How to make The Weeknd ‘Blinding Lights’

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.

Download the Ableton project from this video:
https://www.imaginando.pt/uploads/goodies/tutorials/the-weekend-blinding-lights-project.zip

00:00 Intro
00:21 Bass
04:17 Pad L
07:11 Pad H
10:10 Lead
15:04 Music
15:50 Outro

DRC – Polyphonic Synthesizer:
DRC on App Store – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drc-polyphonic-synthesizer/id973055710
DRC on Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imaginando.drc
DRC for Desktop – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/drc/downloads
DRC Product Page – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/drc

VS – Visual Synthesizer:
VS on App Store – https://apps.apple.com/app/id1560330289
VS for Desktop – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/vs-visual-synthesizer
VS Product Page – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/vs-visual-synthesizer

FRMS – Granular Synthesizer:
FRMS on App Store – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/frms-granular-synthesizer/id1381392223
FRMS on Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imaginando.frms
FRMS for Desktop – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/frms/downloads
FRMS Product Page – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/frms

K7D – Tape Delay
K7D on App Store – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/k7d-tape-delay/id1460245991
K7D for Desktop – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/k7d/downloads
K7D Product Page – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/k7d

DLYM – Delay Modulator:
DLYM on App Store – https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dlym-delay-modulator/id1381246923
DLYM for Desktop – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/dlym/downloads
DLYM Product Page – https://www.imaginando.pt/products/dlym

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