♪ (ragtime music) ♪
- ♪ And I know she'll be... ♪
- Oh, that's my favorite song.
- Oh, I know this song. - ♪ She'll always get the best of me ♪
♪ The worst is yet to come ♪
- I don't know if I know this guy.
- ♪ ...be beautiful and stay forever young ♪
♪ This I know ♪ - Wow.
- (singing along) ♪ This I know ♪
- ♪ She told me, "Don't worry about it" ♪
- I love this song.
- Love it. Beautiful. - ♪ She told me, "Don't worry... ♪
♪ ...no more" ♪ - Man.
- ♪ We both know we can't go... ♪ - He's way up there.
- I don't like his hair but I like the song. (laughs)
- ♪ She told me, "You'll never... ♪ - He can really sing.
- ♪ ...be alone" ♪ - (singing along) ♪ Oh, oh, ooh ♪
- ♪ I can't feel my face when I'm with you ♪ - ♪ I'm with you ♪
- Oh yeah! - ♪ But I love it ♪
- If I had a glass of wine, I'd be dancing.
- ♪ And I know she'll be the death of me ♪
♪ At least we'll both be numb ♪ - This is a very pessimistic song.
- ♪ ...get the best of me ♪
♪ The worst is yet to come ♪ - Oh, I like that lyric.
"She'll get the best of me and the worst is yet to come."
Hallelujah, brother. - ♪ And I know ♪
♪ We both know we can't go without it ♪
♪ She told me you'll never... ♪ - Ooh. You should stop smoking, sir.
- ♪ Oh, oh, ooh ♪ - Ooh, I like this.
♪ I can't feel my face ♪ - Whoa!
(gasps) - ♪ I can't feel my face ♪
- Burn, baby, burn!
- (groans) I don't like that.
- ♪ ...but I love it ♪ - Is he really burning?
- I just hope people know this isn't real.
- ♪ I can't feel my face ♪
♪ But I love it ♪ - Can't feel your face 'cause it's on fire!
- It's really nice. I really, really like it.
It's something different. - ♪ Hey ♪
- Wow-- oh, and then the film melts. Oh, that's great.
- I kinda liked that.
- Good job, young man, good job.
- ♪ Your man on the road ♪
- Uh-oh.
- He likes to be in trouble.
(chuckles) First on fire, now an accident.
- You know, I've never seen this, but I know this song
because my grandkids love this.
- Is that his hair or a hat?
- ♪ Keep on tryin' to hide it ♪
♪ But your friends know ♪ - Oh dear.
- ♪ I only call you... ♪ - What? What? You turned your back on her?
- ♪ ...when it's half past five ♪ - You want to pick up your girl?
- ♪ The only time that I'll be by your... ♪ - Wow.
That voice is just beautiful.
- I like this artist.
- ♪ When I'm [bleep] up, that's the real me ♪ - Oops.
He dropped the F-bomb.
- ♪ I only call you when its half past five ♪
- Ugh, more fire.
- He likes fire.
- I hope he has insurance. (chuckles)
- ♪ ...at your side ♪
♪ I only love it... ♪ - It's got a very haunting melody.
I like that.
- ♪ ...[bleep] up, that's the real me ♪ - It's a little sad, the words, huh?
- Ooh, I like this house.
- I don't know the artist.
And I don't know who produced it, but they both did a damn good job.
- ♪ I only call you when it's half past five ♪ (humming along)
- ♪ I only love it when you touch me, not feel me ♪
♪ When I'm [bleep] up, that's the real me ♪
- A guy with a lot of talent but, once again, the lyrics suck.
♪ (mellow music) ♪
- Oh my goodness.
- Well, who are these people?
- Is that a brothel?
That's the same guy that was in the club.
- Oh, the same guy with the lighter!
♪ (music ends) ♪
- I don't understand, honestly.
- I saw him on one of the award shows,
but I don't know what his name is.
(movie reel clicks)
- (Finebros) All right, so are you familiar with either of those songs
or who the artist is? - No.
- No.
- Not at all.
- Never heard either of the songs before,
and I liked both of 'em.
- Yes.
- I hear it a lot on the radio.
- I think I heard of this guy. He's fairly new.
All of a sudden, he's gotten so popular.
- (Finebros) He goes by the stage name "The Weeknd."
- Okay.
- (Finebros) Why do you think he calls himself "The Weeknd"?
- I have no idea.
