This text was originally posted in Mauerstrassenwetten by u/knutolee. I thought his message was so powerful that I asked him for permission to translate, post (can share chat with Mod if required or check directly with him) and fuck his wife (ok didn’t ask for permission) after and he agreed to all most of this wholeheartedly – like a true Autist. I am trying to catch the message – so don’t expect a word by word translation as you can never catch the greatness of the text in it’s entirety and I got to translate it in a way that even a US degenerate can follow it.
As usual no financial advice, I more or less just copied the text because I liked the text and I like the share. In general I have likely lost more than I won and the stock market is a mystery in itself to me. So make your own due dilligence and don’t trust financial advice of others (the argument for that you can read to a certain extent below).
Autists, Degenerates, Idiocracy of the World – let me get this straight!
In the coming days I don’t wanna see all this whining and bitching on this sub and espescially in the daily GME threads anymore. On every fucking corner of this sub I smell doubt, you read messages the likes of „this is over“, „we missed the squeeze“, „I am going to loose it all“, „entered at 320$ - I am doomed“. What the fuck is wrong with you retards, did you fucking wanker your wifes boyfriend dick all night and lost your mind over the effort to do so? I think I got to get this accross the Buddy Stephens way to get you down to fucking earth and get your attitude right.
1) You come to a sub called wallstreetbets and yolo your hard earned money in $GME
You realize what you are doing here - you true fuck - dont you? This is a community of full blown first class true tits up degenerates which take pleasure in posting losses accumulating into the millions every fucking month and you are putting your money into a BET – yes my dear it is written out in the name of this very fucking sub Wallstreet-B-E-T-S!!! – and follow DD posted by people with names like „SHOW_ME_YOUR_ANAL_TITS“? You realize this is not a fucking Disney ferry „One-Wish-comes-true“ show and we see all day long gain porn and loss porn is something which doesn’t exist in this world? This is a band of true autists which occupied an absolute niche when it comes down to trading (and we even don’t trade stocks normally!). This is the place where one wants to enjoy the sado-masochistic part of the retarded capitalistic system we are living in. Yes we have some (maybe a lot) DD diamonds in this sub which by the way are now impossible to find because you degenerate fucks spam the entire system to the moon but no sane long-term investor would consider to invest into any of these investments – this is about „get rich or die trying!“. This is not investing!
2) Yeah but I saw Reddit in the news and all that stuff about GME and it was going through the roof becasue there is going to be short squeeze and on top of it the hedge funds fucked up, hihihi
If this entire thing was a safe bet why exactly would not the fucking entire world jump on this train? (and even you might get this image from all this „Saudi Arabia calling, China calling, Africa calling posts – but please they invest into BABA, Aramco or I don’t know what’s the hot shit in Lagos stock exchange right now – could be though the next big thing – got to see if I can find a DD on this). So why is this not happening? Because it is a fucking BET – the stock market is a fucking Casino and the major difference between investing and us is that they are always just bet on black or red, while we always go for the magical zero. It is totally unclear whether all of us going to show up at Miami Beach with our Porsche Cayenne or Tesla Model S and hit on the girls (or boys) on the beach! The reasons are layed out to you every fucking day with yet another quality DD that most of us simply dont understand! And yes our chances to already sit on the fucking moon slurping our Pinha Coladas would be certainly higher if everything was going the way we believe the system should be working but even the last person who joined this sub by now should realize – you are potentially fucking with the system itself (by the way something this sub never intentionally wanted and you shouldn’t do if you like the system).
3) Hey but when is the squeeze of the squoze going to happen? 😓
So there is this story going through the media and from Florida to Colorado everybody remotely degenerate is yoloing money into GME. It’s a fucking global movement now (or not – could be also the same 50.000 degenerates cheering up themselves the entire time which would much better fit this place) and according to the DD we just need to have 🙌💎and the shorts a bleeding their panties, their balls feel squozen (and not in a good way) and they are completely in defensive mode. What do you think what people who are responsible for Multi-billion $$$ HF are going to do? How do you think you become a person who is responsible for such an operation? Do you think these guys have served as altar boys or girls in church (no offense if so)? What is wrong with you? Seriously! Do you think if they get some headwind they are going to say: Oh boy – we got defeated and going to realize a multi-fucking-billion-to-the-moon loss? OF COURSE FUCKING NOT! THEY WILL GET EVERY FUCKING BAZOOKA, TANK, ROCKET or INTER-STELLAR DEFENSE SYSTEM IN PLACE TO BRING THIS TO AN END! Influence the market participants (speculation), Short-Laddar attacks (I to this very day haven’t understand the concept or how this works – speculation), demotivational tactics (speculation) and to whomever picks it up – desinformation (well not quite speculation but it could also be that media is just retarded as fuck to get the most simple facts straight). So what would you do with a potential group of 5mn small-size investors – shall we do a collective effort to think about it? Ah fuck it! It is to fucking obvious – you would dry this out through time, divide their interests and drive away their attention. Because let’s be fucking honest – most of you entered this thinking you would hold this wonderful stock for a couple of days (and to be honest in this respect the community how it existed 10 days ago was much more true to itself - no whining just sayin)! Gotcha! Who can tell me who fucked each other two weeks ago in People magazin or on Twitter? Nobody – I even don’t remember shit about this very forum before GME (ok I remember u/variation-separate but that is another story). And all their tactics are completely understandable because there is a fucking huge amount of tendies to be made and they are not that different from us (my fear).
4) That does not give you the fucking right to whine and bitch all the time in the daily threads (and it is not happening already its going to be) and fucking ruin the party
Deal with it – we just got to wait how this thing plays out. That’s it. If we are right – this will play out positively in one or another way (huge tendies or SEC investigating). Let them continue shorting the stock or whatever. If you believe you want to buy more stock – do your DD and do it. When this got picked up a long time ago by people they thought – hmmmm makes sense – I am going to get me one of these tickets to the moon. There was if at all a very little interest to squoze the balls of any HF and it was certainly not the main motivation of this sub. I said it above: Get rich or die tryin! Since last Thursday the whole thing became political and it looks like rules were changed in our disfavour and yeah we can not go back in time but we got to deal with it and the circumstances. [Left out this part as it promotes holding and buying which I don’t want to in the sense that everybody needs to make his own fucking decision but I am going to fucking hold] but WE NEED TO REGAIN OUR POSITIVE SPIRIT which was an essential part of this sub and GME for most part in January (and of course in general before) – no matter how fucked up things looked (individually as there is not such a thing as collective alignment to buy options or stocks on this forum). We will see how the numbers are play out and who provided the adequate picture. In our reality GME is going to the moon and the 🚀 is fueled. Period. We are just prevented from starting because of the windy conditions out there.
So please – no post without 🙌💎🙌💎🙌💎🚀🚀🚀 and if you want to fukn leave the party – leave – but let us continue this party, because we are going to the fkn moon. This is the way and I fkn love GME and if this means I need to hold onto this beauty for another 25 years I am going to do it.
P.S.: One thing dear to my heart - in the past there has been huge donations made by this community to people living with autism. As we use their names every fkn day I would really like to see some of your degenerates not to forget about this cause because we owe them and as much as I like the billboards I’d rather see every $$$ go into charities rather then telling the world about us – I think everybody out there knows by now that we exist and that we have 🙌💎
Edit: Nobody asked for it but 35@231,69 and thanks for the awards which should go to u/knutolee - so you can simply award his original post referenced. More importantly he expressed to me that he is very happy with the translation which is almost as important as the message itself.
Edit 2: Please pay attention to AMA Marc Cuban - https://www.reddit.com/wallstreetbets/comments/lawubt/hey_everyone_its_mark_cuban_jumping_on_to_do_an/ - there is I think some quite enlighting answers in a very easy to understand language.
Edit 3: Bought 5@103
Edit 4: Heading for dinner. Crazy times. Will check later and decide whether to buy more tickets or not. But maybe good advice for some others to make a break. Chillax :)
Edit 5: Read that RH has opened up GME again. For whatever it's worth 🚀
Edit 6: Thanks again for all the Awards and stuff. I can only reload in the morning. Was fun and maybe I am going to translate more in the future - if mods would consider to give me a copy cat 😺 flair it would be the icing on the cake.
Edit 7: Obligatory salute to the one and only DFV and his 💎 balls. This guy will go all the way to the 🚀 with us.

