"Sacrifice" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter

the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

. It was released on January 7, 2022, through XO and

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

, alongside his fifth studio album, ''

Dawn FM ''Dawn FM'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on January 7, 2022, by XO and Republic Records. The album contains guest appearances by Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, and Swedish House Mafia and ...

'', as that album's second single. The song was written by the Weeknd,

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic known professional ...

Oscar Holter Oscar Thomas Holter (born 26 February 1986) is a Swedish record producer and songwriter based in the United States. He is best known for his work with record producer and fellow Swede Max Martin and Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd on the ...

, Carl Nordström and

Swedish House Mafia Swedish House Mafia (SHM) are a Swedish house music, house Supergroup (music), supergroup consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. The group officially formed in late 2008, were placed at number ten on the ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 D ...

; with Kevin McCord receiving songwriting credits for the sampling of the 1981 track "I Want to Thank You", performed by

Alicia Myers Alicia Myers (born November 20, 1957) is an American R&B musician. Beginning her music career with the band Al Hudson & the Soul Partners, who later evolved into One Way, Myers went on to a moderately successful solo career in the early 1980s, ...

. Production was handled by the Weeknd, Martin, Holter, Swedish House Mafia and Carl Nordström.

Background and promotion

At the end of the Weeknd's music video for ''Dawn FM'''s lead single "

Take My Breath "Take My Breath" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 6, 2021, through XO and Republic Records, as the lead single from his fifth studio album, ''Dawn FM'' (2022). The song was written and produced by ...

", a snippet of "Sacrifice" is heard. It was released alongside its parent album on January 7, 2022, and was sent to American

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

stations on January 11 as the second single from the album. In 2022, "Sacrifice" served as the official theme song for WWE's

WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was a 2022 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturda ...

, marking the third straight year in a row that a Weeknd song served as the theme song for the annual event. It is also the first song from the Dawn FM album to be used as a WrestleMania theme.

Lyrics and composition

"Sacrifice" has been described by music critics as a

post-disco Post-disco is a term and genre to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1986, imprecisely beginning with the backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to civil unrest and a riot in Chicago known as the Dis ...

and electro track that details the Weeknd's

hedonistic Hedonism is a family of philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is the theory that all human behavior is motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. As a form of egoism, it suggests that peopl ...

lifestyle.

Critical reception

Critics noted "Sacrifice" as being a standout track from the album, with the Weeknd's vocals and production being highlighted. Mankaprr Conteh from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' compared the Weeknd's performance on the song to that of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's on his 1983 single "

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album ''Thriller (album), Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 9, 1983, by Ep ...

" and his 1979 single "

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. Written by Jackson and released by Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album, ''Off the Wall'' (1979). Ad ...

", putting emphasis on the similar sounding vocal melodies and guitar riffs. Heran Mamo of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' agreed, adding that the song is "the closest thing to a Michael Jackson record in the 21st century," claiming that it "resurrects the period-appropriate disco-funk". Mary Siroky in her review for ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...

'' highlighted that the song "is more of the irresistible fare for which The Weeknd has become known", praising his "wavy vocals" that "sound right at home here" and the production for being "bouncy and bright, making 'Sacrifice' stand out in an album packed with earworms." The song won the

Juno Award for Single of the Year Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods * ''Juno'' (film), the 2007 film Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, a character in the book ''Juno of ...

at the

Juno Awards of 2023 The Juno Awards of 2023 was a music awards ceremony that was held on 13 March 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.Take My Breath "Take My Breath" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 6, 2021, through XO and Republic Records, as the lead single from his fifth studio album, ''Dawn FM'' (2022). The song was written and produced by ...

". It begins with the Weeknd, who is dazed and confused, being brought towards a theoretical light at the end of a tunnel; while a snippet of ''Dawn FM'''s title track, featuring narration by actor

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...

, is played in the background. He then wakes up out of breath as a result of the events that occurred in the "

" music video. As he tries to catch his breath, he is abducted by a hooded

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

and tied to a wheel-like contraption to be used for a

human sacrifice Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease deity, gods, a human ruler, public or jurisdictional demands for justice by capital punishment, an authoritative/prie ...

. As the cult members gather around him, a veiled female figure in a red cloak appears and takes his soul away. A series of

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

-hued visuals,

strobe light A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...

ing and dance numbers are then showcased. The Weeknd is then seen singing into a microphone while holding the stand with metal gauntlets. As the sacrifice continues, his hands become horrifically scarred, with the red-cloaked female having stolen his youth. The Weeknd is then seen giving his own variation of

's foot shuffle before the cult members disperse and The Weeknd tumbles out in a fading shot.

Credits and personnel

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

– vocals, songwriting, production, programming, keyboards *

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
AllMusic known professional ...

– songwriting, production, programming, keyboards *

– production ** Axel Hedfors – songwriting **

Steve Angello Steven Patrik Josefsson Fragogiannis (; born 22 November 1982), known professionally as Steve Angello, is a Greek–Swedish DJ, record producer, remixer and record label owner. He is a member of Swedish House Mafia, together with Axwell and Seba ...

– songwriting **

Sebastian Ingrosso Sebastian Carmine Ingrosso (born 20 April 1983) is a Swedish DJ and record producer. He is a member of Swedish House Mafia, together with Axwell and Steve Angello. Career 1999–2007: Career beginnings Sebastian Ingrosso entered the music indu ...

– songwriting * Carl Nordström – songwriting * Kevin Duane McCord – songwriting *

Serban Ghenea Serban Ghenea () is a Canadian audio engineer and mixer. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award a total of 45 times and has won 21 times. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Romania, and in 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. H ...

– mixing * John Hanes – mix engineering * Dave Kutch – mastering * Kevin Peterson – assistant mixing * Shin Kamiyama – engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2022 singles 2022 songs Republic Records singles Songs written by the Weeknd The Weeknd songs Songs written by Axwell Songs written by Sebastian Ingrosso Songs written by Steve Angello Song recordings produced by the Weeknd Song recordings produced by Max Martin Songs written by Oneohtrix Point Never Post-disco songs Electro songs Juno Award for Single of the Year singles