The Weeknd is taking this whole “new year, new me” thing quite literally. Just days into 2021, the singer has debuted a frightening look in his latest music video, “Save Your Tears,” which is sure to incite nightmares that will last longer than my New Year’s resolutions.

His scarred and swollen look is freakishly real, thanks to the complex prosthetics work led by Mike Marino of Prosthetic Renaissance, the company behind the uncanny makeup design in projects like Coming 2 America, Heidi Klum’s many Halloween costumes, and The Undoing. (Remember how Elena Alves looked at the end of that crime scene?)

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The brand is also behind The Weeknd’s recent prosthetics looks, including the fake black eye and scars he wore in his “Blinding Lights” music video with Rosalía and his bandaged appearance at the American Music Awards.

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The bruised aesthetic is part of the artist’s current era of music, aligning with his 2020 album, After Hours. The LP was infamously snubbed from the 2021 Grammy Award nominations despite being one of the most popular releases of the year. The Weeknd responded by calling the Recording Academy “corrupt” shortly after the nominees were announced, but appears to wink at the controversy again in his “Save Your Tears” video when he throws a gold trophy off the stage.

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Possible Easter egg aside, The Weeknd is fully committed to the dark visuals, channeling the Joker as he menacingly teases the audience with a confetti gun. You can watch the full video above, and if you need a reminder of what The Weeknd actually looks like, see below.

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