The Weeknd bids farewell to his alias of almost 14 years with Hurry Up Tomorrow, his highly anticipated final album under the name that made him a global icon. Released on Jan. 31, Hurry Up Tomorrow concludes the trilogy that began with After Hours and continued with Dawn FM.
Abel Tesfaye, his full name and stage name going forward, has compiled an impressive catalog over various genres since exploding onto the scene with his debut mixtape House of Balloons in 2011. With four Grammy Awards and the best performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history with “Blinding Lights,” Tesfaye has become one of the most prominent artists of the 21st century. Hurry Up Tomorrow arrives to officially solidify that.
The two singles that preceded the album made waves in their own right. “São Paulo,” featuring Anitta, set a record for the biggest debut of a Brazilian funk song on Spotify, and “Timeless,” featuring Playboi Carti, debuted at No. 1 on the R&B Digital Song Sales chart.
The introductory song, “Wake Me Up,” opens with a gradually building synthesizer and Tesfaye cooing behind it until the beat finally breaks into catchy electropop around the two-minute mark. His all-engaging voice continues to stun on the chorus, where he boasts the song’s title as the beat spikes.
“Wake me up, come find me / It feels like I’m dying / Wake me up, these demons / Keep creeping, don’t fear ’em / Wake me up,” Tesfaye sings.
These haunting lines, paired with the energetic beat, exemplify that Tesfaye can excel in both the R&B aspects of his work as well as the pop aspects—showcasing his talents in music overall.
Tesfaye’s genre-bending doesn’t end there. He thrives on working with artists from different corners of music to achieve perfection, which is evident in the singles for the album. Other heavy hitter features on the album are Travis Scott, Future, and Lana Del Rey.
“Reflections Laughing” garners gospel vocals and a phone call transition to Scott’s laid-back, autotuned flow, while “Enjoy The Show” has Future holding down the middle portion of the soul-sampled track. Del Rey stops by on “The Abyss” to sing melodically alongside Tesfaye on the synthesizer-backed outro. No matter what type of song—R&B, hip-hop, pop—Tesfaye will show up, no matter who’s beside him.
Regardless of the constant genre changing, this album still feels complete and doesn’t seem off track at any point. Hurry Up Tomorrow reflects on the nature of love set against the backdrop of a world falling into chaos, and Tesfaye is there to offer existential advice.
One of the other standout tracks that fits perfectly into Tesfaye’s R&B, alternative pocket is “Given Up On Me,” which, with a 5:54 runtime, flaunts both his creative ability to tell a story and his gorgeous vocals.
“Why won’t you let me go? / Why won’t you let me leave? / I give it up on me, yeah / I think I’m in too deep,” Tesfaye sings.
Capturing the track’s haunting narrative of self-destruction and toxic attachment, Tesfaye acknowledges his downfall and how something still ropes him back in. Tesfaye paints a picture of someone trapped in a cycle of addiction and emotional dependence, desperate to escape yet unable to break free.
The final, titular track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” emphasizes the album’s themes and closes it elegantly. Tesfaye’s ethereal, zen-induced first verse leaves the listener floating in his voice.
“Wash me with your fire / Who else has to pay for my sins? / My love’s fabricated, it’s too late to save it / Now I’m ready for the end,” Tesfaye sings.
This song dives into guilt and the path to redemption—Tesfaye wrestles with his past mistakes while longing for healing over a trickling electronic beat with whiny vocals. The end of the track also transitions back into his first-ever song, “High For This,” to perfectly close the loop of his discography.
Where the album shines brightest are the transitions between consecutive songs. Many tracks change their vibe entirely from beginning to end to fit the transitions, flexing Tesfaye’s wide range of performance. This album may not be one the average listener can get through due to its length, but it flows as one impressive body of music, so it’s worth sitting down for the hour and 26 minutes required to finish the piece.
Tesfaye’s direction with this album is clear: It is a final album to showcase his proficiency under each umbrella of music before he moves on to something bigger. And, to nobody’s surprise, he hits the mark on all of them.
This album fits the mold of everything Tesfaye’s released as The Weeknd but also breaks those molds in certain spots, which is why it’s so perfect. The contradiction between staying comfortable in the R&B genre while still creating spectacular songs in others shows Tesfaye isn’t just an artist—he’s a curator of music.
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