The Weeknd continued his After Hours music video series—one where he has played a character injured and in bandages, serving partly as a message against drunk driving—with his “Save Your Tears” video. In the new video, The Weeknd’s bandages are off—and the results of his character’s plastic surgery are visible. There’s heavy symbolism packed into the four-minute music video, with a woman bearing a strong resemblance to his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez appearing at one point.
She is the only person in the music video besides The Weeknd not wearing a mask. His character brings her up on stage with him; he has a gun behind his back, the lights go out, and suddenly it’s in her hands, against his head, but she doesn’t want to shoot. Some fans have interpreted it as a message about heartbreak not destroying The Weeknd. Later in the video, The Weeknd extends the point to critics and the industry, symbolized by the masked audience, not destroying him either. He points a gun to his head, shoots in front of them, and confetti comes out. They applaud.
