In December 2010, a 29-year-old high school dropout named Abel Tesfaye logged onto YouTube and, under the name “xoxxxoooxo,” posted three songs he had been working on. The tracks were found by fellow Canadian Drake, who shared the tracks with his social media followers. The songs caught on, with both Pitchfork and The New York Times complementing the songs. Tesfaye soon found himself working with his best friend La Mar Taylor and two music executives to cofound a record label to release his music before performing with Drake at his OVO Fest.
This is how The Weeknd started. And with his release of Hurry Up Tomorrow on January 31, this is how The Weeknd ends. The Oscar-nominated Grammy winner that performed at the Super Bowl just eight years after releasing his first studio album is retiring his Weeknd persona and will step back from music. While Tesfaye said he may release future albums under his actual name (and possibly once again as The Weeknd), the album marks the end of an era.
Of course, The Weeknd doesn’t go out without a bang. Hurry Up Tomorrow finishes the trilogy of albums he started with After Hours and Dawn FM. The album has 22 tracks with dozens of collaborators, including Playboi Carti, Future, Travis Scott, and Lana Del Rey. The supersized album is a true swan song and covers Tesfaye’s entire life up to this point, from his early heartbreaks and addictions to his current regrets and hopes for the future.
As it covers a variety of topics, the musical style varies throughout the album: the music shifts from Brazilian funk to synth-pop to even a bit of gospel. The lead singles from the album are “Wake Me Up,” featuring Justice, and “Reflections Laughing,” featuring Travis Scott and Florence and the Machine, and these tracks embody the tonal diversity of the album.
The song “Enjoy The Show” starkly captures The Weeknd and Future processing their heartbreak and self-destruction. His raw pain makes the track stand out, and while not a lead single yet, the track is gaining traction on social media. No other tracks have really peaked at this point, which isn’t surprising: it’s hard to promote 22 tracks all at once, so fans will likely see multiple tracks catch fire as the year goes on. While the songs are enjoyable enough on their own, the album as a whole is bloated and overwhelming.
Though this may be The Weeknd’s last album, he isn’t disappearing just yet. Tesfaye will still perform as The Weeknd through his current tour, set to wrap up in September, and will likely launch a Hurry Up Tomorrow tour for early next year if the album is successful. Tesfaye has also announced a feature film titled Hurry Up Tomorrow, directed by Trey Edward Shultz that explores mental health and will come out on May 16, 2025.
Hurry Up Tomorrow marks a significant moment in The Weeknd’s journey. While the album has very emotional highs, it is nevertheless hard to take in all at once As he transitions to using his real name, hopefully Abel Tesfaye can transition to more concise messaging and more thoughtful balance in his albums. While The Weeknd should be full of fun and excess, too much of a good thing doesn’t feel so good the next day.
