The Weeknd has described how having his song “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” in Avatar: The Way of Water is “a full-circle moment.”
The Canadian singer told The Hollywood Reporter how he first saw Avatar in 2009 during what was “probably the darkest time of my life.”
He recalled: “I was homeless, pretty much. I had dropped out of school. I didn’t know if I was going to succeed as a musician. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to live to see tomorrow. And I remember I somehow got to see the film in theatres. I don’t know how I got in. It was such an escape from my real life that the film is tattooed in my brain.
“It feels kismet and it’s a full-circle moment for me to be a part of something like this, because it is such an important film for me.”
The Weeknd’s contribution to the film was shortlisted for a Best Original Song nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. (His chat with The Hollywood Reporter comes just days before Academy members begin voting on which five of the 15 shortlisted songs will be nominated.)
If "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength") earns a nomination – we’ll find out on Jan. 24 – it will be The Weeknd’s second. (He was nominated in 2016 for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey.)
“I feel honoured to be part of that list,” the singer said. “Any kind of recognition for it feels like a blessing.” He added “it’d be great” to get nominated again “but I’m just happy that I got to be part of such a historic film.”