Timbaland Compares The Weeknd’s New Album To Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ & He’s Dead Serious

Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty

Music production master Timbaland is really feeling The Weeknd’s new album Dawn FM a little bit too much after dropping this scorching hot take.

Timbaland was out here in these innanet streets proclaiming The Weeknd’s new album is comparable to arguably the best pop album of all time and indeed the best-selling album of any genre—Michael Jackson’s Thriller. (OK, technically, the Eagles’ greatest hits album surpassed Thriller in sales in 2018, but since that album was released in1976, which is six years before MJ’s 1982 classic dropped, I’m still giving the King of Pop his crown.)

#Timbaland compares the new #TheWeeknd album to Thriller pic.twitter.com/hRM547GeyU

— Respectful Rap (@Respectful_Rap) January 7, 2022

“This album different, yo. This shit right here, this on some Thriller sh**,” the Verzus co-creator said in a video originally posted to his Instagram story, according to Rap-Up. “Trust me when I tell you. And the way he dropped this shit—yo, congrats. This sh** is amazing!”

Now, to be completely fair, the words “this on some Thriller sh**” aren’t necessarily synonymous with the words “this album is as good as Thriller,” but the general consensus from the fine folks on Twitter seems to be that The Weeknd doesn’t belong in the same paragraph as Michael Jackson and in comparing Dawn FM to Thriller, Timbaland has lost his mamma-say-mamma-sa-mama-coo-mind.

No way in hell. It will never reach the level of thriller. Never reach it in visuals, iconic style, singing ability, content, album sales, or worldwide insanity like thriller. No one will remember the Weeknds album 30 or 40 yrs down the road, still breaking records like Thriller. pic.twitter.com/qYxBp7Zd8A

— tina (@Loves_TheLord2) January 8, 2022

Now, to be clear, a lot of commenters did agree that The Weeknd gave us some quality, flower-deserving work—they just weren’t here for the BAD take…for the Off The Wall exaggerations…for the Dangerous musical opinion from a man who just Wanna Be Startin’ Something. (OK, I’ll stop…so y’all can Remember The Time Timbaland was tripping.)

Is it very great though??? I mean Thriller is the BEST SELLING ALBUM IN MUSIC HISTORY!!! Please lets stop disrespecting Mike! Timbaland u def outta pocket

— JAKE MCFLY (@JAKEMCFLY) January 9, 2022

People seemed to think Timbaland was just overhyping the project for the most part.

I’m sure @Timbaland is part of the marketing strategy of the weekends album if not paid to say such things. Nobody comes out and makes a short video about an album unless it’s part of a strategy to create hype.

— DJ Hushpuppy (@DJHushpuppy) January 9, 2022

And the diehard Michael Jackson fans (*waves arms furiously*) simply weren’t having it.

The disrespect towards Michael J and his work always pisses me off. How you are going to take an album and an artist, which most recent discography is inspired by the king himself and say he’s on that level when his copying someone else? SMH the wknd ain’t good enough, ya wish

— RXY (@CaribbeanRoseee) January 9, 2022

Now, obviously, Timbaland can always respond to naysayers on Twitter who adamantly disagree with him by playing the “Which one of you music geniuses of four Grammy’s?” card, but that won’t change those music fans’ sentiment that he needs to Beat It with the blasphemy. (OK, that was the last one.)

You can peep more reactions to Timbo talking recklessly in the gallery below.

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Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty