The Weeknd Wanders Through Purgatory in ‘Baptized in Fear’ Music Video

The Weeknd unveiled the eerie music video for Hurry Up Tomorrow album cut “Baptized in Fear” on Friday (June 6).

In the cinematic clip, the R&B crooner sits alone in a desolate row of church pews as he sings, “I fell asleep in the tub, I was met with paralysis/ My foot hit the faucet, water started flowin’ in/ Couldn’t scream for help, I just slowly felt the pressure hit/ Moving one toe was the only form of motion left/ Can’t breathe for air, can’t breathe.”

From there, the artist born Abel Tesfaye watches in wonder as his hand is slowly engulfed in a liquid marble akin to the soulless statues that populate the visual before wandering out into the equally empty grounds of the churchyard, which, according to a release, represents the singer’s “battle with inner demons, a purgatory that he must endure, fighting for rebirth.”

Though not released as an official single like “Timeless,” “São Paulo” and “Cry for Me,” “Baptized in Fear” has become a fan-favorite highlight of The Weekend’s latest No. 1 LP, which he previously billed as his final album under his famous moniker, but has since noted that it may be a “rebirth” instead. Billboard ranked the track among the best on Hurry Up Tomorrow upon the project’s January release, calling the cut both “dark and morbid” and “The Weeknd at peak form.”

The surprise video for “Baptized in Fear” also follows the theatrical release of Hurry Up Tomorrow, the full-length psychological thriller directed by Trey Edward Shults that serves as a companion piece to the album.

Watch The Weeknd’s new music video for “Baptized in Fear” below.