Canadian singer, producer, and actor Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye emerged from the shadows in the new year with his new highly anticipated album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ which was released on January 31.

The album took a significant turn after Tesfaye performed during the first few minutes of a concert on Sept. 3, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Tesfaye’s voice gave out while singing, and only a few minutes later, had to cancel the show while on stage. Tesfaye told Variety magazine, “But in my head, all I heard was booing and screaming and hate and anger.”

Tesfaye marks this moment in his career as one of his most dramatic points. By that point, he had already finished most of the album before deciding to rework and restart the whole thing and reflect on what this truly meant to him.

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is the third and final chapter in his trilogy consisting of ‘After Hours’ (2020) and ‘Dawn FM’ (2022). However, each album has a specific theme throughout. The dark and haunting 80s-inspired ‘After Hours’ album is filled with themes of pain. Meanwhile, Jim Carrey narrated a radio purgatory-themed album, Dawn FM, which provides themes of regret. The final installment gives themes of rebirth and shows off elements of Brazilian Funk with a mix of more 80s synth pop.

Closing the book this time, Tesfaye holds his sixth studio album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ as his last album under “The Weeknd” moniker.

In an interview with Variety Magazine, Tesfaye said,

Standout Tracks

Wake Me Up

Tesfaye starts the album strong and heavenly with a “Thriller” sample from Michael Jackson. “Wake Me Up” shows Tesfaye desperately looking for a truth. Tesfaye opens up with, “All I have is my legacy… no afterlife, no other side. I’m all alone when it fades to black,” revealing what he might have felt after the events at Sofi Stadium. The feeling of him losing his voice that night led him to believe his career was over. If he had no voice, he had no other way to go. He holds onto his legacy, which drives him to keep going even after feeling like everyone is disappointed in him. The denial of believing there is no afterlife after passing away sets up a theme throughout the album, later to be addressed.

Cry For Me

Track two has aggressive-sounding keyboard synths that are in your face. Tesfaye shows he is heartbroken, even after lying, which seems to be his recurring problem throughout this trilogy. In other songs from previous albums, he admits to lying once he is back alone again. Tesfaye wishes his cries and regrets would be reciprocated once he dies. Nevertheless, it is a momentum-keeper and certainly another hit.

São Paulo

One of the leading singles for this record, “São Paulo,” took fans by surprise. They did not expect this sound to be anywhere on a future album, and he continues to push boundaries within the genre. With a feature from Brazilian singer Anitta, who sings throughout the song, Tesfaye went from releasing 80s synth-pop music to Brazilian Funk. It is a strange turn, but it works out entirely in the context of the album’s seamless transitions that ascend you to heaven on each listen. Once again, more club hits that make you want to dance.

Open Hearts

With a fantastic transition from the previous track, “Baptized In Fear,” Tesfaye gives the audience another heartbreak song that explores how he learns to love again. He hears the angels above him call his name, but he is only falling into the abyss. So he will do his best to cover his scars and try to open up, but he is not sure where to start. Tesfaye wants to believe there is a heaven but can not see heaven until he is heaven. This was also a recurring theme from his previous album, ‘Dawn FM,’ in the outro narrated by Jim Carrey. “God knows life is chaos, but he made one thing true. You gotta unwind your mind, train your soul to align,” Carrey states.

Timeless

The 13th track, “Timeless,” is the second single from the album, kicking off braggadocious and timeless sounds. With a guest feature from rapper Playboi Carti, it rhymes about fame and identity while providing a clean-sounding trap sound that The Weeknd sings gracefully behind. The track’s simplicity captures the audience. It’s a break between the album’s chaotic sound that keeps your head moving. “Timeless” is, without a doubt, another significant hit that broke the internet. 

Take Me Back To LA

“Take Me Back To LA” was initially previewed during a 2020 livestream on Instagram. Believed to be a track for the then-released ‘After Hours’ album deluxe edition, the track never saw the light of day. Roughly five years later, this masterpiece instantly became one of many cult classic songs for The Weeknd fans. This track picks the album up for another mellow 80s synth-pop song. The majestic synths that continue throughout add a touch of nostalgia and hurt to the dreamy environment. This track marks a turning point where he looks back on his past and confronts it. Tesfaye sings, “And it hurts when I think about the nights we would always shout. My voice cracking when we scream; you scream, we scream.”

Without a Warning

Tesfaye has become precisely what he knew he would be in his 2011 track, “Rolling Stone,” where the crowd would scream his name, feel his pain, and love him. Expressing his inner conflict, he hopes his fans will still love him as he goes through these new changes throughout his career. As these changes cycle through his mind, he turns to the light, calling his name throughout the album. Tesfaye will leave his guts on the stage if that’s what it takes to finally see tomorrow. 

Hurry Up Tomorrow

Solely written by Tesfaye himself, Tesfaye is washed for his sins. He has come to terms with how he has lived and carried on throughout his legacy. To be reborn as “Abel,” he calls for God and asks him to wash him with his fire. He apologizes for his wrongdoings, confesses his sins, and reflects on his youth. “So I see heaven after life, I want heaven when I die. I wanna change, I want the pain no more,” Tesfaye sings. He completely contradicts his nihilistic remarks throughout the trilogy. After suffering in purgatory, dying in every way he must before continuing, he can finally see heaven. This is the final track to be released under the “The Weeknd” moniker and fades perfectly into the first track on 2011’s ‘House Of Balloons” mixtape. 

Overall Thoughts

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is, without a doubt, the most chaotic album Tesfaye has ever put out. It is also certainly a serious contender for album of the year so early on in 2025. It provides styles Tesfaye has had to offer throughout his career while expanding on experimentation pushing the boundaries that may be overlooked. The sixth and final album from The Weeknd is a perfect send-off that fans could not ask for anything better. Despite being his most extensive work, this album deserves a ten out of ten rating and is one of Tesfaye’s best works thus far. Now that tomorrow has finally arrived, the book closes on The Weeknd.