When I turned 18, there was a casino about 2 hours away on a reservation that I could get into. We'd get paid on Friday night, head to the gas station near us that would cash a paycheck, pile into my crappy little Ford, then make the drive. We'd get there a little before midnight and everyone had their own game.
The second time we went, one of my friends was hypnotized by the craps table. There were 16 players standing around this sea of green, and every minute or so, you could hear them screaming at the top of their lungs like they just won a million dollars. On the way home that night, I taught him everything I learned from books I'd read about the different bets. "Smart" bets where the house edge was only 1.4%, all the way down to the risky ones where the house edge was over 10% (meaning that for every $100 wagered, you should expect to lose $10).
The next time we went, we hung around the table, trying to figure out the right way to bet. It seemed a little complicated, so we tried other games. At the end of the night, I had the last $10 and he asked if he could borrow it to go place a bet. I handed it over, then went to the bathroom in preparation for the ride home. When I finally found him again, he had a stack of chips in front of him. He had been gone for about 5 minutes and already turned $10 into a few hundred. Well, if you can turn 10 into 100, you can turn 100 into 1,000 just as easily. We left empty handed that night, but I'll never forget the rush.
I loved blackjack. I learned how to play at an early age from my uncle, who would always cheat and take my money. He'd say "I just taught you a very valuable lesson." He actually taught me two: 1) if you play against a casino, you may have a good night and win thousands of dollars, but if you keep going back, you'll eventually have nothing left. 2) My uncle was a scumbag who continually cheated and took my money, then told the family I was a poor sport and they couldn't understand why I hated doing anything with him. One of my earliest memories at the casino was running $100 at the blackjack table into $3000, which is more than I made in a month of bussing tables. I went home, paid my rent and blew the rest on useless things I can't even remember.
What does any of this have to do with $GME? Well I'm still chasing the same high as I was when I was 18. I don't go to the casino anymore, but I've got something even better on my computer. I bought $2k worth of weeklies on Jan 25. Before everything crashed, they were worth over $100k, more than enough to fix most of the problems I've caused in my life. BUT, I was still standing around that craps table. The roller had just made his 30th point in a row, $GME was on fire and couldn't possibly roll a 7! I put my 2k back in my pocket and shoved the rest on the pass line. A few minutes later, the croupier inevitably yells "7 out!" and just like that, I'm back to nothing.
Now I do what every moron around the table does. You reach back into your pocket, pull out the 2k and make a deal with your maker. "Just let it happen one more time. I won't be greedy THIS time and I'll stop when I hit 50k." I stop looking at the smart bets and start eyeing the center of the table, where hard ways are paying 10:1. Yeah, that'll be how I get back to 50k. A couple of those in a row and I can put a down payment on a house. 5 minutes later, I'm on my way out to the car and I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Again.
Every one of you in this subreddit is another person sitting at the casino. Everyone has their game. The people holding $GME stonks right now? You're playing baccarat. If you've never heard of it, it's what James Bond plays in the old movies. It's about the most boring thing you can do. Two hands are dealt and you're betting on which one wins before anything happens. There's no actual skill and it's the same thing as betting heads or tails, while losing 1% of your bet every time.
The people who cashed out and picked something else like $AMC or $BB? Those are the slot players. You had a big hit and now you're going to switch machines because the other ones are "due". You're looking for the exact same magic, thinking there was something smart in your play, when it was really just dumb luck in timing.
The people saying "If Daddy Elon or Cowboy Cuban gets in, we can trigger a squeeze!" You're the guy who spent too much money in the first 20 minutes of the trip and now you're begging everyone else for a loan.
Tldr: Nothing is happening with $GME. Stop saying "tomorrow is the day." Billionaires are not coming to bail you out. If institutional investors come in, they're waiting for this constant downhill slide to end at where the stock belongs, probably around $20. You can't trigger shit by holding. The HFs will outlast you.
Edit: Screenshots from the worst 40 minutes of my financial life https://imgur.com/a/MlTRJmx
Edit 2: JFC, some of you are takin WSB way too seriously. You should not be using reddit for DD. Also, this is not financial advice. Don't take financial advice from someone who tells you stories about chasing highs at casinos.
Edit 3: This is WSB, my dudes. I'm glad most of you were entertained by my story. For the few of you who got that worked up by a random stranger on the internet telling you that he's a degenerate, you may actually have a problem. https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/

Looking for friends to play with? Join the GTAOnline Discord server!
READ BEFORE YOU MAKE A POST ON /GTAONLINE**:**

• The Rules
• Weekly Simple Question thread
• The Wiki - contact CausticPenguino for suggestions
• Just got the game today? Quick start guide for complete newbies by SanshaXII
• What time do new updates usually come out? Thursdays, 10AM GMT. Click for timezones
• What's in the latest update? Weekly bonuses, events, and discounts
• Received modded money? Spend it, or wait for Rockstar to take it away. AT YOUR OWN RISK
• Received a random monetary gift from Rockstar? No one knows why, just enjoy it!
• Want to post YouTube content? Read this to see what's allowed on /GTAOnline

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Screen Capturing

Platform	Method
PC	https://bit.ly/PcScreenshare
PS4	https://bit.ly/PS4ScreenCapture
XB1	https://bit.ly/XboxCapture

​
​
Solo Public Sessions

Platform	Method
Any	unplug router method
PC	port blocking method - task manager method
PS4	MTU method
XB1	MTU method - NAT method

Making Money

Weekly Money-Making Methods - Updated Weekly!

Any level of experience and money:

• Broke To Millionaire by L131 - Min. Level 1 /

I am a new player with low experience and money:

• Earn m and Level 40 For Brand New Players by u/Prizrak_Peruna - Min. Level 1 /
• Rags to Riches by K2Widowmaker - Min. Level 5 /
• Contact Missions FAQ by bleeps__ - Min. Level 5 /

I am a returning player with decent game experience and money:

• VIP Work by MaeBeWeird - Min. Level 1 /
• Host or participate in Heists - Min. Level 1 / to participate; Min. Level 12 / or own a high-end apartment to host

I'm a millionaire already, just give me a grind:

• CEO Import/Export Vehicle Work by Psychko - Currently most reliable and profitable money grind with high end only method - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Do an I/E sourcing mission, then do VIP work (Headhunter or Sightseer are a breeze with a Buzzard) in the cool down, then do an I/E delivery mission. Rinse and repeat!
• TIP: How to get high end vehicles only
• CEO Crate Work by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Can be done hassle-free in a completely solo public lobby
• If you get a sell mission you don't like, just switch sessions to lose 3 crates and have a chance at a different sell mission type
• VIP "Wave" method for continuous money grinding by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / , requires Buzzard or Savage helicopter
• Money grind for advanced players using Coke, Meth, Counterfeit Cash, and Bunker businesses by u/Tonan

I'm a solo player, how can I maximize my profits?

• Solo CEO and MC Tips by RDS08

Leveling RP

• Be an Associate for a CEO - Min. Level 1 /
• Earn 2000-3000RP per source delivery, 5000RP per sale delivery. Buy 1 crate and sell immediately for maximum RP since the same RP is given whether you source/sell 1 crate or multiple.
• Earn 200-600RP bonuses when you stay near the CEO/VIP's location
• Participate in weekly 2X RP activities - Min. Level 1 /
• Leveling a second character from scratch by Sh-Apeshifter09 - Min. Level 1 / million

Further Money Making Info

• Money Wiki - a quick overview of the various ways to make money.
• Summary of major money making methods by Dreamex - includes Crates, Import/Export, MC businesses, hangars, bunkers
• Special Cargo Business Strategy by MrShyShyGuy
• Comprehensive Guide by TheNathanNS - details on every type of mission or work that earns money, and tips on maximizing your profits
• Money Making Notebook by SanshaXII
• Contact Missions Guide by GlassGoose45 - good for those who are just starting out or can't/don't want to do heists, CEO, or VIP
• CEO Work by MaeBeWeird - quick overview of offices, associates, and crate work
• CEO FAQ by bleeps__ - details on CEO crate work
• CEO Crate Profits Guide by _Caith_Amach - table of profit/crate ratios
• Import/Export Guide by ErregungHaus
• Import/Export Spreadsheet by Beltontx101 - keep track of vehicles you get in I/E missions
• Detailed I/E Guide for each type of sourcing mission by RDS08
• MC Biker Work and Business Guide by ErregungHaus
• MC Business Supply/Profit/Production Chart
• Diamond casino Heist Guide by /iiEco-Ryan3166

What's New? Recent Major Content Updates

• Rockstar Newswire

June 2017 - Gunrunning FAQ by L131
August 2017 - Intro to Smuggler's Run by Psychko

• Smuggler's Run FAQ by L131

December 2017 - Doomsday Heist FAQ
July 2018 - After Hours/Nightclubs FAQ | After Hours Guide by Dan6erbond
July 2019 - Diamond Casino FAQ

• Hidden Playing Cards Locations by u/dingogordy
• Gambling Guide by u/enderpiet
• Inside Track Odds Calculator by u/GarsantFAQs and Popular Topics
• Looking for friends or heist teammates? GTALFH | /HeistTeams | GTAOnline subreddit Discord

Vehicles and Properties

• All Vehicles Guide by Broughy1322
• GTA V Full Vehicles Database by TheSDHotel
• GTA V Full Properties Database by TheSDHotel
• Vehicle Trade Price Unlocks by howellq
• Combat Vehicle Guide by Dan6erbond

Tips and Tricks

• General Tips and Tricks by lBurnsyl and the users of /gtaonline
• General Tips and tricks x2 by what_it_dooo
• Heist Tips and Tricks
• Doomsday Heist Tips and Tricks

Just For Fun

• What to do when you're burned out on GTA Online by iosPixel
• Big list of fun things to do in the game by NextubeGameArena (original Reddit post deleted)
• Wheel of Fortune for stuff to do

Useful Tools

• A new and better: GTA Online Interactive Map, Timers, Import/Export Vehicle warehouse checklist, and guides by u/drafirus
• Business Supply/Stock Manager by u/elcihev_cnuf
• Merryweather All-Purpose Map by Oliqu - Pegasus spawn points, anti-griefer safe locations, weapon spawn points; More info here
• Interactive Property and Business Map by gtaboss_gg
• Event/mission/spawning timer by ErregungHaus
• All 200 Weapon Spawn Locations by smartergaming
• GTA Launcher Troubleshooting by PartyNachos
• Website to prepare your Casino Heist - calculator, training tool, guide... by u/Scorpyo5

If you know a post that should be included in this guide, message the moderators.

How is it going my homies
I made this post on investing a few days ago explaining all of the QAnon fantasies and why the top could already be behind us. Some people listened, processed information and asked questions. Some called me a person working for Melvin and hedge funds.
It’s all in the past, but if you got burned on GME or other meme stocks, here are few things you should learn about the markets and trading these bubbles.

1. Set a price at which you will exit and take profit. Don’t look at what happens next, and never rebuy if the price continues growing. Likewise, set a stop loss at which you will exit no matter what.
   
