Snowchild

Not to be confused with The Snow Child.

"Snowchild"
Song by the Weeknd
from the album After Hours
ReleasedMarch 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)
GenreR&B
Length4:07
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Music video
"Snowchild" on YouTube

"Snowchild" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd from his fourth studio album After Hours.[1] It was released on March 20, 2020, alongside the rest of its parent album.[2] A music video for the song was released on July 22, 2020.[3] The song was written and produced by The Weeknd, Illangelo, and DaHeala; with Belly receiving additional writing credits.[4]

Music video

The official music video for "Snowchild" was first announced by the Weeknd, through his various social media platforms, shortly before its release on July 22, 2020.[5][6] The animated music video was directed by D'Art Shtajio studio and is set after the events of the "Until I Bleed Out" music video.[7] It was described by journalists as "A Dark Trip Down Memory Lane", as it showcases Tesfaye's different looks and the general atmosphere of his music throughout the six main stages of his career.[8]

The visual begins with a red-suited Tesfaye waking up in the desert, that he's in, during the aforementioned "Until I Bleed Out" music video. He is then shown walking in a snowy Toronto and then in a neon-filled Japan, where he's then dragged down into Hollywood, where he is confronted by the mysterious man from the Beauty Behind the Madness music videos. After this, Tesfaye then arrives at and goes into the mansion from the "Starboy" music video, where he then gets into a fight with two women who turn into black panthers. Shortly, after the fight, he is then teleported into an industrial sector where he turns into his supernatural character from the "Call Out My Name" music video. After burning money at a fire barrel, he then transforms into a colony of bats and then ends up back in the desert, as the character he portrays in the After Hours music videos. He then walks towards a distant city which appears to be Toronto[citation needed] but then as soon as he approaches it, ends up being Las Vegas. With a somber look on his face, he then goes into the city and sees himself beginning the events of the "Heartless" visual, with the video then ending and Tesfaye being stuck in a state of purgatory.[9][10]

The whole music video was done in the Japanese animation style of anime.[11] It is the second animated music video released in support of After Hours, following the visual for the remix of "In Your Eyes".[12]

Commercial performance

Following the release of its parent album, "Snowchild" debuted at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 dated April 4, 2020. It was the ninth-highest charting track from After Hours.[13]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[4]

  • The Weeknd – vocals, songwriting, production, keyboards, programming
  • Illangelo – songwriting, production, keyboards, programming
  • DaHeala – songwriting, production, keyboards, programming
  • Belly – songwriting

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] 32
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[15] 80
France (SNEP)[16] 80
Greece (IFPI)[17] 52
Italy (FIMI)[18] 91
Lithuania (AGATA)[19] 41
Portugal (AFP)[20] 50
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 34
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 72
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[23] 44
US Billboard Hot 100[24] 32
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] 16
US Rolling Stone Top 100[26] 11

Certifications

Certifications for "Snowchild"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[28] Gold 20,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
Various March 20, 2020
[29]

References

  1. ^ "The Weeknd Reveals 'After Hours' Tracklist". Rap-Up. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Ingvaldsen, Torsten (March 20, 2020). "The Weeknd Is Hosting an 'After Hours' Listening Session on Spotify". Hypebeast. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Weeknd shares new animated visual for 'Snowchild'". Dancing Astronaut. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "After Hours / The Weeknd – Tidal". Tidal. March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  5. ^ @TheWeeknd (July 22, 2020). "snowchild official video in a couple hours. - The Weeknd" (Tweet). Retrieved July 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ @TheWeeknd (July 22, 2020). "SNOWCHILD VIDEO - The Weeknd" (Tweet). Retrieved July 22, 2020 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "The Weeknd Tells His Story In Animated "Snowchild" Video". HotNewHipHop. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "The Weeknd's 'Snowchild' Video Takes A Surreal Trip Down Memory Lane". July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 22, 2020). "The Weeknd Looks Back at Career in Animated 'Snowchild' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Weeknd Traces His Steps From the House of Balloons to Hollywood in 'Snowchild' Music Video". Billboard. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  11. ^ Mahjouri, Shakiel (July 22, 2020). "The Weeknd Goes Anime In 'Snowchild' Music Video". Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "The Weeknd Shares Animated Video for "In Your Eyes" Remix f/ Doja Cat". Complex. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  13. ^ Zellener, Xander (March 30, 2020). "Every Song From The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Is on the Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  14. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  15. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 13. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  16. ^ "The Weeknd – Snowchild" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart (International) Week 12 2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  18. ^ "The Weeknd – Snowchild". Top Digital Download. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "2020 13-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  20. ^ "The Weeknd – Snowchild". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  21. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 13. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  22. ^ "The Weeknd – Snowchild". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  24. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  25. ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  27. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  28. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – The Weeknd – Snowchild" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  29. ^ "Listen to the Weeknd's New Album After Hours". Pitchfork. March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.