The Weeknd has released the bloody, action-packed video for his latest Starboy single "False Alarm." The R&B star teased the single with a spooky, skull-laden "movie poster" on his Twitter with a "parental advisory" warning.
Ilya Naishuller — the director behind first-person cyber-action film Hardcore Henry — directed the video. The clip plays out like a first-person shooter game with the camera showing the perspective of one bank robber during the climax of a violent hostage situation. The robber and his crew have murdered most of their hostages and take off with one girl they've handcuffed and placed in their van. A high-speed, explosive chase ensues until the final two surviving robbers make it into a second truck with the girl.
After one robber loses the money while trying to toss it from one van to another, his accomplice attempts to kill him until the girl saves the mysterious robber. After the van crashes, he insists that the girl run to safety and reveals himself to be the Weeknd. The final shot is of him looking in a mirror as he points the gun to his chin as the cops draw closer.
The Weeknd premiered "False Alarm" just before appearing on the Saturday Night Live season opener as the musical guest. He performed the song and his upcoming album's title track on the show, which was hosted by Margot Robbie. That same weekend, the singer was scheduled to appear at New York City's Meadows Festival but cancelled just before his performance.
Starboy, the follow-up album to last year's mainstream breakthrough Beauty Behind the Madness, will be released on November 25th.