After 4 years, just one day before the 9 year anniversary of his first project, The Weeknd has released his newest album After Hours. Beginning with teasers in 2019, this newest chapter of The Weeknd’s music was described as “no longer being daytime music” and as a “brain melting psychotic chapter” through tweets. After listening to After Hours, I find myself agreeing with these descriptions of the album..
The music has a melancholy feel to it, but still manages to engage the listener with captivating lyrics, catchy beats, and an overall tone that leads to the listener rooting for the singer instead of invoking feelings of pity. Compared to The Weeknd’s older albums, there is a definite shift in mood that can be pinpointed about halfway through the album.
All the tracks on the album share a theme of melancholy, but the second half of the album employs different stylistic techniques in the music to show the shift in the singer’s feeling. Where the first half of the album is mellow and reflective, the second half is more “upbeat” and employs stronger synths. Older albums, like Starboy, have a more aggressive tone to them in that the singer isn’t lamenting his current position in life, unlike how he acts in After Hours.
The layout of the album tells a story, one where the singer starts out reflecting on his station in life, and contemplating how to move forward. After Escape from LA, the singer starts to move on from his ruminations and tries to find his position in the world. T
he album ends with an affirmation that the singer has chosen his own path through life. The main theme of this album is one of finding yourself, just like the singer did. The melancholy tone leads one to contemplate their own life, while the captivating beat allows one to continue striving forwards without getting stuck in their reverie.
Personally, I enjoyed this album. I’m a fan of The Weeknd’s past works, and this album was just like his older ones, top notch. The song that stood out to me the most was Blinding Lights, due to its 80s synths and overall message. In it, the singer discovers he can only relax if he’s in the arms of a lover. Call me a sap, but that message really resonates with me. When you have someone by your side, the worries of the world can just melt away. If anyone wants to just relax and reflect, or just sit back and enjoy a wonderfully stylized album, I highly recommend listening to After Hours.