Album of the Week: The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’
The Weeknd couldn’t have imagined the success he would reach when he released his House of Balloons mixtape in 2011. Two other mixtapes and six studio albums later, the Toronto singer has completed his chapter under the stage name with his final LP, Hurry Up Tomorrow.
He went from under Drake’s wing to becoming one of the most prominent artists on the planet, reaching number one with songs such as ‘The Hills’, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’, ‘Starboy’, ‘Call Out My Name’, ‘Blinding Lights’, ‘Save Your Tears’, and ‘Creepin’. He’s also won four Grammy Awards and received an Oscar nomination for ‘Earned It’ from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack.
Still, all that success isn’t enough for Abel Tesfaye to continue making music as The Weeknd. On January 31st, he released his last project under the persona. Hurry Up Tomorrow consists of 22 songs with production from the likes of Pharrell, Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, Oneohtrix Point Never, Justice and others, supported by lead singles ‘Timeless’ and ‘São Paulo’.
Although the tracklist doesn’t include any features, there are plenty of uncredited appearances throughout. Travis Scott is on ‘Reflections Laughing’, Playboi Carti appears on ‘Timeless’ and Future has a couple of guest spots on ‘Enjoy the Show’ and ‘Given Up on Me’. Outside of rappers, Lana Del Rey is on ‘The Abyss’ and Anitta features on ‘São Paulo’.
During an interview with Variety earlier this month, The Weeknd explained why he was putting a full stop on his stage name. He opened up about the pressure of chasing more success and lacking the desire to keep up music in the same vein.
“[I am closing the chapter] on my existence as The Weeknd,” he said. “It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. I feel like it comes with so much… You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more number ones. It never ends until you end it.”
The moment he lost his voice at a Los Angeles concert in 2022 also played a role in his decision. “Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say. Don’t overstay at the party — you can end it now and live a happy life.’ You know?” he said. “Put the bow on it: Hurry Up Tomorrow? Now we’re here. When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak? Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot.”
His album coincides with a movie of the same name, which will be released on May 16th. The film by Trey Edward Shults, who previously directed Waves and It Comes at Night, is a psychological thriller starring The Weeknd himself alongside Barry Keoghan and Jenna Ortega.
Hurry Up Tomorrow was originally scheduled for January 24th but was pushed back “out of respect and concern for the people of Los Angeles County” who were dealing with the wildfires.