2. Never, and I mean never put in more than you can afford to lose, or even lose sleep over. I have a pretty decent portfolio, and I only put in 0.5% of it in the play. I don’t give a shit about that money, but I still took profit and got a 250% ROI. Easiest cash I’ve ever made, easier than blowing a fat dude in the back alley behind a strip bar. Anyway.
   
3. If you hear about shit on the news. It’s probably not a good time to enter. There is a reason why some early people made money on the play. They understood mechanics of what was driving the increase in price. Many of them didn’t even expect a short squeeze, they just like the fundamentals. Likewise, if your 80 year old grannie (say hi to her from me) calls you and asks you about this magical company called GameStonk, sell that shit right away.
   
4. Always double and triple check information posted on forums and don’t take it for a truth even if it has a lot of upvotes. The amount of misinformation I saw on WSB over the past week with 100 thousand upvotes makes me want to vomit.
   
5. Stock trading is not a team activity. It’s not us vs them. It’s a fucking free for all, and people will drop their bags on you if they see their unrealized gain turn into an unrealized loss. You want to make money? Do your research, and be the first one on the train. Don’t jump on the train when it is speeding and going off the rails.
   
6. If you don’t understand how something works, learn about it. Again, the amount of conspiracy theories that I read about ladder attacks and this grand illuminati conspiracy is driving me nuts. Always use the Occam’s razor, meaning if there is a simple explanation to the situation, it is probably right. There is no need to build out this conspiracy theory for something you don’t understand, it does not help anyone.
   
7. You will get FOMO and you will get confirmation bias. Everybody does, but learning how to battle it is crucial. Look, my dad was a fucking casino gambler in his 30s playing blackjack and losing money, and I have the same traits. Does it mean I need to be the same? No, and I always remember my genes when trading. It is not an excuse to use when you lose money.
   
8. Realize that situations like this are extremely rare, and if you expect to make 300% gain in 3 days, I have some bad fucking news for you, markets don’t work like this.
   
9. Finance gets complicated real fast. Yes, on the surface it’s just buying and selling. I have been studying this shit for 5 years, and I still don’t know a lot of things. There are reasons why even some of the smartest people still lose money. Shit, Newton was burned on a South Sea bubble. Yes, that guy who discovered gravity lost money just any of us.
   
10. One bad trade does not define you. As long as you learn, and don’t repeat the same shit again, you are golden. There are plenty of ways to make money on the markets, be it value investing, selling options or setting up butterfly spreads.
    

TL;DR: Be smart, not dumb.

Looking for friends to play with? Join the GTAOnline Discord server!
READ BEFORE YOU MAKE A POST ON /GTAONLINE**:**

• The Rules
• Weekly Simple Question thread
• The Wiki - contact CausticPenguino for suggestions
• Just got the game today? Quick start guide for complete newbies by SanshaXII
• What time do new updates usually come out? Thursdays, 10AM GMT. Click for timezones
• What's in the latest update? Weekly bonuses, events, and discounts
• Received modded money? Spend it, or wait for Rockstar to take it away. AT YOUR OWN RISK
• Received a random monetary gift from Rockstar? No one knows why, just enjoy it!
• Want to post YouTube content? Read this to see what's allowed on /GTAOnline

​
Screen Capturing

Platform	Method
PC	https://bit.ly/PcScreenshare
PS4	https://bit.ly/PS4ScreenCapture
XB1	https://bit.ly/XboxCapture

​
​
Solo Public Sessions

Platform	Method
Any	unplug router method
PC	port blocking method - task manager method
PS4	MTU method
XB1	MTU method - NAT method

Making Money

Weekly Money-Making Methods - Updated Weekly!

Any level of experience and money:

• Broke To Millionaire by L131 - Min. Level 1 /

I am a new player with low experience and money:

• Earn m and Level 40 For Brand New Players by u/Prizrak_Peruna - Min. Level 1 /
• Rags to Riches by K2Widowmaker - Min. Level 5 /
• Contact Missions FAQ by bleeps__ - Min. Level 5 /

I am a returning player with decent game experience and money:

• VIP Work by MaeBeWeird - Min. Level 1 /
• Host or participate in Heists - Min. Level 1 / to participate; Min. Level 12 / or own a high-end apartment to host

I'm a millionaire already, just give me a grind:

• CEO Import/Export Vehicle Work by Psychko - Currently most reliable and profitable money grind with high end only method - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Do an I/E sourcing mission, then do VIP work (Headhunter or Sightseer are a breeze with a Buzzard) in the cool down, then do an I/E delivery mission. Rinse and repeat!
• TIP: How to get high end vehicles only
• CEO Crate Work by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Can be done hassle-free in a completely solo public lobby
• If you get a sell mission you don't like, just switch sessions to lose 3 crates and have a chance at a different sell mission type
• VIP "Wave" method for continuous money grinding by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / , requires Buzzard or Savage helicopter
• Money grind for advanced players using Coke, Meth, Counterfeit Cash, and Bunker businesses by u/Tonan

I'm a solo player, how can I maximize my profits?

• Solo CEO and MC Tips by RDS08

Leveling RP

• Be an Associate for a CEO - Min. Level 1 /
• Earn 2000-3000RP per source delivery, 5000RP per sale delivery. Buy 1 crate and sell immediately for maximum RP since the same RP is given whether you source/sell 1 crate or multiple.
• Earn 200-600RP bonuses when you stay near the CEO/VIP's location
• Participate in weekly 2X RP activities - Min. Level 1 /
• Leveling a second character from scratch by Sh-Apeshifter09 - Min. Level 1 / million

Further Money Making Info

• Money Wiki - a quick overview of the various ways to make money.
• Summary of major money making methods by Dreamex - includes Crates, Import/Export, MC businesses, hangars, bunkers
• Special Cargo Business Strategy by MrShyShyGuy
• Comprehensive Guide by TheNathanNS - details on every type of mission or work that earns money, and tips on maximizing your profits
• Money Making Notebook by SanshaXII
• Contact Missions Guide by GlassGoose45 - good for those who are just starting out or can't/don't want to do heists, CEO, or VIP
• CEO Work by MaeBeWeird - quick overview of offices, associates, and crate work
• CEO FAQ by bleeps__ - details on CEO crate work
• CEO Crate Profits Guide by _Caith_Amach - table of profit/crate ratios
• Import/Export Guide by ErregungHaus
• Import/Export Spreadsheet by Beltontx101 - keep track of vehicles you get in I/E missions
• Detailed I/E Guide for each type of sourcing mission by RDS08
• MC Biker Work and Business Guide by ErregungHaus
• MC Business Supply/Profit/Production Chart
• Diamond casino Heist Guide by /iiEco-Ryan3166

What's New? Recent Major Content Updates

• Rockstar Newswire

June 2017 - Gunrunning FAQ by L131
August 2017 - Intro to Smuggler's Run by Psychko

• Smuggler's Run FAQ by L131

December 2017 - Doomsday Heist FAQ
July 2018 - After Hours/Nightclubs FAQ | After Hours Guide by Dan6erbond
July 2019 - Diamond Casino FAQ

• Hidden Playing Cards Locations by u/dingogordy
• Gambling Guide by u/enderpiet
• Inside Track Odds Calculator by u/GarsantFAQs and Popular Topics
• Looking for friends or heist teammates? GTALFH | /HeistTeams | GTAOnline subreddit Discord

Vehicles and Properties

• All Vehicles Guide by Broughy1322
• GTA V Full Vehicles Database by TheSDHotel
• GTA V Full Properties Database by TheSDHotel
• Vehicle Trade Price Unlocks by howellq
• Combat Vehicle Guide by Dan6erbond

Tips and Tricks

• General Tips and Tricks by lBurnsyl and the users of /gtaonline
• General Tips and tricks x2 by what_it_dooo
• Heist Tips and Tricks
• Doomsday Heist Tips and Tricks

Just For Fun

• What to do when you're burned out on GTA Online by iosPixel
• Big list of fun things to do in the game by NextubeGameArena (original Reddit post deleted)
• Wheel of Fortune for stuff to do

Useful Tools

• A new and better: GTA Online Interactive Map, Timers, Import/Export Vehicle warehouse checklist, and guides by u/drafirus
• Business Supply/Stock Manager by u/elcihev_cnuf
• Merryweather All-Purpose Map by Oliqu - Pegasus spawn points, anti-griefer safe locations, weapon spawn points; More info here
• Interactive Property and Business Map by gtaboss_gg
• Event/mission/spawning timer by ErregungHaus
• All 200 Weapon Spawn Locations by smartergaming
• GTA Launcher Troubleshooting by PartyNachos
• Website to prepare your Casino Heist - calculator, training tool, guide... by u/Scorpyo5

If you know a post that should be included in this guide, message the moderators.

Looking for friends to play with? Join the GTAOnline Discord server!
READ BEFORE YOU MAKE A POST ON /GTAONLINE**:**

• The Rules
• Weekly Simple Question thread
• The Wiki - contact CausticPenguino for suggestions
• Just got the game today? Quick start guide for complete newbies by SanshaXII
• What time do new updates usually come out? Thursdays, 10AM GMT. Click for timezones
• What's in the latest update? Weekly bonuses, events, and discounts
• Received modded money? Spend it, or wait for Rockstar to take it away. AT YOUR OWN RISK
• Received a random monetary gift from Rockstar? No one knows why, just enjoy it!
• Want to post YouTube content? Read this to see what's allowed on /GTAOnline

​
Screen Capturing

Platform	Method
PC	https://bit.ly/PcScreenshare
PS4	https://bit.ly/PS4ScreenCapture
XB1	https://bit.ly/XboxCapture

​
​
Solo Public Sessions

Platform	Method
Any	unplug router method
PC	port blocking method - task manager method
PS4	MTU method
XB1	MTU method - NAT method

Making Money

Weekly Money-Making Methods - Updated Weekly!

