Format Digital download Length 3:50 | Genre Dance-punk Label XO
Republic | |
Released September 29, 2016 (2016-09-29) Recorded 2016 At Gang Studio, Paris | ||
"False Alarm" is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd, released as a promotional single from his third album Starboy on September 29, 2016.
Contents
Background and composition
After the release of the title track on September 22, 2016 following the release of Starboy's artwork and title the day earlier, "False Alarm" was released as a promotional single on September 29, 2016. The song lyrically revolves around drugs, unromantic relationships and materialism.
Music video
The music video was released on October 13, 2016 and documents a bank robbery through a first person perspective. The video was directed by Ilya Naishuller, who also directed Hardcore Henry, a 2016 film filmed entirely in a first person perspective. It also stars Norwegian model Kristine Frøseth as a hostage. Due to the graphic violence in the video, a disclaimer was put in the opening, warning that explicit content could advise viewer discretion.
The video begins with the heist underway, with the robbers loading money into bags while the police start to show up outside. The team heads to the back exit to escape, taking a young woman hostage in the process. At the exit, they engage the police outside and one of robbers is killed. A white van shows up, ramming through the police cars and the team loads all the money and the hostage into the van. While the team is boarding the van, another one of them gets shot and dies in the van. The team takes out two police cars before another one of them is killed by a policeman on a motorcycle. The main character takes out the bike and another van shows up, forcing the team to throw the money into the other van, losing one of the bags in the process. The hostage is also thrown into the other van, which infuriates one of the robbers. As the driver of the first van is about to board the second van with a bag of money in hand, the van crashes into a parked car and explodes. The two remaining robbers get into a fight, and as the main character is about to get shot, the hostage grabs a gun and shoots the other robber. This enables the main character to retaliate and kill him. The hostage then gestures to the front of the van, where it's revealed that the driver is dead and a truck is barreling towards them. The main character shields the hostage with his body as the van crashes and the screen cuts to black. The next scene is after the crash, with the van lying upside down in a ditch. Both the hostage and the main character have survived, but there's a large piece of glass lodged in his stomach. She crawls towards him and he gives her the keys to her handcuffs to free herself. As she gets close, he reaches out and cups her face, but she grabs a bag of money from behind him and starts to climb out of the van. He lifts a gun to shoot her but hesitates, and she leaves. With police sirens getting louder, he holds up the cross necklace around his neck and examines it. He then looks in a rear view mirror and it reveals that he is The Weeknd. He then puts the gun to his chin, and a gunshot is heard as the screen cuts to black.
Live performances
Both "False Alarm" and the title track "Starboy" were performed on the season 42 premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 1.
Appearances in other media
"False Alarm" was the official theme song of WWE's 2016 Survivor Series event.