The Weeknd's New Song Is All About His Breakups With Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez

The Weeknd's After Hours came out Thursday night, giving fans a very personal look into the singer's psyche and thoughts on love. And while many of the songs seem to be about one former partner The Weeknd has been on-off with—likely Bella Hadid, who he has dated on-and-off since April 2015—"Save Your Tears" touches on the impact both Hadid and a second ex, seemingly his second most recent girlfriend, Selena Gomez, had on him.

"Save Your Tears" captures The Weeknd's longing for Hadid after seeing her out and his regrets over breaking her heart. This run-in was likely the one reported in tabloids last summer: The two stars ran into each other at Catch One nightclub following their breakup in August 2019. Hadid reportedly left minutes after The Weeknd arrived.

The Weeknd acknowledges that Hadid's refusal to give The Weeknd her attention is probably because he hurt her the way another ex—likely Gomez, who he sang extensively about in his last EP My Dear Melancholy—did to him. ("I broke your heart like someone did to mine / And now you won't love me for a second time.")

This isn't the only song on The Weeknd's new album that addresses his intense relationship with Hadid. In "Scared to Live," the singer wishes Hadid the best and offers his prayers that the model learns to live and love again.

Here, the lyrics to "Save Your Tears," via Genius, with the possible real-life allusions to Hadid and Gomez highlighted. You can listen to the song below.

Intro:
Ooh
Na na, yeah

Verse 1:
I saw you dancing in a crowded room
You look so happy when I'm not with you
But then you saw me, caught you by surprise
A single teardrop falling from your eye

Fans on Genius pointed out that The Weeknd may be singing about the run-in he had with Hadid at Catch One nightclub in August 2019. TMZ reported that Hadid left the nightclub just minutes after The Weeknd walked into it. Earlier that month, most outlets reported that Hadid and The Weeknd had broken up, so their split was recent. It wasn't reported what happened inside or whether The Weeknd and Hadid had any contact. The Weeknd's lyrics seemingly fill in the blank.

Refrain:
I don't know why I run away
I'll make you cry when I run away

Verse 2:
You could've asked me why I broke your heart
You could've told me that you fell apart
But you walked past me like I wasn't there
And just pretended like you didn't care

TMZ reports that night that Hadid was with friends and allegedly arrived "in great spirits." At the time, a source told E! that The Weeknd was working on new music—so this run-in influencing one of his tracks isn't surprising. "They are in different places right now, physically and mentally," E!'s source said in early August. "Bella is prepping for her fashion week commitments and Abel is working on his music and his upcoming acting debut."

Refrain:
I don't know why I run away
I'll make you cry when I run away

Chorus:
Take me back 'cause I wanna stay
Save your tears for another
Save your tears for another day
Save your tears for another day

Hadid and The Weeknd, according to reports, weren't exactly over each other then or the hope their relationship could work in the future. E!'s source said in early August that "they hope to get back together at one point but for now are focusing on themselves and their projects."

Verse 3:
So, I made you think that I would always stay
I said some things that I should never say
Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine
And now you won't love me for a second time

The Weeknd sang extensively about his Selena Gomez heartbreak in his last record My Dear Melancholy. The Weeknd and Gomez dated from January 2017 to October 2017. Gomez started dating Justin Bieber again shortly after. The Weeknd was first seen spending time at Hadid's apartment in November 2017, although they didn't fully start dating again until the next spring.

Refrain:
I don't know why I run away, oh, girl
Said I'll make you cry when I run away

Chorus:
Girl, take me back 'cause I wanna stay
Save your tears for another
I realize that I'm much too late
And you deserve someone better
Save your tears for another day (Ooh, yeah)
Save your tears for another day (Yeah)

Refrain:
I don't know why I run away
I'll make you cry when I run away

Chorus:
Save your tears for another day, ooh, girl (Ah)
I said save your tears for another day (Ah)

Outro:
Save your tears for another day (Ah)
Save your tears for another day (Ah)

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here