The Weeknd Shares Lil Baby Collab “False Idols” and “Like a God” Ahead of ‘The Idol’ Finale

The HBO series was originally teased as spanning six episodes but will ultimately wrap its debut season one episode shy of that length. It's not yet clear whether the show will return for more.

June 30, 2023

the weeknd in a reflection — Image via Eddy Chen/HBO

Ahead of the debut of the fifth and final (for now) episode of The Idol, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye has rolled out even more new music centered around his and Sam Levinson’s HBO series.

On Friday, fans were given the new tracks “Like a God” and “False Idols.” Both include co-production from Mike Dean, while the latter sees Lil Baby and Suzanna Son (another Idol star) as featured guests.

Hear both below.

While The Idol was indeed first teased as being a six-episode experience, it was recently confirmed that it would wrap after just five episodes. No official release was given for the change, though it notably follows prior reports alleging creative upheaval behind the scenes.

The series was also recently the subject of premature claims of not being renewed for another season. HBO was quick to quash any such talk, saying no call has been made.

"It is being misreported that a decision on a second season of The Idol has been determined," HBO said in a tweeted statement. "It has not, and we look forward to sharing the next episode with you Sunday night."

The latest Idol tracks arrive after news earlier this week that The Weeknd was among the nearly 400 artist and execs who had been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other invitees include Keke Palmer, Paul Mescal, Ke Huy Quan, and Taylor Swift.