"Prisoner" is a song by Canadian singer
the Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
, featuring American singer-songwriter
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
, from the former's second studio album ''
Beauty Behind the Madness
''Beauty Behind the Madness'' is the second studio album by Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. The album was executi ...
'' (2015). They co-wrote the song with
Illangelo
Carlo Montagnese (born July 29, 1987), known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, musician and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. A Grammy Awa ...
, who co-produced it with the Weeknd. It is the first of the five collaborations between the two artists, being followed by "
Party Monster", from the Weeknd's third studio album ''
Starboy'' (2016).
Commercial performance
"Prisoner" debuted at number 47 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 with 51,291 copies sold in its first week. The song also accrued 3.7 million US streams.
Live performances
Del Rey and the Weeknd performed the song live together for the first time on December 9, 2015, at
The Forum in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
.
Critical reception
Alex Kritselis of ''Bustle'' wrote, "The mid-tempo duet sounds exactly how you'd expect it to sound: dark, tortured, and a little bit over-the-top. Depending on how you feel about The Weeknd and Del Rey — two artists who share a flair for the dramatic — this either makes the track absolutely perfect or absolutely unlistenable. Personally, I'm digging it." In his review of the album, ''Rolling Stone'' Jon Dolan described the song as "a summit of luxuriant sadness" and "quite the slow-burning pity party". Chris DeVille of ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
'' called "Prisoner" "the most intriguing part" of ''Beauty Behind the Madness'', and said the song "feels like an old Weeknd mixtape track, but with touches of Del Rey’s doomed noir glamor". ''Vulture'' Dee Lockett wrote, "Lana, the tortured lover, and the Weeknd, the addict, sound exactly as you’d expect on this bombastic morbid-pop-meets-lusty-R&B ballad. They croon about their respective sorrows: Lana wonders if Hollywood has poisoned her, while the Weeknd comes to grips with falling in love. For most people, that last one would be a relief, but for someone who previously bragged, “I just fucked two bitches before I saw you,” it’s like living out a horror film. But they each agree that whatever pain they’re in, they brought it on themselves: “I’m addicted to a life that’s so empty and so cold / I’m a prisoner to my decisions,” they whine in tandem. Of course, it ends with a Lana soliloquy."
In 2019, ''Billboard'' Kirsten Spruch included "Prisoner" in her list of Del Rey's best collaborations. In his 2019 list of "Every Lana Del Rey Song, Ranked", Richard S. He of ''Billboard'' ranked the song number 75.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
2015 songs
The Weeknd songs
Lana Del Rey songs
Pop ballads
Contemporary R&B ballads
Song recordings produced by Illangelo
Song recordings produced by the Weeknd
Songs written by Illangelo
Songs written by Lana Del Rey
Songs written by the Weeknd
2010s ballads