"A Lonely Night" is a post-disco inspired electro-funk song with a prominent staccato bassline and a drum beat reminiscent of that used on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". It is composed in a G Minor. Lyrically, the song is a warning against a woman getting too attached in a relationship. Where he states "There’s nothing between us". Making connections to the album's reoccurring theme of teetering on the verge of greatness but being held back by loneliness and the need for a relationship.
Critical reception
The song was met with positive reviews from critics, with many complimenting The Weeknd's throwback sound inspired by Michael Jackson. Kirsten Spruch from baeblemusic.com named it "Song of the Day" on November 29, 2016, saying that "The bubbly synth-basses and catchy chorus make for a song you can't not dance to."
Chart performance
Like the rest of the tracks from Starboy, "A Lonely Night" charted on the US BillboardHot 100, reaching number 69. The song also charted and peaked at number 40 on the Canadian Hot 100. Despite not being released as a single, the song managed to chart within the Canadian Hot AC Airplay chart, peaking at number 45 and charting for three weeks.
In 2019, three British songwriters: Williams "Billy" Smith, Brian Clover and Scott McCulloch sued The Weeknd and Belly for copyright infringement. They claimed that the 2016 Starboy track was a blatant copy of their 2004 song "I Need to Love". The songwriters demanded an unspecified amount of damages, alongside $150,000 per infringement and forensic accounting to figure out how much they felt they were owed. During the trial, The Weeknd was represented by UK law firmRussels. The copyright case was later won by The Weeknd after a ruling by the Central District Court of California. The Smith, Clover, McCulloch v. The Weeknd infringement lawsuit was the second one against a track from The Weeknd's third studio album.
Covers
singer-songwriter Giselle Bellas released a cover of "A Lonely Night" as a part of her "Guerrilla Covers" (a term she coined that refers to covers she releases within 24 to 48 hours after the original artists' release. Taking a completely different take on the song, Giselle lends her haunted sound to the track, turning into an anthem rock record. Despite crediting The Weeknd, her cover was removed from Youtube by Republic on grounds of "copyright infringement". It now only exists on Soundcloud, where it has garnered tens of thousands of streams.
