8/10
Known as The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye has been a R&B and pop staple for 15 years. The Weeknd’s earlier albums, the first being 2011’s Trilogy, consistently reflect the addictive and dark world of nightclubs, hard drugs, sex, and toxic love through a moody sound. After getting sober a few years ago, The Weeknd shifted to a more pop sound, continuing to create music under this persona even though it’s not who he currently is.
“The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd. This is something that I have to do,” Tesfaye told W Magazine in a 2023 interview. His sixth studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is reflective of his entire career, as Tesfaye retires his character of The Weeknd to showcase his authentic and current self.
The album’s opener “Wake Me Up,” featuring electronic duo Justice, establishes themes of introspection on The Weeknd’s career and lifestyle. It’s daunting and orchestral, and right off the bat he admits “all I have is my legacy.” The Weeknd knows he cannot continue his life with a persona he no longer aligns with: “Wake me up, come find me / It feels like I’m dying,” he sings as the song progresses into an upbeat anthem.
While The Weeknd told his lover to “save [her] tears for another day” on his 2020 hit “Save Your Tears,” he has gained a new sense of worth. On “Cry For Me,” he now “hope[s] you cry for me like I cry for you.” The track continues the dramatic instrumentals from “Wake Me Up,” making it clear that his sentimental state of mind will persist throughout the album.
“I Can’t F*cking Sing” is a 12-second interlude that the backstage camera crew caught of The Weeknd during a 2022 L.A. concert where he lost his voice. “It’s my fucking voice, okay? / Listen to me, bro, I can’t sing,” he says to his team, the desperation in his voice revealing his raw distress and pain. This show, and letting down his fans, ignited the need for the introspection found throughout this project
On “São Paulo,” The Weeknd experiments with Brazilian funk and vibrant techno. The track was dropped as a single, and it works even better on the album with added cheering from his recent show in São Paulo, making a perfect transition from “I Can’t F*cking Sing” into a fun concert experience. “She’s addicted to the rush / I can never get enough,” he sings, returning to themes of nightlife and drugs that The Weeknd’s past albums are known for.
“Baptized In Fear” is the peak of The Weeknd’s self-reflection on the harm he’s done to himself and others. He sings about drowning in his bathtub as a metaphor for drowning in anxiety as a result of the pain he’s caused those close to him. “I’ve been baptized in fear, my dear / I’ve been the chief of sin,” he confesses with a slow beat behind him, revealing that even though “voices will tell me that I should carry on” as The Weeknd, he can’t handle the drugs or toxic love any longer. Throughout Hurry Up Tomorrow, the artist takes a birds-eye view of his past and demonstrates his mature ability to look at who he and his enhanced persona are.
The transition from “Baptized In Fear” to “Open Hearts” is flawless, carrying the electronic beat along to the next track. The Weeknd shares that the weight of his fame has been dragging him down: “All the silver and gold only made my skin cold.”
“Reflections Laughing” features two other completely different artists, Travis Scott and Florence + The Machine, yet the trio’s vocals complement each other flawlessly. The track opens with faint laughter and a soft melody, making The Weeknd’s message that “I won’t make a sound, [with my] blood on the ground” sound a little less daunting. The phone ring sound from the end of the previous track “Opening Night” continues, with The Weeknd’s lover leaving a voice message to tell him she hears he “didn’t look good.” The Weeknd comes to terms with the cost of the music industry on his happiness and health, as he continues to reflect on the importance of his relationships and sobriety.
“Timeless” is truly timeless: the single featuring Playboi Carti was released in September and is still on Billboard’s Hot 100 list. The track starts with a flawless beat paired with The Weeknd repeating “XO,” the name he calls his loyal fans. Carti kicks off the track with his smooth bars: “Ever since I was a jit knew I was the sh*t,” he confidently raps. The Weeknd’s voice is addicting and the catchy beat makes it impossible to not sing along.
The Weeknd’s tender voice is just as enticing on “Niagara Falls,” which starts with an upbeat techno sound that allows for a balance between energy and sensitivity. He recalls seeing his ex move on and still possesses some of his old toxicity: “‘Cause I know he really loves you / But you’re telling me the next move / ‘Cause in your head, you’re my baby,” he sings. By the last minute of the song, the electric sound slows down, as The Weeknd’s internal conflict of going back to this woman from the past continues to develop.
“Take Me Back To LA” directly contradicts The Weeknd’s song “Escape From LA” on 2020’s After Hours. Though he was once begging to leave, he reminisces on how his life used to be, where “the trophies that I had would still shine.” “Now I have nothing real left / I want my soul,” he continues. The track utilizes punchy drums and a pulsing electronic beat to show how exciting this time in his life was, though he knows it’s time to leave it behind.
The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey, an iconic duo with hits like 2016’s “Stargirl Interlude,” create yet another mystical track with “The Abyss.” The song starts with rapid piano chords and an apocalyptic feel. As The Weeknd is ending this chapter of his life, he parallels it with the world: “Let’s end it all, the world’s not far behind / So what’s the point of stayin’?” As always, Lana Del Rey’s delicate vocals add an angelic touch to the foreboding song and beautifully complement The Weeknd’s distressed voice.
On “Without a Warning,” The Weeknd decides that losing his voice was his body telling him it’s time to move on from The Weeknd persona. Slow drum beats and airy guitar plucks play as he shares that even though “my voice fails,” he demands that “the crowd will scream my name.” After getting booed off the stage when he announced he was unable to sing in L.A., he knows it’s time to end his career, but he plans on doing so on a high note.
That high note comes on the title track “Hurry Up Tomorrow” masterfully encapsulates the entire album. The sound is the project’s most hopeful, with a theatrical melody in spite of defeated lyrics like “Now I’m ready for the end / So burn me with your light.” He is the most raw version of himself on the track, admitting the industry “took a piece of” him and caused him to fall into a dark lifestyle early in his career. “I hope that I find what I’m looking for,” he belts as he retires his beloved stage persona. The outro of the track includes pieces of the melody of his first-ever song, “High For This,” a nod to his past just as he lets it go.
On The Weeknd’s final album, he reflects on the trials and tribulations of his career while opening up like never before. Authentically experimenting with new, diverse sounds, Hurry Up Tomorrow is a beautiful goodbye to this chapter of Tesfaye’s life.
