The Weeknd’s Dark Take on Alternative R&B Fused With 80’s Synth Pop Results in One of His Most Complete Projects to Date

By Courtney Fields

The year 2019 was slowly coming to an end and fans were beginning to realize yet another year would pass without drops from some of the industry’s biggest names, but on November 25th, Abel Tesfaye, The King of The Fall himself took to Instagram to announce a “NEW BRAIN MELTING PSYCHOTIC CHAPTER” of The Weeknd’s career that would start with the release of his new single “Heartless.”

The single is a great beginning to the new chapter of The Weeknd’s career. Part of what makes The Weeknd a great artist is his ability to story tell, which is something that has become a lost art in the two genres he has mastered: Pop and R&B.

Upon the first listen, it seems like your average boastful song, but although fame, women, money, and drugs dominate the majority of the song, “Heartless” is more of a self-awareness track than anything else. In “Heartless,” The Weeknd’s Ego and his Sacred Self are playing a game of tug and war.

“Never need a bitch I’m what a bitch need”

“Trying to find the one that can fix me”

The title of the song almost serves as a front since, in a way, all men aspire to be heartless. I, as well as many other men often fall victim to social constructs that tell us to be tough, and not show our feelings.

“Machismo culture” is no conspiracy, it has been defined as overly exaggerated masculinity and it often damages the quality of our romantic relationships. The reason we fell in love with The Weeknd’s songwriting early on was his ability to relate to the plight of everyday people, despite being a superstar. In the two verses The Weeknd has on this song, they’re both filled with how many women, clothes, money, and fast cars he has. He’s not afraid to tell you how many women he's sold dreams to, how long he’s been living like a rockstar, or how many magazine covers he's been on. The verses do a great job of distracting you from the chorus, as well as the bridge at the end of the track.

In the chorus, Abel still claims that he has no heart, but not in the way every man would like to believe that they themself are heartless. He’s heartless because after all he’s done to grow, he still finds himself falling into the hole he dug for himself when he first moved to Los Angeles. A hole that caused him to use drugs as a crutch, as well as a hole full of toxic and misogynist behavior.

In the second half of the chorus, the song highlights one of the main themes throughout the entire album: the negative side effects of fame and money. Abel figured since he’s moved away from LA, a place that caused him so much pain; he was escaping his old ways as well. Still, he feels as if he will never be able to change his ways.

Is The Weeknd no longer falling victim to lust, or is he still desperate to find the right woman? “Heartless” gives us no clear answer.

The Weeknd released two more singles, with one being nostalgic of the dance-pop sound of the ’80s. “Blinding Lights'' gets you moving with its upbeat, synthesized production while simultaneously proving why The Weeknd is such a polarizing artist. He can give fans a certain nostalgia for one of the best eras in music and deliver a deeply emotional track at the same time. The star still yearns for a partner who can show him how to love, one who will never leave his side and one he'll simply never let go.

The third promotional single for After Hours was the title track. The song serves as a powerful single because it’s very reminiscent of his earlier works. Abel’s life is falling apart and despite his growth as a man, he still finds himself drifting in the pool of the aftershocks of his success. Seven years past his heavyhearted debut album Kiss Land, still risking everything for love, The Weeknd manages to relate to audiences by being the heartbroken singer we all know and love.

The Weeknd dropped After Hours on March 20th. The album contained no features.

A good beat drop excites any music fan, but in the intro song “Alone Again” the drums were almost useless. The track does a great job of building your excitement as a listener, but honestly the beat drop is very underwhelming. The powerless moment in the first track takes away from track two, “Too Late” which probably should’ve been the intro to the album. “Too Late” sets the tone for this synth-heavy album, it also introduces the first signs of pessimism and the need to move away from Los Angeles we see throughout After Hours.

