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TL;DR:

  • The Weeknd felt “Earned It” had a certain effect on fans.
  • He said the song changed his self-perception.
  • “Earned It” became a massive hit in the United States.
The Weeknd performing songs at the Super Bowl
The Weeknd | Mike Ehrmann / Staff

The Weeknd‘s “Earned It” helped the singer become a star. The Weeknd revealed how the song typified his music. Subsequently, he revealed how the song gave him self-confidence.

The Weeknd said 1 of his albums was ‘rushed’ even though he was proud of it

According to a 2015 interview with Time, The Weeknd doesn’t like all of his songs. “I just felt like I was selling myself short,” he said. “The last album [2013’s Kiss Land] was rushed. Even though I’m proud of it, I didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted, but it was a great learning experience.”

The Weeknd felt his next album, Beauty Behind the Madness, was a different story. “I took my time with my new album,” he revealed. “I learned, I studied and I delivered. I want the world to hear my music and see the movement my fans and I have created.”

The Weeknd said “Earned It” was a milestone in his career. “I was arousing people’s curiosity,” he said. “I think the game is changing with songs like ‘Earned It’ as opposed to it changing me because ‘Earned It’ was very important. It was slow, it was sexy and it was smooth — all traits in my music.”

How The Weeknd’s ‘Earned It’ helped him to gain the confidence to work with major producers

The Weeknd revealed how the song gave him confidence. “‘Earned It’ made people believe that I was my own hitmaker, and we’re seeing that again now with ‘The Hills,'” he said. “It made me feel confident in myself before I started connecting with the monster hitmakers.”

The Weeknd went on to work with Max Martin, who is known for creating hit songs for Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift, Adele, and many other singers. The “Starboy” singer didn’t initially gel with Martin, but they subsequently formed a strong working relationship. Martin went on to make songs with The Weeknd such as “Save Your Tears” and “Blinding Lights.”

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How ‘Earned It’ and ‘The Hills’ performed on the charts in the United States

“Earned It” became a big hit in the United States. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed on the chart for 43 weeks. 

The singer’s follow-up single, “The Hills,” became an even bigger hit. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six of its 48 weeks on the chart. The Weeknd released “Earned It” and “The Hills” on the album Beauty Behind the Madness. For three of its 291 weeks on the Billboard 200, the album topped the chart.

“Earned It” became a massive hit and an important moment in the career of one of the biggest stars of the past decade.

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