- 'Cause that means having fun?
- Flings or passions or ladies are just a weekend thing for him.
- Because it's time to party!
But then look what happens when you party too hard.
- (Finebros) So he has said that he had a bit of a rough upbringing
and that he dropped out of school when he was 17 years old.
- Oh dear.
- (Finebros) And he chose the name "The Weeknd"
because he left one weekend and never came home.
- Oh wow.
- Oh, that's sad.
- (Finebros) What do you think about that,
now seeing how he's made it in music from that upbringing?
- You know, I love to hear success stories.
- It turned out to be a very good weekend.
As hard as it was and as scary as it might have been,
look what's happened.
- It shows you that people can pull themselves up.
It doesn't matter if they've had a tough beginning.
- I don't believe it's true.
He probably made it up or his manager or his agent--
I don't know.
- This guy, to me, has a conscience.
He was gifted with some good moral concepts
and he wants to tell the world.
- (Finebros) And what did you think of the music itself?
- The music is good.
- He's got a nice voice, but it's like...
musically, that's not exactly challenging.
- It kind of made me sad.
It seemed so negative and pessimistic.
- The music was nice. I liked it.
- For some reason, at my age, I like it.
- Yeah, I kind of liked this because it's not
what you're typically hearing nowadays.
- You know what? I think you guys are always
gonna show me some crappy music again,
but the music that I saw just now, I think it's tremendously creative.
I give that guy a lot of credit.
- (Finebros) He often uses vulgar and dark lyrics
about pain and drugs and sex,
but juxtaposes that with very elegant, melodic music.
What do you think about that?
- Well, you said he's still being vulgar.
Just 'cause he slows it down and puts an R & B beat to it,
it's still vulgar.
- It's so nice when you hear really unpleasant lyrics
with unpleasant music.
You go, "Oh, this is awful."
Whereas this, you don't know whether to go, "Oh yeah, I like this,"
or, "Oof, I hate this."
- That could be his creative process.
You think it's gonna be all cutesy and then he comes in with that.
It's pretty much genius.
- We get tired of that sort of up-in-your-face,
real aggressive stuff, you know?
I think maybe you get the message across even better this way.
- (Finebros) So The Weeknd started out getting a following
with tracks he released online himself
and now, years later, both of these songs
went to number one on the charts
and even were in the top five at the same time.
- Wow.
- (Finebros) Something only Elvis, The Beatles,
and a dozen more artists have ever done.
Why do you think this artist has gotten that popular?
- Well, because he's presenting something that appeals to people.
- Anybody coming up from hard times, we kind of root for that.
That's the American dream!
- This guy has been touched by some creative source out there
and he really felt the pulse of what young people wanted to hear.
- Maybe the uniqueness of it?
Maybe the fact that is different?
Maybe, for older people, it evokes memories of something else?
- (Finebros) Do you keep up at all with music of today
compared to when you were younger? - No.
- I really don't.
- No, not at all.
I just have new priorities.
- No. I think it changed probably a lot for me
when I became a parent.
- No, I'm embarrassed.
But I try to be open-minded about things
as opposed to just going, "Oh, I don't like today's music.
It's all so awful."
- I have pondered that many times.
I've thought, "Is it hearing loss?"
Or is it just not what my ear is used to
and I'm being very old-ladyish and won't listen to something new.
But every once in a while, there's somebody that comes--
like this guy-- The Weeknd.
I would buy that CD.
- (Finebros) So last question: now that you've gotten more familiar
with one of the most popular artists in modern music right now,
do you think you would want to listen to more of his work?
- You know what?
Not really.
- I'd like to see him when he cleans up his act.
- If he changes his hair-do. (cracks up)
- I don't think so.
I know all the bad things that are around.
I don't know if I want to sit and listen to music about it.
- Oh, definitely yes.
- Yes. Amazing voice. Beautiful voice.
- I definitely will, especially since you told me
what his background was.
I-- I admire him.
- I'm gonna talk to my grandchildren about this guy and learn more about him.
Very strongly hit me. Very strongly.
This guy may be a young genius.
- Thanks so much for watching another episode of Elders React.
- If you want to know when we have new videos
all you have to do is hit subscribe.
- Help support the show by sending this out to all your friends and family.
I've already seen it, so... (laughs) you don't have to include me.
- May all your weekends be filled with peace and joy and good times.
♪ (ragtime music) ♪