What does "Party Monster" by The Weeknd" mean?

What does "Party Monster" by The Weeknd mean?

I'm going to give you a peek behind the curtain. This may be the only song explanation you've ever read or ever will read by me, but I want to take a moment to be transparent. I'm sitting on my couch in my living room at 1 in the morning furiously typing out this song meaning explanation. It's two cold in here, and I'm exhausted.

And I'm writing this because I whole-heartedly believe the The Weeknd's music is going to go big and that many people are going to be asking what his songs are about. That's why you're here after all, right?

But here's the thing: "Party Monster"'s meaning is different than many of the other songs I've explained: "Can't Feel My Face," "Starboy," "The Hills," etc. A lot of the time, he'll get solemn in his songs, and he'll get into some deeper meaning-of-life discussion or reverie. Not so with "Party Monster" or "I Feel It Coming" for that matter. I recommend you check out my post explaining "I Feel It Coming," and you'll see what I mean there too.

But I have a theory. I think that the song "Starboy" is a self-aware acknowledgment of his party-boy status, and I think for that to stand he has to release songs like "I Feel It Coming" and "Party Monster" because they represent the party-boy status he was talking about. If he doesn't release these songs, then "Starboy" means nothing, right?

Anyway, enough of my ramblings and theories. Let's let "Party Monster" speak for itself, and you can see what I mean.

"Party Monster"'s Lyrical Meaning

At the most basic level, "Party Monster" is about having sex with a wildly attractive woman (a woman who is possibly in a relationship). This song really cements The Weeknd's life as a "Starboy" as it emphasizes him not even knowing the name of the woman he wakes up next to in the morning. His lifestyle certainly is wild, and as the title predicts, "Party Monster" is going to tell us more about that.

Bridge: Need a Girl

In the bridge, which oddly is the first stanza in "Party Monster," The Weeknd sings, "I'm good, I'm good, I'm great / Know it's been a while, now I'm mixing up the drank." The Weeknd is doing well and enjoying life. The "been a while" may reference sex; he appears to be on the lookout for a possible hookup. To emphasize this, he sings, "I just need a girl who gon' really understand"--a girl who will do sex his way and perhaps one that understands his need to have sex.

Verse 1: Found Her!

It doesn't take The Weeknd long to find a girl. He finds a particularly sexy one who he has "seen . . . get richer on the pole." She pole dances and can hold her alcohol quite well. The Weeknd has seen her "take down that tequila / Down by the liter . . ." After seeing her aggressive and confident  "accomplishments" in these two areas, he realizes, "I knew I had to meet her."

He meets her and sings, "Oh, she mine, oh, girl, bump and grind," as they sexy dance on the dance floor. In describing her, he sings that she has "lips like Angelina [Jolie]" and an "ass shaped like Selena [Quintanilla]." He appreciates her physically, and that's enough for him for now.

The Chorus: And who might you be?

In the chorus, The Weeknd sings, "I'm like, got up, thank the lord for the day / Woke up by a girl, I don't even know her name." After having had sex the night before, he's especially happy and optimistic about life, but it's a lonely optimism. This woman who he shared a night with--he doesn't know her name or much about who she is. But it doesn't matter. he had the sex he wanted, and his life is going well.

Verse 2: The drugs! The boyfriend!

In the second verse of "Party Monster," The Weeknd sings about his drug use: "I've been popping, just took  three in a row." He's popping pills to stay high, and he's ready to have sex again. He sings, "I'm down to do it again, I'm on a roll." But now he's got competition: "I've seen 'em outside tryna reach her." Other men want to be with her; he appears to be in her house and to have seen them passing by or knocking on the door.

But he also finds out that she has a boyfriend. Of course, she tells him that she's "tryna leave him" and that The Weeknd is "the reason." But The Weeknd doesn't believe her. He sings, "Tell me lies," because he knows that this is just a temporary thing. He wants her to say she's his, and he tells her, "I'm yours for the night." This is a temporary arrangement and won't last long. He's okay with that because all he really wants is sex right now. He sings, "Head by genius, dick game be the meanest." Sex matters, and relationship doesn't right now, but he's okay with that.

Verse 3: THIEF!

In the third verse of "Party Monster," The Weeknd refers again to thanking "the lord for the day." He sings again, "Woke up by a girl, I don't even know her name," but he adds, "Bitches in a my new spot, crowdin' up my space / Had to check the safe, check the dresser for my chains." Apparently, this happens after his fling with the original woman. Apparently, there are many women willing to have sex with him, but he can't trust them. He's worried that they're trying to steal from him. Or, perhaps, this woman is the one he's worried about, and he's referring to other women who want to be with him.

Interlude: Paranoid

In the interlude, The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey sing, "Paranoid / Paranoid / Paranoid / But I see something in you." He likes her, but he's conflicted. He doesn't trust her, but there's something different about her, and he may like her in spite of originally only caring about sex with her.

"Party Monster" Deeper Song Lyrics Meaning

It tells a lot about where The Weeknd is at that he's willing to invoke expressions of love like "I'm yours" while simply admitting that he only really wants sex from her. This really is the "Starboy" personality shining through, and it's interesting to see how he deals with it. In the interlude, he hints at there maybe actually being something to the relationship. He sings, "But I see something in you." Maybe there's hope for this relationship to actually be something more than sex. Maybe it can grow and mature.

But The Weeknd doesn't make that clear and leaves us to guess where this "Party Monster" relationship will go.

What do you think about this song and what it means? Be sure to leave your theories and ideas below!