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, and ...
. 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
Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin allmusic.com known profess ...
,
Oscar Holter
Oscar Thomas Holter (born 26 February 1986) is a Swedish record producer and songwriter based in the United States. He is best known for his work with record producer and fellow Swede Max Martin and Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd on the ...
, Carl Nordström and
Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia (SHM) is a Swedish house music supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the '' DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJ Poll 2011, and have ...
; with Kevin McCord receiving songwriting credits for the sampling of the 1981 track "I Want to Thank You", performed by Alicia Myers. Production was handled by the Weeknd, Martin, Holter and Swedish House Mafia.
Background and promotion
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.
Lyrics and composition
"Sacrifice" has been described by music critics as a post-disco and
electro-funk
Electro (or electro-funk)Rap meets T ...
track that details the Weeknd's
hedonistic
Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decre ...
lifestyle.
Critical reception
Critics noted "Sacrifice" as being a standout track from the album, with the Weeknd's vocals and production being highlighted. Mankaprr Conteh from ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' compared the Weeknd's performance on the song to that of
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's on his 1983 single "
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...
" and his 1979 single "
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...
", putting emphasis on the similar sounding vocal melodies and guitar riffs. 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". Mary Siroky in her review for ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'' 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."
The song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year at the
Juno Awards of 2023
The Juno Awards of 2023 was a music awards ceremony that was held on March 13, 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.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
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...
. 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
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...
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
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's foot shuffle before the cult members disperse and The Weeknd tumbles out in a fading shot.
Credits and personnel
*
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, and ...
Oscar Holter
Oscar Thomas Holter (born 26 February 1986) is a Swedish record producer and songwriter based in the United States. He is best known for his work with record producer and fellow Swede Max Martin and Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd on the ...
Swedish House Mafia
Swedish House Mafia (SHM) is a Swedish house music supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the '' DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJ Poll 2011, and have ...
Steve Angello
Steven Patrik Josefsson Fragogiannis ( el, Στέφεν Πάτρικ Γιόζεφσον Φραγκόγιαννης; born 22 November 1982), better known by his stage name Steve Angello, is a Greek-Swedish DJ, record producer, remixer and record ...
– songwriting
** Sebastian Ingrosso – songwriting
* Carl Nordström – songwriting
* Kevin Duane McCord – songwriting
*
Serban Ghenea
Șerban Ghenea (born October 13, 1969) is a Grammy award-winning Romanian-Canadian audio engineer and mixer.
Early life and education
Ghenea was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1969. In 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. He later attended ...
– mixing
* John Hanes – mix engineering
* Dave Kutch – mastering
* Kevin Peterson – assistant mixing
* Shin Kamiyama – engineering