Three-time Grammy Award winner The Weeknd has been a prominent voice in music since his critically acclaimed and three times platinum album, Trilogy, in 2012. From then, he has released seven more albums and established a distinct sound and ability to blend genres, and he even held #1 listened to artist on Spotify for 190 days with over 120.5 million monthly listeners. His latest album released, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and fans around the world are feeling bittersweet and nostalgic as Weeknd promises it will be his last album (at least under this persona).
Musically, Hurry Up Tomorrow has a sound that longtime fans will find familiar, yet undeniably fresh; that being 80’s sounding synths mixed with ethereal strings and deep basses. The sound doesn’t get old, though, because we venture from piano ballads to the signature perfected pop sound to futuristic trap music all in one album. One of the things I particularly enjoy is the fluidity of the album—the way the songs seamlessly transition, making the entire experience feel cohesive when listening straight through. The features are an added light on this album, even some from previous collaborations come back for this final goodbye such as Lana Del Rey and Future.
Hurry Up Tomorrow isn’t just another project in The Weeknd’s extensive catalog, it is a farewell and a reflection on the musical journey thus far. The album serves as both a goodbye to the persona that has garnered all his attention, it is also a contemplation of his musical legacy. The Weeknd throws the idea of death and afterlife around a lot. Once you get to the final song, he claims he confesses everything and wants forgiveness. He knows this entire persona is the epitome of sinfulness and he still wants to go to heaven.
Highlights on Hurry Up Tomorrow in my opinion are Enjoy The Show, São Paulo, Take Me Back To LA, and title-track Hurry Up Tomorrow. Overall, I didn’t find a single song bad, bland or unenjoyable. Leaving your music career behind on such a high is something so rare and admirable. Just this one album shows his musical legacy will be remembered and noted for years to come.
