The Weeknd releases steamy new single, 'Take My Breath'

A new music era for The Weeknd began on Friday when he dropped the brand new single, "Take My Breath," as well as its psychedelic music video.

The Grammy winner celebrated his new release Thursday, teasing on billboards across the nation that "the dawn is coming." At the stroke of midnight Friday, the message changed to "the dawn is here!"

"Take My Breath" is a frisky departure from The Weeknd's "After Hours" era, as the song explores how far he and his object of affection are willing to go behind closed doors.

"You tell me things you wanna try / I know temptation is the devil in disguise / You risk it all to feel alive, oh yeah / You're offering yourself to me like sacrifice," his falsetto croons in the opening lyrics before delving into the impassioned chorus in which he sings, "Take my breath away / And make it last forever, babe."

As for the music video, it starts with The Weeknd walking away from the rising sun and into a dark nightclub lit by strobe lights. Once inside, he catches the eye of a mysterious woman who gets him hooked on oxygen -- the club's drug of choice -- which causes his surroundings to blur as he's trapped in a state of euphoria.

That high comes crashing down when the mysterious woman wraps her long braids around his neck and chokes him, causing him to black out. He comes to on the dance floor, surrounded by sea of revelers dancing around him.

"Take My Breath" is the likely first track off The Weeknd's fifth studio album, which is untitled and without a release date.