Professional by The Weeknd (Argumentative Analysis)

 [Originally posted by me in: Professional by The Weeknd – Is Less More? (wordpress.com)] 

In the debut album Kissland by the singer-songwriter and producer Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd), a notable song by the name of ‘Professional’ stands out; In which, the lyrics and the production of the song compose multiple perspectives that display the sad reality of the world, a tragedy where love fades. Abel when creating this album was inspired by horror filmmakers like John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Ridley Scott, because they knew how to capture the feeling of fear and thrill. ‘Kissland’ is the horror series of Abel’s life, and ‘Professional’ is one of the episodes where he talks to his lover about a world where dreams can’t come true. Although in one perspective Abel talks about his troubled lover and how she struggles, but it seems that he is also reflecting on himself, his struggles, and his experiences in the music industry as he rose to fame.

 The opening of the song starts with Orchestra instrumentals, which blossomed and had the most significant change in the 20th century, with influence on many writers till this day; Because it depicts the glamour of that era, of the American Dream. Though the American Dream inspired a lot of hopeful dreamers, the reality shattered them and caused heartbreak and loss. It showed that even with all the extravagancy and money, it didn’t fulfill the happiness many wanted to acquire even with the richest of them all; dreams were out of reach even to the richest individuals.

Indeed, as you listen to the song, you’re taken away with the instrumentals that set multiple tones to showcase the drama, and the fear both Abel and his lover are going through as the world consumes them. Nevertheless, the depths of  what comes between the lyrics tell another story about The Weeknd rather than just Abel’s possible unrequited love of an escort he met on the road.

Although The Weeknd seems to be giving his escort a piece of knowledge, the lyrics also display how he projects his experiences and trauma on her. Abel opens the song with “You need someone to tell you how to feel” inciting that he went through what she is feeling about her situation, and that she might “think [her] happiness is real” but it is not; Because, its only materialistic and doesn’t fulfill your dreams relating on experience Abel went through in his early days ‘Trilogy Era’, where he dreamed about the fame and the money of the industry. Later he projects again to his escort’s experience to how he “choose to be concealed” with his music early on, because he never showed his personality or even his face and refused to do promo. This correlates to how his escort is always on a professional level with her clients and never goes deeper than that, reflecting on the fear of being intimate and personal.

In addition to the concealment, Abel later talks about how he became a “somebody in a nobody town”, starting out as an underground artist performing his songs at local parties in Toronto. He later follows it with a question to his lover asking her if she actually knows what it feels like to be a somebody in a nobody town, reflecting on what he went through as he observes her going through a somewhat similar experience becoming “somebody now”. Throughout the intro, Abel continues to talk about his story between the lines, as he started out homeless with his friend Lamar adopting a toxic and unhealthy lifestyle. Moreover, he reflects on his past through the lover’s trauma as she started out from nothing to becoming known in her business.

As the chorus starts with the voice of the lover, confirming the projection that Abel applied before with lyrics “I love, you love, This love, We’re professional”. Here Abel creates a connection between his lover’s lifestyle and his, then following it with lyrics “We’re sophisticated”. On one hand, a ‘Sophisticated’ person by definition is someone who is deprived of simplicity; being highly complicated as they develop a complex life. On the other, a ‘Sophisticated living’ is not about what individuals spend, but what they share with others. This reflects on the one-sided dialog that Abel tries to have with his Escort in the song; though he tries to give her his piece of mind in a way he is also projecting and creating a connection to her as he also reflects on his experiences.

The Weeknd as an artist always aims for his audience to feel his music on different levels and in a way to relate to. Whether you view the song ‘Professional’ as Abel trying to convince his escort that their love would work, or it being a song about how Abel projects on his experiences and trauma through his lover (a coping mechanism), the true meaning of the song lies deep with Abel Tesfaye. The ability of creating different depths and perceptions of a musical work is what makes him the Grammy winning critically acclaimed artist he is today.

https://youtu.be/OJPLBUz3YVs

All Photo Credits go to Republic Records/ XO Records (The Weeknd).