Although Portishead's Geoff Barrow isn't too happy with Abel Tesfaye of THE WEEKND (we'll get to that), we're not complaining, as we're really quite digging his new track 'Belong To The World'.
A bunch of punchy sounds build up towards a wobbly beat that is brought to life by the end of each bar. This reoccurring motif is actually sampled from Portishead's 'Machine Gun'.
Corresponding with this particular element are the expressive vocals of Tesfaye, leading an array of backing vocal samples and synths that really become vibrant during the chorus of 'Belong To The World'.
So why is this track bothering Mr. Barrow? Well Tesfaye pulled a jerk move on the trip-hop outfit after asking to sample the group's 2008 track 'Machine Gun'. Regardless of Portishead politely refusing permission, Tesfaye decided he'd use the content anyway, completely disrespecting the band's wishes.
As you can imagine, this has upset the band, making them feel used. So much so that the Portishead member has directly and publicly tweeted The Weeknd in response to the new track,
"When someone asks to sample you and you refuse they should have the respect as a fellow artist to not use it."
Definitely due to lose the respect of fans, 'Belong To The World' is here to stay, and is to supposedly feature on The Weeknd's forthcoming album Kiss Land.
Words by Hannah Galvin.
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