On January 31st, 2025, Abel Tesfaye released his last album, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ a theatrical farewell to his music career. The album, a mix of synth-pop and R&B, is his most intensive and wide-ranging album yet, producing a variety of sounds and themes while all coming down to the same point: This is the last we will hear from his persona, ‘The Weeknd.’
The structure of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is incredibly thought out and precise, blending The Weeknd’s classic synth distortion and catchy rhythms with atmospheric ambiance to create a combination of R&B ballads and synth-pop songs. Other artists are featured throughout the album to bring their own skills into the project, such as Playboi Carti’s iconic adlibs and Lana Del Rey’s harmonious vocals.
With each track seamlessly blending into the next, the 85-minute, 22-track-long album tackles themes of death, fame, self-identity, and provides introspections into Tesfaye’s personal experiences throughout his life. The first track, “Wake Me Up,” creates an overall sense of unease, drawing inspiration from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and setting up the theme of death just seconds into the album. This continues into track 6, “Baptized in Fear,” where death is alarmingly literal as Tesfaye recounts a chilling near-death experience.
Other intertwining themes of the album address self-identity and a critique of celebrity culture and fame. Track 3, “I Can’t F***ing Sing,” and Track 21, “Without a Warning,” directly reference The Weekend’s 2022 SoFi Stadium performance, where he halted the concert due to his cracking voice and was subsequently booed by fans while trying to apologize. These tracks deliver an emotional angle of this incident and critique the behavior of the audience.
The last track of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ sharing the same name as the album title, provides a final goodbye to The Weeknd and concludes the theme of self-discovery that has been so prevalent throughout the album. The track represents an escape from the cycle of mental pain that he has endured and introduces a new sense of freedom. With an image of him walking into the light of heaven, Tesfaye says goodbye to the troubled character that has represented him in the music industry for the past decade.
Overall, The Weeknd’s final album, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ did not disappoint. With jaw-dropping transitions, introspective and narrative lyrics, and catchy instrumentals, this album has earned a rating of 4/5 stars. Keep your eyes peeled for the feature film based upon the new album, set to release on May 16th of this year, to catch one more glance at the talent of The Weeknd.