Any level of experience and money:

• Broke To Millionaire by L131 - Min. Level 1 /

I am a new player with low experience and money:

• Earn m and Level 40 For Brand New Players by u/Prizrak_Peruna - Min. Level 1 /
• Rags to Riches by K2Widowmaker - Min. Level 5 /
• Contact Missions FAQ by bleeps__ - Min. Level 5 /

I am a returning player with decent game experience and money:

• VIP Work by MaeBeWeird - Min. Level 1 /
• Host or participate in Heists - Min. Level 1 / to participate; Min. Level 12 / or own a high-end apartment to host

I'm a millionaire already, just give me a grind:

• CEO Import/Export Vehicle Work by Psychko - Currently most reliable and profitable money grind with high end only method - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Do an I/E sourcing mission, then do VIP work (Headhunter or Sightseer are a breeze with a Buzzard) in the cool down, then do an I/E delivery mission. Rinse and repeat!
• TIP: How to get high end vehicles only
• CEO Crate Work by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Can be done hassle-free in a completely solo public lobby
• If you get a sell mission you don't like, just switch sessions to lose 3 crates and have a chance at a different sell mission type
• VIP "Wave" method for continuous money grinding by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / , requires Buzzard or Savage helicopter
• Money grind for advanced players using Coke, Meth, Counterfeit Cash, and Bunker businesses by u/Tonan

I'm a solo player, how can I maximize my profits?

• Solo CEO and MC Tips by RDS08

Leveling RP

• Be an Associate for a CEO - Min. Level 1 /
• Earn 2000-3000RP per source delivery, 5000RP per sale delivery. Buy 1 crate and sell immediately for maximum RP since the same RP is given whether you source/sell 1 crate or multiple.
• Earn 200-600RP bonuses when you stay near the CEO/VIP's location
• Participate in weekly 2X RP activities - Min. Level 1 /
• Leveling a second character from scratch by Sh-Apeshifter09 - Min. Level 1 / million

Further Money Making Info

• Money Wiki - a quick overview of the various ways to make money.
• Summary of major money making methods by Dreamex - includes Crates, Import/Export, MC businesses, hangars, bunkers
• Special Cargo Business Strategy by MrShyShyGuy
• Comprehensive Guide by TheNathanNS - details on every type of mission or work that earns money, and tips on maximizing your profits
• Money Making Notebook by SanshaXII
• Contact Missions Guide by GlassGoose45 - good for those who are just starting out or can't/don't want to do heists, CEO, or VIP
• CEO Work by MaeBeWeird - quick overview of offices, associates, and crate work
• CEO FAQ by bleeps__ - details on CEO crate work
• CEO Crate Profits Guide by _Caith_Amach - table of profit/crate ratios
• Import/Export Guide by ErregungHaus
• Import/Export Spreadsheet by Beltontx101 - keep track of vehicles you get in I/E missions
• Detailed I/E Guide for each type of sourcing mission by RDS08
• MC Biker Work and Business Guide by ErregungHaus
• MC Business Supply/Profit/Production Chart
• Diamond casino Heist Guide by /iiEco-Ryan3166

What's New? Recent Major Content Updates

• Rockstar Newswire

June 2017 - Gunrunning FAQ by L131
August 2017 - Intro to Smuggler's Run by Psychko

• Smuggler's Run FAQ by L131

December 2017 - Doomsday Heist FAQ
July 2018 - After Hours/Nightclubs FAQ | After Hours Guide by Dan6erbond
July 2019 - Diamond Casino FAQ

• Hidden Playing Cards Locations by u/dingogordy
• Gambling Guide by u/enderpiet
• Inside Track Odds Calculator by u/GarsantFAQs and Popular Topics
• Looking for friends or heist teammates? GTALFH | /HeistTeams | GTAOnline subreddit Discord

Vehicles and Properties

• All Vehicles Guide by Broughy1322
• GTA V Full Vehicles Database by TheSDHotel
• GTA V Full Properties Database by TheSDHotel
• Vehicle Trade Price Unlocks by howellq
• Combat Vehicle Guide by Dan6erbond

Tips and Tricks

• General Tips and Tricks by lBurnsyl and the users of /gtaonline
• General Tips and tricks x2 by what_it_dooo
• Heist Tips and Tricks
• Doomsday Heist Tips and Tricks

Just For Fun

• What to do when you're burned out on GTA Online by iosPixel
• Big list of fun things to do in the game by NextubeGameArena (original Reddit post deleted)
• Wheel of Fortune for stuff to do

Useful Tools

• A new and better: GTA Online Interactive Map, Timers, Import/Export Vehicle warehouse checklist, and guides by u/drafirus
• Business Supply/Stock Manager by u/elcihev_cnuf
• Merryweather All-Purpose Map by Oliqu - Pegasus spawn points, anti-griefer safe locations, weapon spawn points; More info here
• Interactive Property and Business Map by gtaboss_gg
• Event/mission/spawning timer by ErregungHaus
• All 200 Weapon Spawn Locations by smartergaming
• GTA Launcher Troubleshooting by PartyNachos
• Website to prepare your Casino Heist - calculator, training tool, guide... by u/Scorpyo5

If you know a post that should be included in this guide, message the moderators.

Listen up. It's hard for a gay bear to say no to some BB; however, I miss the good quality bear posts and I'm not taking any more of the glittery $BB DD lying down. This post is a critique of positive remarks made about BlackBerry QNX. This is not financial advice. Welcome to the casino.
tl;dr QNX is not high-tech, isn't primed for crazy growth and isn't something that can milk a monopoly position. 🌈🐻
The retards with their bullish DD for $BB are getting off on explaining RTOS, the impenetrable security, the moat of standards, QNX's usage count, the EV & autonomous car revolution, and IVY. All of these points are weak and don't combine to create a strong bundle of sticks.
RTOS Stop throwing around the term RTOS like it's magic. An RTOS is just OS that lets tasks ask to be run within a certain time. Engineering students spin up basic RTOSs in half-semester courses. Sure QNX is going to be vastly more complicated than a student project, but stop throwing around "RTOS" like it's secret tech.
"It's so secure!" Known vulnerability counts of a software can be low for non-flattering reasons: the software is not open-source, no-one cares to hack it, there arn't many features and the software doesn't change fast. I think that the autonomous and EV progress will increase scrutiny of automotive software and we will start to see some QNX bugs. In addition, the pressure on QNX to start adding features faster will also bring some bugs. Random speculation: I bet that there are some zero-day vulnerabilities of QNX known to organizations like the NSA.
"But QNX has a moat! Look at all these safety standards." These safely standards are a shitty moat that will backfire. In general, I think safety standards for software are a joke. Check out this PDF guide to ISO 26262. The standard focus on, among other things, to "use style guides" and "use naming convection" and "restrict coupling between software components". The whole standard seems like a joke.
One illuminating document I found titled "Tesla comments on the cyber security regulation interpretation document" (source) is Tesla making recommendations on how to update the W.29 standards. It has the following passage:

"We believe the current regulations and interpretations extensively consider the context of a traditional OEM "model-year" release rate, but do not factor in the perspective of a company that releases software at a faster rate than once or twice per year - similar to the model used by every other modern internet-connected consumer device. The current regulations and interpretations do not fully consider the overhead introduced to a manufacturer that releases software at a frequent pace. We believe is the direction the entire industry will move in, especially to address security and safety considerations. Any requirement to submit documentation, or wait for approval, for every individual software release will compromise velocity and agility; and works against the goals of a cyber security strategy. The regulation should be designed so it is based on evaluation of the manufacturer's internal processes, appropriate records of activities, and trust between manufacturers and authorities."

Claims that Tesla is having difficulty passing these standards carry truth but are misguided; the standards are archaic and don't fit with modern software development and Tesla is contributing to these standards being rewritten.
"Look at the 175 million vehicles using QNX!" Is this an argument for growth or for a monopoly? An argument for growth shouldn't be "QNX already has a large % market penetration". In comparison, the growth argument for EVs and self-driving cars is that there are hardly any now, and in 30 years most cars will be EVs with self-driving capabilities. If QNX has X% of the market now, I need evidence for why this will grow. Instead, if you are arguing that QNX has a monopoly, this also seems flawed. A quick google finds other companies have automotive platforms, such as GreenHills software which claims also to be "Proven in Hundreds of Millions of Vehicles" and also meets the standards such as ISO 26262.
I'm pretty sure nearly every car released in the last 20 years runs an OS of some sort. It's used to run tasks like like controlling the breaks, turning on your window wipers, lights, sound etc. RTOS is already a fundamental requirement of cars. Saying things like "EVs and self-driving cars means BB to the moon" is like saying we should invest in air bag companies because of strong growth of EVs and self-driving cars.
BlackBerry IVY I don't get how this is huge news. The press release is vague on the details. What actually is BlackBerry contributing here? What does BlackBerry get? 50/50 of what? Amazon wants everyone using AWS and will be happy to make deals to get people onto AWS. My guess is that AWS just needs a partner to figure out a good way to design some good APIs for car data. BlackBerry will be useful to AWS for a few years and then discarded.
Talent Bullish $BB DD doesn't even cover this, and it's probably one of the most important factors. A software companies long term advantage is it's strength to attract top talent. I don't see BB being able to compete in this game at all. I encourage people to check out some of the reviews of BlackBerry QNX on Glassdoor. It seems that most employees enjoy working an QNX but think that the parent company BlackBerry is dragging them down. Poor QNX doesn't even have a separate careers page—you get redirected to BlackBerry's career page which mixes all of their departments together on one page. Furthermore, looking at LinkedIn profiles of current BlackBerry QNX employees shows that the developer workforce is heavy on the old-guard and doesn't seem to have much young top-tier talent. If $BB can moon, maybe it can attract more talent, but currently, I think talent is going to be a serious issue for BlackBerry QNX.
Parting sentiment QNX will either continue to be a low level RTOS that moves your window wipers, or they will be squeezed-out as car companies or companies like Cruise or Deep Scale develop their own low-level OS or use an open-source one. I bought BB in the hype and I think there is a strong case for it being undervalued, but I place a low probability on BB becoming some automotive superstar based on QNX.
Position: I have 160 BB shares.
Edit: emoji Edit 2: links for LinkedIn and Glassdoor. Edit 3: a lot of you retards overlook arguments and base your opinion solely on me getting high on GME. I love wsb and I don’t want it becoming more of an echo chamber. I wrote about BB as I’m familiar with running software companies and the bull DDs for BB are cringe. I know nothing of retail businesses and I definitely worry that this has made me susceptible to one-sided GME hype.

