Abel Tesfaye is a pop star who has been rising in popularity since 2010 who began his career when he uploaded multiple songs to YouTube anonymously using the name “The Weeknd.” He dropped his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, Jan. 31, a week after the original release date. The 22-track album has the same electric and powerful beats as some of his previous albums like After Hours. The central theme of this album dives into the hardships of constantly being in the spotlight, and the loneliness that comes with it, as well as struggling with addiction and mental health.
The Weeknd started his music career with his self-released album House of Balloons in 2011. His name only grew after the release of Beauty Behind the Madness in 2015. Fans recognize him for his retro beats and alternative R&B trap music style.
The third track of his new album, “I Can’t Fucking Sing,” is a 12-second intro-like song that blends into the next song, “São Paulo (feat. Anitta).” This referenced his performance of “Alone Again” at the SoFi Stadium when he had to stop his performance due to his voice continuing to crack. Though the track has an interesting history behind it, to anyone who is unaware, it’s unnecessary and too short.
In the melodious ninth track, “Reflections Laughing (feat. Travis Scott, Florence + The Machine),” The Weeknd talks about people moving on from him. “When they take my crown, if they take my crown.” The song later plays a voice memo from Chxrry22 an up and coming R&B artist, where she says, “I just hope you’re not back to the old you”, and, “I’m just worried you worked so hard to be better,” referencing drug and alcohol problems with sounds of pill bottles shaking in the background.
The 13th track, the single “Timeless (feat Playboi Carti),” is The Weeknd’s top hit with over 500 million streams on Spotify. Originally dropped Sept. 27 and known for its cauchy and retro beat, the song has a meaning that greatly contrasts with the rest of the track. It expresses the confidence The Weeknd has in his music and career, with lines like, “Ever since I was a jit, knew I was the sh*t,” and, “It don’t matter what they say, I’m timeless, yeah.”
Track 16, “Big Sleep,” is one of the Weeknd’s more experimental songs, with a slower pace and an almost eerie feeling due to continuous glitches, as well as the ethereal feeling continuous throughout his work.
The last song, track 22 “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” unlike the rest of the album, is more of a soothing song, with a different theme than the rest. Instead of dwelling on what has happened he is looking forward, “I’ll accept that it’s the end”. He phrases this song as if it’s a confession when saying, “Hope this confession is enough” and “No, I need Heaven after life”, before the song ends with the beat fading out into silence.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is lengthy and one of The Weekend’s most experimental albums due to the different range of styles used while still embodying the same energy as his previous albums. As expected this album did not disappoint, especially some of the earlier released singles, and the other mainstream features, earning it four and a half out of five feathers.
