled by the Weeknd, Martin, Holter, Swedish House Mafia and Carl Nordström/Desembra
At the end of the Weeknd's music video for Dawn FM's lead single "Take My Breath", a snippet of "Sacrifice" is heard. It was released alongside its parent album on January 7, 2022, and was sent to American contemporary hit radio stations on January 11 as the second single from the album.[2][3]
Critics noted "Sacrifice" as being a standout track from the album, with the Weeknd's vocals and production being highlighted.[7][8][9] Mankaprr Conteh from Rolling Stone compared the Weeknd's performance on the song to that of Michael Jackson's on his 1983 single "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and his 1979 single "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", putting emphasis on the similar sounding vocal melodies and guitar riffs.[10] Heran Mamo of Billboard agreed, adding that the song is "the closest thing to a Michael Jackson record in the 21st century," claiming that it "resurrects the period-appropriate disco-funk".[9] Mary Siroky in her review for Consequence of Sound highlighted that the song "is more of the irresistible fare for which The Weeknd has become known", praising his "wavy vocals" that "sound right at home here" and the production for being "bouncy and bright, making 'Sacrifice' stand out in an album packed with earworms."[8]
The music video for "Sacrifice", directed by Cliqua, was released alongside the song and parent album on January 7, 2022,[12][13] and serves as the sequel to the music video of "Take My Breath". It begins with the Weeknd, who is dazed and confused, being brought towards a theoretical light at the end of a tunnel; while a snippet of Dawn FM's title track, featuring narration by actor Jim Carrey, is played in the background. He then wakes up out of breath as a result of the events that occurred in the "Take My Breath" music video. As he tries to catch his breath, he is abducted by a hooded cult and tied to a wheel-like contraption to be used for a human sacrifice. As the cult members gather around him, a veiled female figure in a red cloak appears and takes his soul away. A series of psychedelic-hued visuals, strobe lighting and dance numbers are then showcased. The Weeknd is then seen singing into a microphone while holding the stand with metal gauntlets. As the sacrifice continues, his hands become horrifically scarred, with the red-cloaked female having stolen his youth. The Weeknd is then seen giving his own variation of Michael Jackson's foot shuffle before the cult members disperse and The Weeknd tumbles out in a fading shot.[14][15]
Credits and personneledit
The Weeknd – vocals, songwriting, production, programming, keyboards
Max Martin – songwriting, production, programming, keyboards
Oscar Holter – songwriting, production, programming, keyboards
^"The Weeknd Releases Music Video for "Sacrifice"". HYPEBEAST. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^ ab"Top 40 Mainstream Songs and Release Dates". All Access. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Kaufman, Gil (January 5, 2022). "The Weeknd Reveals Tracklist For 16-Song 'Dawn FM' Album". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Jenkins, Craig (January 7, 2022). "The Weeknd Knows No Bounds". Vulture. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^DeVille, Chris (January 7, 2022). "Review: The Weeknd's 'Dawn FM' Is An Art-Damaged Dancefloor Opus Inspired By Pandemic Purgatory". Stereogum. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
^Aniftos, Rania (January 7, 2022). "The Weeknd Begins to Escape the Darkness in 'Sacrifice' Music Video". Billboard.
^"Song of the Week: The Weeknd Struggles With a "Sacrifice"". Yahoo. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^ ab"Song of the Week: The Weeknd Struggles With a "Sacrifice"". Consequence of Sound. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^ abMamo, Heran (January 7, 2022). "Every Song on The Weeknd's 'Dawn FM' Album, Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Conteh, Mankaprr (January 7, 2022). "Five Things We Learned from the Weeknd's 'Dawn FM'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Benchetrit, Jenna; Patel, Arti (March 11, 2023). "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News.
^Callas, Brad (January 7, 2022). "Watch The Weeknd's New Video for "Sacrifice"". Complex. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Torres, Eric (January 7, 2022). "The Weeknd Shares New Video for "Sacrifice"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^DeVille, Chris (January 7, 2022). "The Dawn FM Saga Continues In The Weeknd's Creepy New "Sacrifice" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^Blistein, Jon (January 7, 2022). "The Weeknd Accepts His New Fate With a Dancefloor Ritual in 'Sacrifice' Music Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
^"The Weeknd – Sacrifice" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
^"The Weeknd – Sacrifice" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
^"The Weeknd – Sacrifice" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
^"Top 100 Brasil" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Crowley Broadcast Analysis. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2022. Note: In "SEMANA REFERÊNCIA" select 21/03/2022 - 25/03/2022. To access the full Top 100, click on "VER TOP 100 COMPLETO" and enter your name and email. Then enter the code you received by email.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
^"The Weeknd pjesmom Sacrifice predvodi Airplay Radio Chart". HRT (in Croatian). February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202226 into search. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 20222 into search. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^"The Weeknd – Sacrifice". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
^"The Weeknd: Sacrifice" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
^"The Weeknd – Sacrifice" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^"The Weeknd Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
^"Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 2/2022". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
^"Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.