How to make The Weeknd 'Blinding Lights' with DRC
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On top of having a fantastic voice, Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer ‘The Weeknd’ also has a talent for writing extremely catchy choruses and melodies, wrapping them inside a layer of funky production, and creating irresistible little earworms as a result.
His first big breakthrough sing-along smash was the 2015 track ‘Can’t Feel My Face’, with a smooth vocal performance, compared by many to that of the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. The suggestive lyrics are open to interpretation, but with a less than subtle reference as to how one might happen to experience facial numbness, The Weeknd is certainly no stranger to controversial subject matter when it comes to inspiration and song writing.
In 2020, he produced one of the biggest hits of the year with ‘Blinding Lights’, an upbeat 80’s synth-pop anthem that had a surprisingly dark meaning. In an interview with Esquire magazine, The Weeknd revealed that the song is in fact referring to driving while intoxicated, something he was quick to clarify that he in no way advocates such an activity. The track is a mix of loneliness and desperation; the feeling of wanting to see someone so badly that you are knowingly reckless, and find yourself overwhelmed by the city lights, struggling to focus.
In this week’s DRC Sound Design Tutorial, Lucas shines a light on some of the sounds from ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd.
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Wearing our sunglasses at night,
Team Imaginando