'Hurry Up Tomorrow' and The Weeknd’s closure

From hit songs like "Call Out My Name" to lyrical masterpieces such as "Faith," Abel Makkonen Tesfaye — known professionally as The Weeknd — has been a pop culture mainstay for years. The Weeknd started his career by uploading R&B songs to YouTube in late 2010. In 2011, he released a trilogy of mixtapes — "House of Balloons," "Thursday" and "Echoes of Silence" — as free downloads. These tapes were noted for their atmospheric production and artistic interpretations of human experiences such as heartbreak, earning him critical acclaim and a growing online fanbase.

In 2012, The Weeknd signed with Republic Records and compiled his mixtapes into the album "Trilogy," with additional tracks. While the project received widespread praise and introduced him to a broader audience, he would not achieve mainstream success until his second studio album, "Beauty Behind the Madness," released in 2015. The album featured chart-topping hits like "Can't Feel My Face," "The Hills" and "Earned It," the latter of which was part of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” soundtrack and even earned an Academy Award nomination. This period marked the completion of his transformation from underground artist to global sensation. 

At the peak of the pandemic in 2020, The Weeknd released his eighth album "After Hours," featuring his most successful single, "Blinding Lights." The song broke records and became the longest-charting Billboard Hot 100 song. The album showcased his evolving sound, blending synthwave, R&B and pop elements. It told a cinematic story, complemented by aesthetic visuals, all tied together by the character of a broken and chaotic figure portrayed by himself. The album leaned heavily into retro 1980s synthwave and new wave sounds, particularly in tracks like "Blinding Lights" and "Save Your Tears." This was a departure from the darker, atmospheric R&B sound that defined earlier works. In short, “After Hours” was a bold reinvention of Tesfaye’s music.

With the release of "Dawn FM" in 2022, The Weeknd made it more clear that he was building a second trilogy: one that paid homage to his roots as an artist. An ambitious concept album featuring narration by Jim Carrey, “Dawn FM” picks up where “After Hours” left off, presenting the human experience as a metaphoric journey through purgatory. The Weeknd’s character transitions from the darkness of the previous album into a liminal space represented by a radio station (Dawn FM) that guides him toward self-acceptance and redemption. The project further expanded his musical palette, blending retro-inspired sounds with experimental production. Hits like "Take My Breath" and "Sacrifice" continued his streak of success.

Both albums are part of a larger trilogy that explores a life cycle: “After Hours” being the chaos and destruction of the present moment, and “Dawn FM” representing the transition and self-reflection necessary to move forward. This brings us to the third album of the trilogy, "Hurry Up Tomorrow." It is expected to symbolize ultimate resolution or closure, completing the journey hinted at in these two works. Announced Nov. 27 of last year via Instagram, the album is set to release Jan. 31 of this year. In the album teaser posted, The Weeknd explained the meaning behind the title, describing it as "the creative apex of the project." He revealed that it serves as "the third and final chapter in a trilogy built around existential and self-referential themes," a concept highlighted in the visionary teasers that have ignited fans' anticipation for what is to come. 

Not only will “Hurry Up Tomorrow” be The Weeknd’s finale to a memorable trilogy, it may also be his last work under the pseudonym. After losing his voice during one of his concerts for the “After Hours Till Dawn” tour, he explained having an epiphany regarding his fame: he was at the acme of his greatness. In an interview with Variety, he explains how his persona as The Weeknd has exhausted all potential challenges. He now looks forward to the next steps in his identity. Clarifying that this does not mean he is quitting music, the singer explains that he is seeking new artistic challenges. It is apparent his efforts to seal this identity with something memorable, and fans cannot wait to see it.

With his genre-defying music, The Weeknd has redefined modern R&B and pop. Known for his unique persona, he continues to push boundaries, cementing his place as one of the most influential artists of his generation. Now, with the upcoming release of “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” he is ready to close off his chapter as The Weeknd and is excited for what tomorrow looks like as Abel Tesfaye.