Looking for friends to play with? Join the GTAOnline Discord server!
READ BEFORE YOU MAKE A POST ON /GTAONLINE**:**

• The Rules
• Weekly Simple Question thread
• The Wiki - contact CausticPenguino for suggestions
• Just got the game today? Quick start guide for complete newbies by SanshaXII
• What time do new updates usually come out? Thursdays, 10AM GMT. Click for timezones
• What's in the latest update? Weekly bonuses, events, and discounts
• Received modded money? Spend it, or wait for Rockstar to take it away. AT YOUR OWN RISK
• Received a random monetary gift from Rockstar? No one knows why, just enjoy it!
• Want to post YouTube content? Read this to see what's allowed on /GTAOnline

​
Screen Capturing

Platform	Method
PC	https://bit.ly/PcScreenshare
PS4	https://bit.ly/PS4ScreenCapture
XB1	https://bit.ly/XboxCapture

​
​
Solo Public Sessions

Platform	Method
Any	unplug router method
PC	port blocking method - task manager method
PS4	MTU method
XB1	MTU method - NAT method

Making Money

Weekly Money-Making Methods - Updated Weekly!

Any level of experience and money:

• Broke To Millionaire by L131 - Min. Level 1 /

I am a new player with low experience and money:

• Earn m and Level 40 For Brand New Players by u/Prizrak_Peruna - Min. Level 1 /
• Rags to Riches by K2Widowmaker - Min. Level 5 /
• Contact Missions FAQ by bleeps__ - Min. Level 5 /

I am a returning player with decent game experience and money:

• VIP Work by MaeBeWeird - Min. Level 1 /
• Host or participate in Heists - Min. Level 1 / to participate; Min. Level 12 / or own a high-end apartment to host

I'm a millionaire already, just give me a grind:

• CEO Import/Export Vehicle Work by Psychko - Currently most reliable and profitable money grind with high end only method - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Do an I/E sourcing mission, then do VIP work (Headhunter or Sightseer are a breeze with a Buzzard) in the cool down, then do an I/E delivery mission. Rinse and repeat!
• TIP: How to get high end vehicles only
• CEO Crate Work by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / if you already own a CEO office / if you do not own a CEO office
• Can be done hassle-free in a completely solo public lobby
• If you get a sell mission you don't like, just switch sessions to lose 3 crates and have a chance at a different sell mission type
• VIP "Wave" method for continuous money grinding by Psychko - Min. Level 1 / , requires Buzzard or Savage helicopter
• Money grind for advanced players using Coke, Meth, Counterfeit Cash, and Bunker businesses by u/Tonan

I'm a solo player, how can I maximize my profits?

• Solo CEO and MC Tips by RDS08

Leveling RP

• Be an Associate for a CEO - Min. Level 1 /
• Earn 2000-3000RP per source delivery, 5000RP per sale delivery. Buy 1 crate and sell immediately for maximum RP since the same RP is given whether you source/sell 1 crate or multiple.
• Earn 200-600RP bonuses when you stay near the CEO/VIP's location
• Participate in weekly 2X RP activities - Min. Level 1 /
• Leveling a second character from scratch by Sh-Apeshifter09 - Min. Level 1 / million

Further Money Making Info

• Money Wiki - a quick overview of the various ways to make money.
• Summary of major money making methods by Dreamex - includes Crates, Import/Export, MC businesses, hangars, bunkers
• Special Cargo Business Strategy by MrShyShyGuy
• Comprehensive Guide by TheNathanNS - details on every type of mission or work that earns money, and tips on maximizing your profits
• Money Making Notebook by SanshaXII
• Contact Missions Guide by GlassGoose45 - good for those who are just starting out or can't/don't want to do heists, CEO, or VIP
• CEO Work by MaeBeWeird - quick overview of offices, associates, and crate work
• CEO FAQ by bleeps__ - details on CEO crate work
• CEO Crate Profits Guide by _Caith_Amach - table of profit/crate ratios
• Import/Export Guide by ErregungHaus
• Import/Export Spreadsheet by Beltontx101 - keep track of vehicles you get in I/E missions
• Detailed I/E Guide for each type of sourcing mission by RDS08
• MC Biker Work and Business Guide by ErregungHaus
• MC Business Supply/Profit/Production Chart
• Diamond casino Heist Guide by /iiEco-Ryan3166

What's New? Recent Major Content Updates

• Rockstar Newswire

June 2017 - Gunrunning FAQ by L131
August 2017 - Intro to Smuggler's Run by Psychko

• Smuggler's Run FAQ by L131

December 2017 - Doomsday Heist FAQ
July 2018 - After Hours/Nightclubs FAQ | After Hours Guide by Dan6erbond
July 2019 - Diamond Casino FAQ

• Hidden Playing Cards Locations by u/dingogordy
• Gambling Guide by u/enderpiet
• Inside Track Odds Calculator by u/GarsantFAQs and Popular Topics
• Looking for friends or heist teammates? GTALFH | /HeistTeams | GTAOnline subreddit Discord

Vehicles and Properties

• All Vehicles Guide by Broughy1322
• GTA V Full Vehicles Database by TheSDHotel
• GTA V Full Properties Database by TheSDHotel
• Vehicle Trade Price Unlocks by howellq
• Combat Vehicle Guide by Dan6erbond

Tips and Tricks

• General Tips and Tricks by lBurnsyl and the users of /gtaonline
• General Tips and tricks x2 by what_it_dooo
• Heist Tips and Tricks
• Doomsday Heist Tips and Tricks

Just For Fun

• What to do when you're burned out on GTA Online by iosPixel
• Big list of fun things to do in the game by NextubeGameArena (original Reddit post deleted)
• Wheel of Fortune for stuff to do

Useful Tools

• A new and better: GTA Online Interactive Map, Timers, Import/Export Vehicle warehouse checklist, and guides by u/drafirus
• Business Supply/Stock Manager by u/elcihev_cnuf
• Merryweather All-Purpose Map by Oliqu - Pegasus spawn points, anti-griefer safe locations, weapon spawn points; More info here
• Interactive Property and Business Map by gtaboss_gg
• Event/mission/spawning timer by ErregungHaus
• All 200 Weapon Spawn Locations by smartergaming
• GTA Launcher Troubleshooting by PartyNachos
• Website to prepare your Casino Heist - calculator, training tool, guide... by u/Scorpyo5

If you know a post that should be included in this guide, message the moderators.

Since The Weeknd is performing at the Super Bowl Halftime show, I thought it’d be nice to post a little guide to his discography for anyone interested in looking to do a deep dive into his work. I would’ve posted this the day of the event, but I assume that some people would probably like to go through it over the weekend.
This shares a direct overview of his released material, talking about his career and the background of the music, the videos, the meanings and all. I’ve written this from a pop perspective, keeping in mind that his history might be fairly new for general pop fans.
I also go into the storyline of the red suit character, if your interested in catching up on that narrative before the Halftime show (which will continue the story), I’ve listed the chronological order below followed by an explanation of that narrative.
I wanna be clear that the interpretations/theories are not conclusive. Abel rarely shares the metaphors or meanings behind his music. This is based on widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation. Fans can feel free to expand on anything in the comments.
It is important to know about Abel's backstory to get a certain perspective of where he’s coming from, especially when discussing the songs that deal with substance abuse. These recent articles cover his early years really well and share an up-to-date point of view of his success.
Variety 2020
Billboard 2021 - Also a good source for getting to know his team.
So, an essential TL;DR is this: Abel Tesfaye came from a broken home, he was born to Ethiopian immigrant parents who split up when Tesfaye was less than seven. He then lived with his mother and grandmother, only rarely seeing his father but having a nice impression of him. His drug addiction started as soon as he was a high schooler, he turned to shoplifting to pay for this need of various substances. Soon he dropped out of high school, leaving his home the same weekend, which would later inspire his stage name, The Weeknd. The name is reference/homage to the weekend his life changed.
Quick side note, I didn’t think this post would nearly reach the character limit. So I’ve cut out excess detail and lists of producers (with the exception of After Hours since we’re in that era).
Table of contents

1. XO.
2. House of Balloons.
3. Thursday.
4. Echoes of Silence.
5. Trilogy.
6. Kiss Land.
7. King of the Fall.
8. Beauty Behind The Madness.
9. Starboy.
10. My Dear Melancholy.
11. After Hours.

XO.

