By: Jennifer Lau
There is a certain romance in the way The Weeknd’s music turns jealousy into envy, love into heady obsession, and craving into addiction. Hurry Up Tomorrow is no exception to this statement. Marking the ‘death’ of The Weeknd in his last instalment, the grief and sadness runs throughout this album, serving as his last hurrah under his stage name. However, whether this farewell truly feels like a worthy send-off is for you to decide.
The Weeknd was never subtle with his image. From covering his face in bandages to body disfiguration, it’s no shock that he would end his career in an ambitious 85-minute-long album. If this is the last we are seeing of Abel Tesfaye, or at least his ‘The Weeknd’ persona, he’s not making it short. The album is dominated by blurred synths, lingering falsettos and sharp trap-inspired beats – each track making an impression before blending into the next. The lyrics, on the other hand, feel like a confessional – revealing his darkness in the ending of his life and revisiting his previous acts before a final apology, “I hope my confession is enough”.
A favourite from the album is the track ‘Wake Me Up’. It captures the essence of the entire album, both in its message of a final goodbye and the typical intoxicating synth-pop emotions of The Weeknd. The repeated “fades to black” captures the cinematic finality of The Weeknd’s death. Overall, Hurry Up Tomorrow is drenched in nostalgia and sorrow, utilising church-adjacent choirs and imagery, words like “baptised in fear”, questioning the haunting aftermath of ‘death’. The production, layered with moody basslines, reflects longing for what used to be, the tragic final scene in a long love story.
It’s no secret that The Weeknd romanticises addiction and the privilege of the ultra-rich, complaining about his gilded cage. But while Hurry Up Tomorrow continues this legacy, this time, the reckoning is final. Perhaps this is why the album lingers long after listening, his last performance in the wake of revelation.
As The Weeknd’s curtain falls, we look forward to his new music as Abel Tesfaye and who he is when he is no longer haunted by his persona. Will we still pay attention to what he has to say? Only time will tell.
