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About

Genius Annotation

Abel finds himself in a first-person narrative exploring the subject of romance with a female (possibly a prostitute or stripper), knowing that it will fail in the end. Despite having awareness of this, he dives into the interaction because he needs confidence.

“Wicked Games” was The Weeknd’s first single released to radio, and hit platinum in 2013. Many fans refer to this track as the first song they heard by the Toronto native.

In June of 2015, “Wicked Games” was featured on the soundtrack to the boxing film Southpaw.

An orchestral cover by Ramin Djawadi (of Game of Thrones fame) of the song was featured in “The Mother of Exiles”, the 4th episode in the 3rd season of the HBO series Westworld) which was released on 5th March 2020.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What certifications did this track receive?
Genius Answer

“Wicked Games” was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA on January 30, 2019.

Credits
Produced By
Performance Rights
Instrumentation
Video Director
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Mixing Engineer
Recording Engineer
Recorded At
Site Sound Studios, Toronto, ON
Release Date
March 5, 2011
Wicked Games Live Performances
View Wicked Games samples
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