BY: CHRISTOPHER BROWN

 

 

The Weeknd dropped his sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow on Friday. Hurry Up Tomorrow is the conclusion of his second three-album trilogy, following After Hours and Dawn FM.

 

I’ve been a fan of the Weeknd since his first trilogy of mixtapes in 2011, so I wanted to do my due diligence by listening to this album multiple times before writing this article.

 

I never like to judge an album after the first listen. When an artist that I respect releases new music, I like to listen to their album all the way through without skipping and then let it soak in before listening a second time.

 

At this time, I’ve listened to Hurry Up Tomorrow three times from front to back. After my first listen, I was thoroughly pleased, and over the weekend, I found myself coming back to it wanting more. The replay value for this album is high. Let’s get into it.

 

Overall, Hurry Up Tomorrow feels very cohesive. The tracks all transition into each other seamlessly. The album starts fast-paced, has slower vibes around track six, then hits its peak halfway through. The last third of the album slows back down and tapers off to the end.

 

Musically, you get the classic Weeknd vibes, dark and airy R&B mixed with 80s pop. It almost feels cinematic at times. The Weeknd’s vocals are as crisp as ever with his unique Michael Jackson-like tone. Lyrically there are themes of love, heartbreak, self-reflection, and death (we’ll get to that later).

 

The first track, “Wake Me Up,” is a cinematic intro that is musically very reminiscent of the ending of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The album has a lot of these 80s pop vibes, right on theme with the first two albums of this trilogy.

 

Track four, “São Paulo,” sounds like the Weeknd’s version of a dance track from Beyonce’s Renaissance dance album. I think this style is very trendy and played out, so this is probably my least favorite track on the album and luckily, it’s the only one of its type on the album.

 

Hurry Up Tomorrow finds its groove around the ninth track, “Reflections Laughing,”featuring Travis Scott. This starts a six-track run of standout tracks like “Enjoy the Show”featuring Future, “Given Up On Me” & “Timeless,” featuring Playboi Carti.

 

Around track fifteen, the energy of the album slows down until its conclusion with slower ballads and R&B tracks like “The Abyss,” featuring Lana Del Rey. The final track, and also the title track, Hurry Up Tomorrow, ends with an Easter egg.

 

The final track transitions seamlessly into his first-ever track, “High for This,” creating the completion of a full circle. Some think that this album marks the end of an era for the Weeknd. In the first album of this trilogy, After Hours, the Weeknd dies.

 

The second album, Dawn FM, was about crossing over to the afterlife. Hurry Up Tomorrow finalizes his death. Does this close this chapter of the Weeknd’s career? Does he reincarnate and rebrand under his actual name Abel? We’ll have to find out tomorrow.

 

 

As for me, this album is going to stay in my rotation all year. The Weeknd continues to prove why he’s one of the biggest artists with another solid album. I’m excited to see what’s coming in the next stage of his career.

 

The Weeknd: Hurry Up Tomorrow Artwork – Fair Use

 

 

About the Author:

 

 

 

 

– Christopher Brown is a freelance writer for Digital Wax. He grew up in West Virginia and works primarily as a dental hygienist in Charleston. His wife tells him that he has too many hobbies; a musician, hip-hop head, football fanatic, beer brewer, frequent traveler, & master home chef.