At this point, a lengthy and highly descriptive introduction for The Weeknd is probably pretty unnecessary. Over the last several years, he has emerged as not only the best Pop artist of this generation but also one of the best of all time. Throughout his career, The Weeknd has dictated where the Hip Hop and Pop worlds have gone for about 15 years. Every time he changed or updated his sound, other artists followed. Even today, most of the mainstream Pop music is inspired by the New Wave sound he brought back with After Hours. Speaking of After Hours, the last five years have been a whirlwind for The Weeknd. He has long stated that his final three albums were a trilogy, with the last of the trilogy being his final record under The Weeknd moniker. The trilogy started with After Hours in 2020. This highly revered project has turned into a Pop classic in five years. Its sonic theme was as crisp as anything he has ever done, and its lyrical theme focused on his life of debauchery and sin and the consequences that could stem from it(ultimately ending with his death). He followed After Hours with 2022’s Dawn FM. This record was as polarizing as anything The Weeknd has put out. Sonically, it was his most outlandish to date and really pushed the boundaries of Pop. Lyrically, it seemed to highlight The Weeknd’s journey of understanding himself. The album is narrated by Jim Carrey supposedly playing the role of an Angel(but literally playing the role of a Radio DJ), and the album navigates The Weeknd’s journey through Purgatory. The Weeknd’s final album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, has come with a ton of anticipation and controversy. So many music fans have been wanting to see how The Weeknd will close this story and this chapter of his career. After multiple album delays(and all of the drama surrounding his HBO TV Show), The Weeknd released a single, ‘Dancing In The Flames,’ near the beginning of 2024. This single actually did not receive the kind of love one may expect from a potential album-leading single from The Weeknd, with a lot of fans being underwhelmed by it. The Weeknd released two more singles throughout 2024, ‘Timeless’ with Playboi Carti and ‘São Paolo’ with Anitta, both of which garnered a lot more love than that first single(the latter was one of my personal favorite songs of last year). These singles led to what was supposed to be an end-of-2024 release of Hurry Up Tomorrow, but the album ended up getting pushed into having a release date at the beginning of 2025. The Weeknd’s supposedly final album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, was finally dropped on January 31, 2025. This album was well worth the wait. Hurry Up Tomorrow is a momentous record and is a spectacle to listen to. This record is very theatrical, and it almost feels like watching a movie when listening to it; hell, at 22 songs and 1 hour and 24 minutes, it has the run time of a movie. As it would take me forever to comment on every song, below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite moments on this record, and then go into some more overall thoughts about it at the end. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, and also comment on how you feel about this album as a whole!
WAKE ME UP FEAT. JUSTICE
The opening track from the record, ‘Wake Me Up,’ starts off the album on a monumental note. This track is driven by an epic sample from one of The Weeknd’s biggest inspirations, Michael Jackson. The beat for this epic opener has the same tempo and pattern as MJ’s most iconic song of all, ‘Thriller.’ The melody even definitely feels inspired by ‘Thriller.’ This melody does have a bit more of a bright and shimmery sound than the one on ‘Thriller’ at times, but the overarching bassline here is definitely pretty close to it. As one would expect, The Weeknd’s vocals work incredibly well on this kind of instrumental. His sweet and crisp tone gives ‘Wake Me Up’ a warm and soothing element, but also makes the track feel a bit forlorn. On ‘Wake Me Up,’ The Weeknd sings about searching for himself and searching for true love. ‘Wake Me Up’ is an epic opener that begins this record on a larger-than-life note.
CRY FOR ME
The Weeknd follows up the record’s epic opener with another intense Synth-Pop banger in ‘Cry For Me.’ This one feels even bigger and tougher than the opening track. The synths that drive the melody are super frigid and fat. When I listen to this one, it has an all-encompassing feeling to it that almost feels like it is weighing down on me. The beat for this one goes back and forth between having a fast-paced New Wave tempo that feels perfect for the Dance floor and a weighty Trap tempo that feels perfect for a blunt cruise. The energy of this beat keeps me on my toes as a listener, as the way it goes back and forth gives the track a ton of depth. The Weeknd’s vocals on this ‘Cry For Me’ are fairly delicate, which contrasts the heaviness of the instrumental and gives the song a welcoming element. On ‘Cry For Me,’ The Weeknd sings about how he hopes his former significant other is emotional about them breaking up as he is. ‘Cry For Me’ is an emotional ballad where The Weeknd bears his all, and anyone who recently went through heartbreak can relate to this one.
