Upon a first listen, The Weeknd’s new album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” sounds familiar. Upon a second, it’s a farewell and goodbye to the persona of The Weeknd, paired with a beautiful reflection of his career, the decisions he made and the tolls it took on his health. Either way, the Weeknd outperforms in his newest album which came out Saturday.
Nearly every song in “Hurry Up Tomorrow” ties back to death and the world fading away, as the album starts and ends with it. On the first track “Wake Up For Me” he sings of everything slowly fading to black as the beat slows. He becomes revitalized midway through with energy asking someone to, “wake (him) up (and) come find (him),” because, “It feels like (he’s) dying.”
The rest of the songs throughout the album are also consistent with this theme. He references dying in a bathtub in “Baptized In Fea” begging the crowd to mourn him when he dies in “Enjoy The Show” and comments about a fading world in “The Abyss” In “Reflections Laughing,” there’s even a recording of Chxrry22claiming The Weeknd, “didn't look good,” and begs him not to, “let this industry break you, baby, don't let them take you from me.”
The messages of most of the songs are heavily nihilistic and read like a futile goodbye. In a 2023 interview with W Magazine, Abel Tesfaye, the man behind The Weeknd, states his desire to kill off his persona.
“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music … but I still want to kill The Weeknd,” Tesfaye said.
While it’s easy to say this album is a goodbye, it also reflects his career through his mistakes and his suffering. After spending the album detailing the ways fame hurt him, from drug overdose to the feeling of being trapped in glass, he wraps up the album with the title song “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” where he begs for forgiveness and admits to wanting to change his ways.
“I'm done with the lies, I'm done with the loss/I hope this confession is enough,” he sings.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow" is The Weeknd’s final album of a trilogy including “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.” The songs in the album are relatively similar and give off the same sounds most have come to expect, with each track composed mainly of synth-pop and R&B. However, most of the 22 songs were similar in sound and difficult to tell apart.
Some songs switch up the status quo. His second most streamed track on the album, “São Paulo” featuring Anitta, brings Brazilian Funk with its Portuguese lyrics. The most streamed album track, “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti, leans heavier into rap.
The Weeknd’s use of featured artists was utilized fantastically, with each collaborative piece enhancing the overall song. The standout track was Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd’s song “The Abyss.” The two have been collaborating as far back as 2015, working on the songs “Prisoner,” “Lust for Life” and “Stargirl Interlude.” The recent release is as good as their previous projects, with the transition into Lana Del Rey’s verse being well worth it.
The album also features artists such as Travis Scott, Florence + the Machine FutureJustice and Giorgio Moroder, all of which sound fantastic.
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” branches outside of just music, as the album will be followed by a movie in May 2025. The film is set to be directed by Trey Edward Shultz and stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
The promise of a future film questions how Abel Tesfaye plans on continuing the legacy of The Weeknd following the death of the persona. There’s a possibility of Tesfaye moving down a more family-oriented path, as he sings out to his child in the song “Red Terror
“I eventually want a family … I want children,” Tesfaye said in aninterviewwith People Magazine.
“I rocked you to sleep … hush, my child, you're mine,” he sang in the track “Red Terror.”