XO is the record label that The Weeknd and co. created in order to publish the first mixtape (House of Balloons) and the ones that would follow afterwards. XO has a lot of meanings that have to do with what went into the music and what still goes into it. XO is what the fans call themselves, popularly with the phrase XO Till We OD (shortened to XOTWOD); another way of saying “we’re ride or die for The Weeknd and his team.”
While some argue that it could mean anything since there isn’t clear meaning to it, fans continue to associate the abbreviation with ecstasy (X) and oxycontin (O). That definition stems from XOTWOD, fans assume it’s true because of the team’s history of drug usage. While others take it as it’s classical definition “hugs and kisses” because of the consistent lyrical nature of The Weeknd’s songs.
Overtime the definition of XO is simply known as: the fans, the crew, and the label. The Weeknd is more than just one person, he comes with XO. For the sake of clarity in this writeup, I’m going to refer to his crew as XO and the fans as “the fans.”
XO still serves as a record label, the current roster is The Weeknd, Belly, Nav, and Black Atlass. It remains The Weeknd’s record label and was his first label before becoming a subsidiary of Republic Records.
Throughout his career, The Weeknd has worked with Illangelo, a Canadian producer who’s work the fans adore. Carlo “Illangelo” Montagnese was one of main the producers on The Weeknd’s Trilogy, he’s credited on each track. The fan base claims his work to be some of the most notable artistry in The Weeknd’s discography. Their work together continued with Beauty Behind The Madness, Illangelo worked on seven tracks for that album. He then returned for After Hours working on another seven tracks.
DaHeala, another Canadian producer, is another significant factor in The Weeknd’s music. Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville worked as lead producer on Kiss Land. He returned to work on six tracks for The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness, including the hit Earned It. DaHeala returned as a writer for six of the songs on Starboy. Then DaHeala worked on nine After Hours tracks, and worked as the only producewriter alongside The Weeknd for bonus tracks Missed You and Final Lullaby.

House of Balloons.

Didn't wanna make this NSFW, so here's the super clean edited cover

This is a happy house. We’re happy here. (House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls)

One of the most iconic title tracks of all time. House of Balloons is about a lifestyle of drugs, sex, and partying; all in effort to drown out self-doubt. It comes from a place of wanting to make it big while doing what you can to survive, all while pretending everything’s alright. The mixtape describes various sorts of women, how they’ve had impacted the life of someone who’s already down on his luck.
Fans often refer to House of Balloons as The Weeknd’s best work. The mixtape was the first introduction the world got of XO, and it was one hell of a way to make an impression. It’s personal for the fans and Abel because it’s the only piece of work known to be based on his life. At the end of the day he’s a songwriter, with many of his albums he creates scenarios and world that he likes to explore through the music. But House of Balloons is known to be based entirely on his life. It remains The Weeknd’s most critically acclaimed work.
House of Balloons was crafted through the influences of Hip-Hip/Indie-Rock with the main focus on R&B. Through the genius of Ilangelo, the record was—and is—mesmerizing capturing the essence of a lifestyle that The Weeknd described as “anti-everything.”
House of Balloons assisted The Weeknd in gaining the attention of Republic Records, which would then host The Weeknd’s own label XO. Though hesitant at first, XO decided to partner with Republic after the co-founding brothers Monte and Avery Lipman kept coming back to Toronto solely for The Weeknd.
House of Balloons received three videos, The Knowing, Wicked Games and Twenty Eight. The Knowing was the very first video The Weeknd made, so of course it’d be something other-worldly; it essentially reflects the song itself but in a sci-fi setting. Twenty Eight represents Abel’s life after fame but also his remorse of letting captivating women into his life.
Fun fact— House of Balloons is an actual place in Toronto, it was where him and his crew lived after he dropped out of high school. They’d host parties, call girls, do drugs, and to make it less depressing they’d fill it with balloons.

Thursday.

Valerie on the cover

Welcome to the other side. (Life of the Party)

Thursday consists of the same themes as HoB; sex and drugs. But there’s a twist, he’s in a semi-relationship with this girl Valerie. She’s the only one on his mind, even though they meet only one day of the week, any guesses on what day that could be? Through The Weeknd’s phenomenal voice and the insane production, we’re also presented with this story of a toxic relationship where Valerie used to have the upper hand but she no longer does when she falls for The Weeknd.
While Thursday isn’t entirely about the relationship of The Weeknd and Valerie, it consists of reflections to Abel’s life after the release of House of Balloons. The song Rolling Stone notably has a double meaning, in which Abel asks his fans if they’ll stick with him when he gets mainstream appeal and decides to change his sound.
The track Valerie wasn’t on the original release of Thursday, it added when Trilogy was released. Ending the mixtape with Heaven or Las Vegas meant that The Weeknd’s actions with and without Valerie were a result of his fatherless childhood, making him push anyone away. That meaning behind Thursday doesn’t change when Valerie is added to the track list, it just means that both want the toxic relationship back.
The Zone (feat. Drake) was the first feature The Weeknd had on any of his work, the video for it was released in November of 2012. Rolling Stone had also received a video in October of 2012. Both were directed by The Weeknd and reflect the two different aspects of Thursday. The Zone has Valerie living it up in the House of Balloons. And Rolling Stone has The Weeknd doing a photoshoot for Trilogy, reflective of the song itself.
Fun Fact— the female voice heard in Lonely Star is The Weeknd’s, he pitched his voice to make it sound like a woman’s.

Echoes of Silence.

Diana on the cover

Laisse tomber les filles. Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera. [Leave the girls alone. One day it’ll be you they will leave.] (Montreal)

Out of a dark introductory into the early life of The Weeknd, Echoes of Silence is the darkest work of his Trilogy. Let’s be honest the story here isn’t entirely ethical at times but makes for one hell of a mixtape.
Similar to Thursday, Echoes of Silence follows a storyline. After accumulating success, The Weeknd gains the attention of various women. There was this one woman (D.D.) who he liked but she initially rejected him (Montreal). The woman came back to him for his fame status and evidently fell in love with him (Outside), but now that he’s got the upper hand he treats him like a groupie (XO/The Host) and lets... bad things happen to her; she’s gotta pass a test before she can get with him. This test is either drugs or his crew (Initiation). He ultimately tells this woman that he’s not exactly longterm-relationship material, perhaps because her love is temporary (Same Old Song), because he’s Next. With the end of Echoes of Silence (originally ending on the title track) the listener is left to wonder why The Weeknd left her if he’d simply want her to stay.
As a side note— Initiation should not be condoned. It remains true that The Weeknd is a songwriter and the progression of time has changed perspectives. But a song that makes such suggestions as Initiation should not be ethically/morally claimed or celebrated.
The mixtape follows The Weeknd’s lifestyle after he’s gained all this success, he’s still the same person but now he’s gotten everything he wanted. Some tracks such as The Fall continue to emphasize his journey into stardom and his acceptance of fame being temporary. With the added Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun), The Weeknd acknowledges the changes in his life, realizing that the old lifestyle is no longer there for him or his past lovers.
Echoes of Silence is known as an underrated gem of The Weeknd’s discography, it’s well received by fans and critically acclaimed but often brushed under the rug in discussion of his work. A lot of fans and casual listeners play the mixtapes through Trilogy rather than their respective albums. This often leads to people not playing EoS either at all or only the first few tracks, this is predominantly due to the nature of the compilation being nearly three hours long.
Fun fact— D.D. is a cover of Michael Jackson’s iconic Dirty Diana. Fans have named the woman in Echoes of Silence Diana because of this track. Various theories argue that the mixtape itself is based on the Dirty Diana itself with exaggerations of the truth, or whether or not it’s a story The Weeknd crafted based on the song.

Trilogy.

Rolling Stone video doubled as a shoot

You don’t know what’s in store. (High For This.)

Trilogy is a compilation of The Weeknd’s mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. These three mixtapes were released 3-4 months apart from one another for free digital download in 2011, they gained quite a lot of attention from various industry executives.
Prior to the release of Trilogy, The Weeknd featured on Drake’s Take Care with Crew Love. The song was Abel’s first exposure to a Rap crowd/Rap fans, more people began listening to his music after the release of Take Care. The Weeknd then featured on Wiz Khalifa’s Remember You, which served as the second single off Wiz Khalifa’s O.N.I.F.C. Following those two releases, The Weeknd released Wicked Games as the first single off Trilogy.
Trilogy was formed after The Weeknd came under Republic Records’ management. The compilation album reached a debut/peak position of 4 on the Billboard 200 while reaching number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It’s a well received album with the highlight said to be House of Balloons, which arguably went on to influence various sorts of R&B music of the 2010s.
Videos for Trilogy

Kiss Land.

Iconic

I went from starin' at the same four walls for 21 years. To seein' the whole world in just 12 months. (Kiss Land)

Kiss Land is based on The Weeknd’s tour life. Visiting unfamiliar places gave Abel horror movie vibes. A guy who used to own the city (Toronto) he lived in is now a small fish in the ocean of the entire world. The Weeknd’s first studio album was a great introduction into the sound he would soon get well acquainted with.
While continuing the R&B sound with the essence of Dark Wave, the album explores emptiness and regret throughout the lyrics—or what pop fans could categorize as dark pop—. The Japanese aesthetic used for various videos and the single covers/booklet reflects the themes of feeling overwhelmed by such a loud world that there’s no point in being if you don’t belong.
The album explores the real-world and the women in it as well as regrets regarding past actions, namely letting go of women who could’ve been the one in Adaptation. The Weeknd attempts to find that satisfaction in other women and past lovers, but accidentally falls for a sex worker in Belong To The World. With Wanderlust he accepts and expresses that love in the modern world isn’t entirely possible. While continuing to tour the world he enjoys these new experiences with XO (Live For feat. Drake), as well as the new women in his life (Kiss Land). And when he’s back home, he accepts the loss of the relationship he cherished.
Kiss Land debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was fairly acclaimed but gained a massive cult following. There were four videos for made for the album, the title track, Belong To the World, Live For (feat. Drake), and Pretty. Those four songs received interesting visuals that kept up with their respective themes while Belong To the World/Kiss Land got visuals that matched the aesthetic of the album. To this day fans ask Abel for a part two to the horror-movie-inspired album after he said it’s the only album he would have a sequel for.
Videos for Kiss Land
Fun Fact— The video for Kiss Land on YouTube is an extremely edited version of the actual video shot for the song. The directors cut further explores the erotic-horror themes if the album.