SÃO PAOLO FEAT. ANITTA
‘São Paolo’ was the last single dropped in anticipation of this record, having come out on Halloween of last year. As I mentioned above, this was one of my favorite tracks from the back end of 2024. ‘São Paolo’ threw people for a bit of a loop when it came out. Its brash, fast-paced sound was not what people expected from The Weeknd. This song has a Brazilian Funk and House music undertone to it. The melody is unforgiving and mean; the synths that drive this one are pretty ominous. The beat for ‘São Paolo’ is larger than life; its quick tempo and booming sound make the song super intense. I love the vocals from both The Weeknd and Anitta here. The squeaky and raspy tone Anitta raps with contrasts the clean and crisp sound of Abel nicely. On ‘São Paolo,’ The Weeknd and Anitta sing about a tumultuous relationship defined by highs and lows. ‘São Paolo’ is a massive track that will get dance floors bumping for the foreseeable future.
BAPTIZED IN FEAR
As one may have expected with this record, the sonic theme is very vast, with The Weeknd exploring a plethora of sounds. ‘Baptized In Fear’ is one of the moments where The Weeknd extends his sound more than ever. This song really stands out for how different it is from the rest. This is what makes the song great, though. ‘Baptized In Fear’ straight-up sounds like a 1980s New Wave love ballad. The synths driving this one are super warm and bright; I would say this is one of the most all-encompassing and vibrant-sounding songs on the record. The beat is punchy and deliberate; the way they pound makes ‘Baptized In Fear’ feel super heavy. Towards the end of the track, the beat picks up, transitioning seamlessly into the fast ElectroPop sound of the next track, ‘Cry For Me.’ The Weeknd delivers one of his most emotional and ranged vocal performances of the record on this track(which is obviously saying a lot). The vocals add to this track’s weighty feeling and make it sound extra huge. On ‘Baptized In Fear,’ The Weeknd sings about how he abuses substances to try to get over his heartbreak. ‘Baptized In Fear’ is a massive track that stands out for its sentimental qualities.
OPEN HEARTS
‘Open Hearts’ has quickly risen into a fan favorite from this record, and it is easy to see why. Frankly, this track probably should have taken ‘Dancing In The Flames’ as a lead single, as this track has anthemic energy. It always goes with the 1980s-inspired New Wave theme that the iconic track ‘Blinding Lights’ has(and that ‘Dancing In The Flames’ sort of has). The synths they drive this one are so groovy and icy. They have a funky tone that is nostalgic, but also have the sheeny feeling of something futuristic. The drum pattern for the track is upbeat yet smooth. It makes me want to dance the night away, but also makes me want to go on a long drive at night. The Weeknd’s vocals on ‘Open Hearts’ are great. His sweet tone almost gives the song an inviting element that contrasts with the instrumental. On ‘Open Hearts,’ The Weeknd sings about how he is reluctant to let himself fall back into love because of how he has been hurt. This huge, enthralling track will probably end up being the major hit from the record when all is said and done.
REFLECTIONS LAUGHING FEAT. TRAVIS SCOTT AND FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
When one sees a collaboration between The Weeknd and Travis Scott, one would probably expect a dark, intense Trap song. That is not the case with ‘Reflections Laughing, though.’ This song is still pretty intense but in a different way than what one would anticipate. Instead of Trap, this song has a semi-acoustic R&B sound. The melody is driven by a pretty melancholy guitar riff that is complemented by some very atmospheric synths. There is a beat that kicks in towards the end of the Trap, but it almost has a mid-2000s slow R&B tempo instead of a Trap one. With the instrumental not as big as one may expect, the focus is put on the vocals, which are honestly just great. Both The Weeknd and Travis Scott sound excellent here. I especially love the contribution from Travis Scott, as his choppy flow and gruff tone add a ton of emotion to the track. On ‘Reflections Laughing,’ The Weeknd and Travis sing about how the fast way they live is destroying their relationships and lives as a whole. ‘Reflections Laughing’ is a deep and emotional track with a sound that sticks out for him against the grain it is.
ENJOY THE SHOW FEAT. FUTURE
Like many music fans, I am a simple man at times. When The Weeknd and Future come together to make music, I just assume I will really love it. Similar to the previous song with Travis, this one definitely does not have the kind of sound one may have expected from these two. One would probably assume a Future and Abel collab would have a frigid and ominous Trap of Synth-Pop sound given their extensive catalog together, but ‘Enjoy The Show’ is far from that. Instead, this track has a Chipmunk Soul sound that is very akin to the music Kanye made early in his career. If I were told this actually was an old Kanye instrumental, I would probably believe it considering how bright and sweet this Soulful melody is and how deliberate the beat is. Future does do his thing on this track(I appreciate how he flexes his singing chops,) The Weeknd just kills it on this track. His flow, tone, and overall ambiance on ‘Enjoy The Show’ make it very captivating. On ‘Enjoy The Show,’ The Weeknd and Future talk about their over-the-top lives of partying and how they are on their way towards partying to death. ‘Enjoy The Show’ may have a balmy and luscious sound, but its sentiment is pretty negative.
