The Weeknd released After Hours in mid March, his follow-up to 2016’s Starboy, and just 4 days later it surpassed 1 million streams. The Canadian star earned himself that kind of following and support thanks to his releasing one brilliant project after another since his debut in House of Ballons.
The new album follows similar themes of love lost, lust, drugs, and toxicity that has followed him throughout his discography, but you sure find his maturity unfolding with every passing new album and this LP is a step towards growth. That being said, The Weeknd also gives you a peek into how it’s been a hell of a fun and problematic and painful ride to this point of life, and that realness and emotional transparency is what makes After Hours a fine addition to his career so far.
Check out our top 5 tracks, and make sure to comment with your faves below as well.
“Too Late”
Track number 2 provides the first shining moment of After Hours. The midtempo production is all about building up and rewarding you with a catchy chorus that never goes too Pop. The shimmery synths add some color and the pulsating 808s offer a good contrast without being too heavy to the point of feeling unbalanced, while Abel Tesfaye sings about feeling defeated and regretting things being over with his boo. The song feels like it’s following up on the vibe established in “Wasted Times,” from his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, and that’s exactly what I was hoping to get with this album because that previous track had certainly made me develop a craving for more.
“Hardest to Love”
This song sounds like it’s coming straight out of a video game, which makes for a hell of fun musical journey. The Drum & Bass aesthetic combined with the soft melody the keyboard provides complement The Weeknd’s vocal delivery excellently. The lyrics focus on how he’s let his relationship drown due to his own lack of effort to keep it alive, and how his counterpart’s actions to keep it alive are just in vain. You gotta love songs where the music and the subject matter don’t align, and that’s what The Weeknd conveys here, this thing appears pretty but if you pay attention, its reality quite sucks. Also, I enjoyed hearing Abel Tesfaye let his inner Pop-Punk self come out in the bridge.
“Scared to Live”
This track showcases The Weeknd in top Pop balladry mode. Lyrically, “Scared to Live” is sure to hit home with anyone that’s been on either the giving or receiving end of a relationship that’s fucked someone up so royally, to the point that the person loses themselves and ultimately feels disillusioned with the idea of love. The opening verse is the most impactful and quotable part of the song:
When I saw the signs, I shoulda let you go (Yeah, yeah)
But I kept you beside me
And if I held you back, at least I held you close (Yeah)
Should have known you were lonely
Come ooon, maaaaan!
Its anthemic composition makes it a prime candidate for becoming a massive hit with concertgoers. If you happen to have tickets to the After Hours Tour, make sure to keep your phone’s flashlight handy and that you have someone in mind so you could properly sing your heart out in hopes that your words karmically reach the person that deserves to hear this from you.
“Heartless”
I was really torn between this one and the delightful saxomaphone stylings that make “In Your Eyes” a stand-out track of its own, but ultimately I went with “Heartless” for everything it brings to the table. This is the sole instance on the album where it feels like vintage The Weeknd shows through. Metro Boomin on the lead in the production for this energetic beat, it is just the kind of canvas Abel needs to be able to smack the mic with an idgaf attitude and proud heartbreaker bravado. Money, women, and no regrets for his behavior. This line lays it out for all to see:
Never need a bitch, I’m what a bitch need (Bitch need)
Tryna find the one that can fix me
The Rock Star in him broke through in an album that largely plays like he’s finally ready to take responsibility, which is so telling of the human experience: we may reach a point when we’re finally able to allow ourselves to ask for forgiveness and plead for a change in our ways or even someone to save us… but at any moment we can easily deviate from our path and regress to the problematic version of ourselves who we’ve always known ourselves to be.
“Blinding Lights”
The synth-driven song was selected to help introduce After Hours to the world and that proved to be a wise choice because it ultimately proved to be one of its best. This is 80s Pop executed perfectly for the 21st century, appealing to Weeknd die-hards, OGs that lived through that colorful decade that gave us New Wave, TikTok’ers looking for a new tune to inspire millions of dance videos, and anyone else in-between that appreciates uptempo songs. Put this on, snap your fingers and dance like nobody’s watching.