In “Too Late” Abel is still putting the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“It’s way too late to save our souls

It’s way too late, we’re on our own”

Abel also shows his selfish nature throughout “After Hours.” He knows that he’s probably ran his relationship into the ground; but rather than letting his partner go on her own path, he suggests she join him in his life of lust. He then goes on to sing, “I can’t trust where I live anymore” in reference to LA. Later in the album, this mistrust leads to him escaping to The City of Sin: Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tracks two and three are probably The Weeknd’s most mature tracks within his discography. Both “Hardest To Love” and “Scared To Live” again show The Weeknd placing the blame on himself, but this time he takes all of the responsibility while allowing his partner to find true happiness. “Scared To Live” is also one of the best vocal performances on After Hours. Track two, three and four is where the listener should begin to notice the battle of ego versus sacred self that The Weeknd is struggling with.

“Snowchild” is the fifth song on the new LP. In this track, The Weeknd reflects on his past. In an attempt to support his need to leave LA, he begins to wonder if he had any ill will that motivated his rise to the top.

In track six, “Escape From LA” insinuates that Los Angeles enticed him for all of the wrong reasons. This is a point in After Hours where we see the clearest nod to “Old Abel” since this is one of the most gloomy songs on the project.

Relocating to Sin City was an interesting choice for The Weeknd, considering the fact that what he wanted to escape from in Los Angeles was its vices. After his “Escape From LA” the Weeknd backpedaled into his old habits.

“I’ve been sober for a year now, now it's time for me

To go back to my old ways, don’t you cry for me

Thought I’d be a better man, but I lied to me and to you”

Tracks nine through twelve show The Weeknd in his classic egotistical state. This particular stretch of songs are fun too, they show the most striking resemblances to 80’s dance music. There is a bit of a contradiction since you would most likely be up dancing to the most toxic tracks of 2020.

During the last two tracks of the album, The Weeknd has come to the realization that he put every ounce of literal blood, sweat, and tears into basking in the glory of his fast pace lifestyle, as well as sulking in shame.

In Track 14, “Until I Bleed Out” we see an Abel who has been relapsing since he got to Vegas. Unlike any other song on the project, Abel shows signs of wanting to pick up his sobriety and regretting what he has done to his life. Sadly, the track ends abruptly, as Abel is slowly bleeding out. It seems as if our favorite new 80’s pop star’s short-lived run has come to an end.

After Hours was initially released with 14 tracks and no features. Two days later a deluxe version was released with five more songs, all remixes of songs already on the album. The deluxe version includes a feature from Lil Uzi Vert on the “Heartless (Vapor Wave Remix)”.

Three days after the album’s release, a music video for “In Your Eyes” was released. The opening scene shows Abel as he attacks a young couple in the elevator. He kills the man but somehow the girl ends up getting away. Abel spends the entire video chasing this young woman just for her to chop his head off. The chase showcases how Abel has chased women, fame, and all the other vices a celebrity like him is exposed to.

In the promo for the second deluxe version of this album, he is shown sporting a black suit, rather than the red suit jacket he’s had on since November. The murder kicks off the journey for a new version of himself, or for a new character in After Hours.

Abel released three new tracks over a week after the album's initial release. The tracks “Nothing Compares”, “Missed You”, and “Final Lullaby” were added to the second installment of the deluxe version for After Hours. When you’ve been an XO fan for as long as many have, you eventually come to learn that The Weeknd would never release any songs for aimless reasons. He values his art, which is why these songs were released after his video for track 10 “In Your Eyes.” Sonically, these tracks deviate from the rest of After Hours and with the change of suit, it’s fair to say “Nothing Compares,” “Missed You,” and “Final Lullaby” are our first introduction to this new version of Abel.

This new project is refreshing for The Weeknd’s hardcore fanbase, as well as music fans everywhere. With his picked-out afro, thick mustache, red suit and black serial killer gloves, it’s simply fun to see an artist like the Weeknd completely indulge himself into a new identity. When all is said and done, After Hours will end up being his most complete project.

Favorite tracks

Snowchild

Escape From LA

Save Your Tears

Rating: 9

Listen to After Hours here:

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