King of the Fall.

King of the Fall 2020 cover (even though I talk about three other songs here)

Driving by the streets we used to walk through like a triumph. (King of the Fall)

These next few song were released between the Kiss Land and Beauty Behind the Madness era. Some fans would classify them as part of the Beauty Behind the Madness era—I’d say the same tbh—but they stand apart on the basis of success and acclaim. It’s a transition between The Weeknd being an underrated R&B musician to being a mainstream artist with massive recognition and appreciation.
The first of these four songs is King of the Fall. A fan favourite and a standout in The Weeknd’s discography. This is one of The Weeknd’s few Rap tracks, it gained a lot of attention within the Rap sphere. It was the way in which XO would announce that they’ve made it, little did they know that this was just the start.
Prior to the release of Beauty Behind the Madness (BBTM), The Weeknd gained mainstream attention. The Weeknd’s exposure to mainstream music was uphill, it wasn’t overnight. The first taste of BBTM came from Often, a song that reflected the themes of sex that Abel was known for. The track was released more than a year before BBTM’s release and had made it onto the trackless unlike King of the Fall. Slowly but surely The Weeknd gained exposure, his main sources of exposure were through a collaboration and a soundtrack.
Most pop fans heard about The Weeknd through his hit collaboration with Ariana Grande, Love Me Harder. The collab was made through Republic when The Weeknd said he wanted more than what he had gotten through Kiss Land. Ariana and Abel had formed a real bond cough The Hills cough, their bond assisted the song in becoming a memorable hit for both artists. Love Me Harder was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Later that year, The Weeknd was featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack with Earned It, as well as Where You Belong. Earned It became a massive hit peaking at 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving an Oscar nomination for The Weeknd; a massive milestone for XO. Earned It kept up with Abel’s signature lyrics but the production differed heavily from the sort of R&B he was known for.
Videos from that era

Beauty Behind the Madness.

I can hear this image

I'm that ***** with the hair singin' 'bout poppin' pills, fuckin' bitches, livin' life so trill. (Tell Your Friends)

Following the success of Love Me Harder and Earned It, the Beauty Behind the Madness era began with The Hills. This was The Weeknd’s first number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with the video, The Hills became an addictive classic. The production and lyrics mirror a mature version of the sound that was originally found on Trilogy. It was truly in keeping with The Weeknd’s character, the only difference was his haircut.
Next came Can’t Feel My Face, a Max Martin production that differed greatly from anything The Weeknd put out in the past. In past songs, Abel had expressed his fear of losing his following if he went mainstream simultaneously asking his fans if they’d stay. He repeats that sentiment in the Can’t Feel My Face video. The sound has changed, the lyrics stay the same but now he’s a pop-star. The song became a hit as it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. With this massive bop previous fans still stayed, The Weeknd becoming a pop singer didn’t at all alter his image or sound; he mastered it.
In The Night and Acquainted were released as singles on the same day, the were the only singles to come after the release of Beauty Behind The Madness. The former received a music video treatment that followed the theme of the song itself while also starring Abel’s girlfriend at the time, Bella Hadid. Acquainted was robbed of a video even though Abel had shown off the fact that a video was in development; the song kept in the tone of The Weeknd’s work prior to BBTM.
Beauty Behind the Madness captures a Hollywood-based reality that The Weeknd came to understand: the dark aspects of your life will continue to follow you wherever you are. Real Life, Losers (feat. Labrinth), Tell Your Friends, Dark Times (feat. Ed Sheeran), and Prisoner (feat. Lana Del Rey) all capture a nihilistic view of a dream achieved.
Most of the videos of Beauty Behind The Madness have a mysterious white man. He’s featured in The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face, and Tell Your Friends. That man represents the devil. Throughout his journey in those videos, (The Hills) Abel runs into the devil after his car crash, (Can’t Feel My Face) he’s at the club then lights him on fire. The significance behind the fire could be selling his soul to the devil, BBTM is about Hollywood and a popular Hollywood myth is that celebrities sell their souls to the devil in exchange for fame. So in the Can’t Feel My Face video, Abel changes his sound to Pop (from R&B) thus leaving his signature sound in order to become famous, everyone starts enjoying his music once he’s sold his soul.
Then we see The Weeknd burying himself in Tell Your Friends, perhaps leaving the old Abel behind after the deal with the devil. However, instead of thanking the devil, Abel takes his revenge and shoots him. But wait, there’s more! The album trailer for BBTM features the devil burning a billboard with The Weeknd’s face on it, revealing Beauty Behind The Madness. HOWEVER, the final cut for the video features the devil being arrested while The Weeknd watches. This is a more realistic form of karma that the devil gets.
Videos for BBTM

Starboy.

Filled with bops

If I could, I'd trade it all, trade it for a halo. And she said that she'll pray for me, I said, "It's too late for me.” (Ordinary Life)

After the massive success of Beauty Behind the Madness, there was a lot of hype around what The Weeknd would do next; evidently he decided to explore Pop. The fandom he had gained wasn’t entirely based in the Pop sphere, his fans consisted of general Rap fans, but Starboy attracted the Pop audience.
Initially, most of his older fans couldn’t get behind Starboy, it differed greatly from the previous sound. It was crazy to think that the guy who made Trilogy managed to make such a Pop-centric album. But this was Abel expressing his versatility.
Since this is where most pop fans found out about Abel’s work and became fans I won’t talk too much about the singles, rather more about the album itself. His work with Daft Punk cemented this album in an efficient mix between Pop and R&B, where Beauty Behind the Madness was more R&B with Pop, Starboy was considered Pop with R&B.
Beyond the genres, Starboy explores two evident themes. One being his life with fame and recognition. The next being his love life in Hollywood, this aspect of the album came from his relationship with Bella Hadid which ended after the release of the album.
The cross became the symbol for that era and appeared in the album’s photoshoot as well as the videos. There was never any conclusive word on the use of the cross but there are various theories about it, something to note is that Abel was raised Christian, it could perhaps be a reflection of his past.
The cross he uses to destroy his accolades (Starboy video) is assisting him rather than something that’s holding him back. Abel’s upbringing was rough but now he’s celebrating it rather than feeling bad for himself. The cross continues to come up in the Party Monster video, this time it’s in the party house he’s making his way through. Then it shows up in the video for Reminder, this time in the form of his merch, the people wearing it are perhaps representative of his fans. Then we see it in the False Alarm video, both Abel and the girl are wearing it; the notable thing being that Abel holds his cross up before dying. Then in the brilliant video for Secrets, after giving up on the girl he’s with he leaves the building to find a giant cross. And finally in the I Feel It Coming video, The Weeknd sports a shiny cross necklace, and Daft Punk find it years and years after Abel froze.
The videos tell us that the cross is an evident piece of his story. This could mean that his past will always be with him, no matter what sort of fame he’s experiencing he’ll always be who he once was.
Also, I’m gonna take this moment to once again the genius that is the Secrets (both the song and the video). Yes it’s my favourite song/video off of Starboy but it’s so underrated.
Videos for Starboy, Secrets video bottom right
Fun Fact— Most demos of the tracks on Starboy weren’t as pop as they became, they started off R&B but became pop after production.

My Dear Melancholy.

Note the comma

They said our love is just a game, I don't care what they say. But I'ma drink the pain away, I'll be back to my old ways. (Privilege)

Oof (but in a good way, this whole thing is a bop). For this one I’m gonna talk extensively about The Weeknd’s relationships, which personally feels really invasive but it’s but it’s essential when talking about these sad boy anthems. Beyond that I’d just like to state that though they are part of the narrative both Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez deserve respect/privacy.
So when it comes to Pop music fans I think it’s safe to say that we all know a lot about this one. My Dear Melancholy (MDM) came after the very public relationship of The Weeknd and Selena Gomez. However it’s not just about Selena, some songs reflect his relationship with Bella Hadid (whom he got back with a month after MDM’s release).
My Dear Melancholy consists with The Weeknd’s exploration/mastery of merging Pop and R&B together. The EP was praised by fans for its lyrics and production, many went on to theorize that it was his most personal project since House of Balloons. The EP was the shortest album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.
My Dear Melancholy and fan conspiracies; name a better duo. The first theory being that the EP is entirely about Selena Gomez which wasn’t too much of a mystery since the lyric “I almost cut a piece of myself for your life” exists. Not only did MDM come after Abel’s relationship with Selena Gomez but also after his relationship with Bella Hadid. As far as fans were aware those two relationships were the most important relationships Abel had ever been in.
In theory, the songs about Bella and Selena can be categorized. Call Out My Name, Try Me, and Privilege are likely about Selena. Wasted Times, and Hurt You are likely about Bella. Leaving I Was Never There to act as an introspective look into The Weeknd’s life, basically making him hop back on his vices for comfort.
Another popular theory was that My Dear Melancholy was the first of another trilogy. This rumour was widely believed due to the comma at the end of the title on the album cover. But the fans soon gained a real reason to believe this theory, since the CEO of XO (the record label), Sal had liked an Instagram post that featured the cover and alleged date. Since Trilogy is a fan favourite this conspiracy spread like wild fire, so much so that fake titles and covers were made. The name of this trilogy would be: (1)My Dear Melancholy, (2)We’re Alone Together, (3)Abel.
Only one song served as a single for the EP. Call Out My Name was released nearly two months prior to the actual release of the album, it debuted/peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The mysterious video captures The Weeknd in various atmospheric places that reflect the tone of the EP, a haunting yet unexplained reality that the listener is to reflect on.
From the cover, to the music, to the video, to lyrics, My Dear Melancholy is an introspective reflection of heartbreak.
Call out my name video

After Hours.

Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, etc.

My darkest hours. (After Hours)

After Hours comes after success but references two lows in The Weeknd’s life. The album welcomes darkness and leads the listener towards a dead-end. The Weeknd’s past two albums (Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy) ended on hopeful notes, they left the listener with a sense of hope but all hope his lost with After Hours.
Fans compare After Hours to House of Balloons—a rare occurrence considering House of Balloons’ acclaim—arguing that both albums are on the same level. Debate continues on whether or not both albums are on the same caliber. The belief that After Hours stems from reality does a lot to help its side of the argument.
The era began with Mercedes-Benz commercial that featured Blinding Lights, that was our first taste of the everlasting bop. Heartless was premiered on an episode of Memento Mori hours before its release on the 27 of November (2019), Blinding Lights was released two days later. Both videos were as brain melting as promised and the served as the tip of the iceberg.
After Hours was released nine days after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there was a massive risk in releasing an album that would not have a lot of promotion after it’s release (other than magazine coverage). There was no telling whether or not people would pay attention to the album during the height of the fear surrounding the pandemic, but it was a massive success. After Hours debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with singles Heartless and Blinding Lights topping the Billboard Hot 100.
The album is layered with haunting productions that remains predominantly R&B but dives deep into Pop with some of the tracks. Max Martin produced the massive hit Blinding Lights as well as In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears, Hardest to Love, and Scared to Live which samples Elton John’s Your Song. Other notable producers include Metro Boomin who worked on the hit Heartless as well as Escape from LA, Faith, and Until I Bleed Out. With Kevin Parker on the interlude Repeat After Me.
Beyond the production are the narrative driven lyrics. In theory the album references two significant events in Abel’s life, his second breakup with Bella Hadid and his arrest in Las Vegas. The latter was due to his misbehaviour; in January 2015 he punched a cop in Vegas, lmao. Which means that After Hours is a recollection of The Weeknd’s first few years in LA. He merges the concept of his breakup with the idea of being an upcoming star, feeling free in the city of lights all while diving deep into the meaninglessness of those lights.
While After Hours starts with loneliness and a second chance it leads up to Abel returning to his vices of lust. In Alone Again his loneliness caught up to him and he’s asking for a second chance. He acknowledges his mistakes and situation in Too Late/Hardest to Love, in Scared to Live his ex then returns to him for a second time. He remembers his past ways in Snowchild and the way in which it lead to better days, but where do you go after such highs? In Escape From LA he faces the superficial reality of Hollywood, glad that he got that he got back with his ex, while continuing to question if it’s worth it. But he fucks up the second chance when she pulls up to the studio.
Who is she? Much like the other mysteries surrounding The Weeknd’s music, we may never know. Is it all more of The Weeknd’s songwriting ability or is it driven by reality? Fans found a merge between the two to be more accurate, After Hours is about heartbreak and a return to the vices that held The Weeknd back.
Heartless is when The Weeknd is once again back to his ways, he may have been in a serious relationship but after throwing that away he spirals back to the way he once was. It’s sad but it’s one hell of a song. Speaking of brilliant songs, Faith is when Abel admits that he’s back on his vices, he states that he needs his ex back with him till the end; he’s back to self-loathing.
So when he says he’s blinded by the lights, there’s two meanings to it. The Faith outro tells us that he’s in a car with flashing lights, a cop car (as confirmed by Abel) to be exact. Then Blinding Lights tells us that while he’s watching the bright lights of Vegas pass him by he calls out for the girl that he regrets losing. That is the peak of the After Hours narrative. He’s behaving badly over the loss of the girl he loved and is now at the worst position trying to find her and gain her trust for a third time.
Following Blinding Lights is In Your Eyes, this is where The Weeknd vows not to judge her; he can see right through her but will never do anything to make her upset. Does this mean their back together? Not exactly. Save Your Tears details a sort of moving-on that The Weeknd isn’t ready for but tries to help her move on, blind to his own inability to move on. Does it work? Not really. Repeat After Me (Interlude) shows that he’s still trying to convince himself that he’s unfazed by the loss of a meaningful relationship.
Then you hear a true masterpiece. The title track is a spiral into true regret and an apology for his actions, he admits that his ex girlfriend is the only reason he lives. In a dark lonely city she’s the only one keeping him sane. But his pleas fail, Until I Bleed Out is when The Weeknd no longer wants her in his life so much so that he wants to erase his memory of anything related to her. The bonus tracks then echo the final sentiment.
It’s one sad ass album, ain’t it. But here’s where the Red Suit Character comes in.
Shoutout to the makeup department
The album isn’t the only narrative to follow with After Hours. The videos for the album follow their own sort of narrative. The story follows an unnamed guy that goes by “red suit character” according to The Weeknd.
There’s a lot of confusion and endless theories surrounding this character’s story, after The Weeknd confirmed that it’s about a decent into Hollywood culture it makes more sense… kind of. I’m gonna discuss the storyline without talking about the movies that have influenced it, this way the focus remains on the character.
The order of these videos is Heartless / Blinding Lights / Blinding Lights (Live on Kimmel)* / After Hours short film / In Your Eyes / Until I Bleed Out / Snowchild / Too Late / Live at AMAs* / Save Your Tears
*Though all live performances could count as part of the narrative, these one relate directly with the videos that follow.
He’s is first seen in Vegas with Metro Boomin (Heartless), intoxicated on various substances. He dives deeper into his high until he licks a frog, after that he faces the true effects of this high. He’s frightened by the result and runs far away from Vegas. (Blinding Lights) He’s then found in LA, where he’s dancing in the street, hypnotized by the singer, beat up by guards, and races past all those bright lights in his Benz. Ultimately realizing the shallowness of the Los Angeles fantasy.
(Blinding Lights Live on Kimmel) We then find him performing Blinding Lights live, while he attempts to find more reason in within the madness city; he couldn’t find it on the streets so he goes to the stage. (After Hours short film) Even then there’s no meaning to anything in the city, he mindlessly wanders into the depth of the subway where he’s dragged by the reality of it all and ends up possessed. (In Your Eyes) After being possessed he chases the woman whose boyfriend he just murdered, she runs into a club falls deeper into the After Hours fantasy, in a successful attempt to defend herself she beheads the red suit character and dances all over LA with his head, iconic behaviour.
(Until I Bleed Out) Then in an ethereal dreamscape, red suit character finds himself in a House of Balloons. He’s trying to escape, but the people there keep pulling him in; he’s getting higher while observing Glass Table Girls. He spirals into the antarctic, the other side of the world. From Heatless to this point in his story, his vices lead him back to the lowest point in Abel’s life. Is it Hell, Heaven or Las Vegas? (Snowchild) He relives his career up until the point where his story began. Considering he’s dead, his life basically flashed before his eyes.
(Too Late) LA girls find the red suit character’s head and live their best life. They wanna have sex with him so they find the best boy parts by calling up a stripper who could be the body. The stitch the head up with the body and do what they want. But now he’s brought back to life. (Live at AMAs) He’s had work done… He went in to get his nose fixed and the doctor said “you sure that’s all you want?” The red suit character’s face is healing while he tries to celebrate his life on top of a bridge.
(Save Your Tears) Surrounded by a masked cult he debut’s his new face. Do they like it? Are they impressed? Not instantly, their masks translate no expression so how’s he to know? Is any of this worth it? Nope red suit character continues to die inside. He finds a maskless girl in the crowd, she’s lively unlike the rest; but even then, nothing on the inside nothing on the outside. He wants death again, somehow a second chance with this city is still pointless. He tries to kill himself via the girl and himself but it’s all a facade; theatrics.
His story continues but that’s all we know so far.
The videos make a lot of film references. This post by explain these references very well, as well as past album references here (part one) and here (part two).
After Hours is inspired by a lot of movies, since Abel is in fact a cinephile. The main movies that inspired the aesthetic and storytelling are believed to be Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Casino (1995), Joker (2019), Uncut Gems (2020), and After Hours (1985). The album tells two sad narratives but remains one of The Weeknd’s best works yet. He’s expanded his videography and enhanced the interest of people who casually enjoy his music and of course his fans.
But the era isn’t over, by the time this is posted his Super Bowl Halftime show is yet to happen. And it’ll continue the red suit character’s story.
Videos for After Hours (so far)
Fun Fact—The Heartless video features a reference to Thursday. When he’s trying to run from Vegas, a sign behind him flashes “Heartless / Heaven or Las Vegas.” This could be a reference to Abel running from his past, after all Heartless is about him returning to his vices.

END.

Thank you for reading this, again, I didn’t realize it would end up being this long. But I hope this this served as a nice refresher for any fans who wanted to revisit Abel’s work before the Super Bowl.
And I really hope that anyone interested in getting into his music finds this helpful. Once again, the theories/interpretations mentioned aren’t conclusive, they’re widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation.
Due to the character limit I couldn’t add too links to the albums, so here are some artist links.
Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | The Weeknd’s Shop | Tidal | Genius

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