Hit Singer Devotes Lyrics and Screentime to Several High-End Cars in Video for “Starboy”
When The Weeknd’s song “Starboy” first came out, it was easy to listen to. The beat is infectious. The piano in the background contrasts pleasantly with the electronic sounds. Once we actually paid attention to the lyrics, “Starboy” became even more of an earworm.
True, there is a lot of anger and one-upmanship in the song. Those aren’t the lyrics we’re talking about, though. We’re talking about the ones that made our exhaust-note-loving ears perk up. If you haven’t listened to “Starboy,” click play on the video below. The Weeknd mentions a lot of luxury and exotic cars in it, and even shows a few.
For instance, in his quest to mentally tear down his enemy and put them in “the worst mood”, The Weeknd brags, “P1 cleaner than your church shoes.” He quickly follows that up with “All red Lamb just to tease you.”
Which Lamb, exactly?
The almighty Aventador SV Roadster. Look for it in the metal at the 3:11 mark. That’s also when The Weeknd mentions a “Star Trek roof in the Wraith of Kahn.” We take that to mean a Rolls-Royce Wraith with the Starlight Headliner modified by Kahn Design.
He mentions Bentley, too. Apparently, The Weeknd enjoys “bumpin’ New Edition” in a blue Bentley Mulsanne, which is parked next to his immaculate McLaren P1. Out of all the cars he mentions, the mega Mac is the one he drives off in…with a black puma riding shotgun.
We don’t get that last part, either, but what we do know is that The Weeknd has respectable taste in automobiles: a manic hybrid hypercar, an outrageous droptop demon, a custom coupe, a large and powerful super sedan, and even a “brand new wagon” for his mom. We’d like to think it’s a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