TAKE ME BACK TO LA
Throughout the years, The Weeknd has teased and leaked many songs that ended up never officially being released. ‘Take Me Back To LA ’ is a song he initially leaked on Instagram around the time After Hours dropped, and has played sparingly live since. This beautiful ballad has finally now come out, and I’m happy to say it was well worth the wait. ‘Take Me Back To LA’ is one of the most low-key tracks of the record. The synths that drive this one are pretty light and atmospheric. The beat has a groovy New Wave sound but also feels lighter than the rest of the record. Although the instrumental is pretty laid back, The Weeknd’s strong vocal performance is what makes this song captivating. The Weeknd’s vocals are inviting and saccharine, and turn this track into such an earworm. On ‘Take Me Back To LA,’ The Weeknd sings about missing his former lover and how he hates being alone. This may be one of the calmest songs on the record, but it still feels very impactful.
THE ABYSS FEAT. LANA DEL REY
A collaboration between The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey like this has been a long time coming. Anyone who knows about the lore of either of these artists knows they have been close for a very long time, and have long aided each other in the creation of their music. Even though they make such different styles of music, the emotional sentiment of their art has always seemed to link them. ‘The Abyss’ is a moment when The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey how much they truly complement each other. This song has a massive modern R&B sound that almost seems like it comes from a different dimension. The synths that drive the ‘The Abyss’ are huge and otherworldly and give the song a distinctly dystopian element. As cold as the instrumental is, the vocals from The Weeknd and Lana Del Rey are soothing and sweet. Their tones work so nicely together, and they both add a sentimental level to this track that makes it feel like such an important moment. On ‘The Abyss,’ The Weeknd and Lana sing about not wanting to let their significant other go and how they would rather just perish than lose this person. ‘The Abyss’ is an awesome collaboration from these two that was long worth the wait.
HURRY UP TOMORROW
After how vast this album is and how important of a career The Weeknd has had, he had to send it off with a bang. He certainly does so on the title track, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow.’ This song has a very fulfilling closing feeling to it. The instrumental starts out pretty soft and light, picking up more and more emphasis as it progresses. Towards the end, it turns into a crescendo of joyous sound. The vocals have a pretty similar feeling to the instrumental, also getting bigger and bolder as the song progresses. The coolest thing about this track, however, is the transition that closes it out. The finale of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ seamlessly flows into The Weeknd’s first song ever, ‘High For This.’ This makes his career truly feel like it has come full circle. On ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ The Weeknd sings about wanting to change and become a better person so he does get to see a heavenly afterlife when he does pack. ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is a beautiful way to end this record, as it sends things off in a joyous and hopeful manner.
Because of the massive amount of anticipation for Hurry Up Tomorrow, it was probably always going to be tough for The Weeknd to please everyone with this release. I mean, there was so much drama surrounding this record; from the multiple delays to the disdain for his 2023 HBO TV show to the fact this is supposed to be the final chapter of The Weeknd as a character, Hurry Up Tomorrow has a ton of baggage associated with it. Perhaps The Weeknd felt the pressure, which is why it took so long for us to get this record. I am happy to say that Hurry Up Tomorrow is worth the wait, though. This album feels like a combination and cornucopia of all the things that have made The Weeknd great throughout his career. Hurry Up Tomorrow seems to take inspiration from all of the many eras and styles of music The Weeknd has made throughout his tenure. It is as if he tried to take all of the best elements of the music he has made, and put them all together to make a record that sums it up as a whole. Sonically, this album is vast and major. I feel like The Weeknd pushes himself more than ever while sticking to and going back to some of the things that have made him great over the years. Of course, considering this record is so long, there are some moments where it gets a bit overwhelming. Overall, though, I do not think much of the sound is wasted. Even if the album does drag a tiny bit, I do not think there is a bad song on here As far as the lyricism and the message, The Weeknd bares his all on Hurry Up Tomorrow. He opens up more than ever, going into his emotions on his relationships, career, and the raucous way that he lives. Now do we get an answer as to whether Dawn FM is leading us to Heaven or Hell? Yes and no. On the album’s final track, The Weeknd sings about wanting to make it to Heaven, but I guess we will never know if he actually got there. In a way, this is the best way this saga could have closed out. At the end of the day, it is more about the journey than it is about the final rescue. Overall, Hurry Up Tomorrow is a worthy close-out to this chapter of Abel Tesfaye’s career. If this is really the end of The Weeknd, it is a more than adequate way to close things out, and I am glad I was along for the ride.
EAST SIDE VIBES 