Released March 20, 2020
7 / 10
Favorites
Alone Again, Faith, Blinding Lights, Until I Bleed Out
Least favorites
Scared To Live, Escape From LA
Abel Tesfaye's fourth LP finds him forebodingly introspective, as if standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking a field of romantic desolation. Like a general after a battle, he struggles with the meaning behind the emotional sacrifice: was it completely necessary? Musically, The Weeknd's brand of spectral hedonistic RnB has evolved from its large-scale introduction to the world with the collection of EPs within "Trilogy" into a slicker formula meant for widespread appeal. "After Hours" is melodramatic in a very peculiar fashion: the record is both sharp and blurry at the same time. As announced by Abel himself ahead of the album release, it's not "daytime music", rather a testament to his coping mechanisms as he documents "a new brain melting psychotic chapter". Vocals are fresh, production flourishes aplenty and the texts are full of nuggets and nods to his previous work - to an extent where even Taylor Swift could borrow a page from Abel's book. Notably, no other artist is ostentatiously featured on the record, yet "After Hours" is a product of collaboration - production- and songwriting- wise - with well-established figures like Metro Boomin and Max Martin. "After Hours" is a deft player of the blame game. Abel oscillates between taking responsibility for how his actions affected ex-lovers and finding external factors to place the blame on; most prominently the city of Los Angeles. Pop music's most beloved antihero takes ownership of his share of responsibility for relationship struggles in *Hardest To Love*. He marvels at the fact his lover possibly still wants him and hasn't stopped calling him up after all he's done to hurt her. The Max Martin co-write boats a plaintive melody to drum & bass in a musical fabric so dense you could cut through it with a knife. The marriage between the lament and the speed of the beat works nicely yet somehow the track feels a bit lengthy despite its relatively short 3:30 min span. On *Scared To Live*, he goes as far as admitting his selfishness in trying to keep his ex by his side way longer than he should have. The song interpolates the iconic "I hope you don't mind" line from Bernie Taupin and Elton John's "Your Song" (who are both given writing credits). The slow-paced track sounds brutally honest and the composition doesn't distract from the lyrics - "I'm the reason you forgot to love" deserves to be heard loud and clear. Sonically, it's a mixed bag for me, I'm not a fan of this new Abel Phil Tesfaye-Collins. *Too Late* sees Abel struggling with taking the blame. He apologizes for messing things up while discreetly deflecting ("I can't trust where I live anymore"), suggesting paparazzi and clout culture gets the better of him. The track pulsates to an ominous backdrop that lets his vocals echo. It feature dizzying landscapes that are hard to sustain: the bridge gets into a bizarre head-scratching pop mode that feels completely unwarranted. Nevertheless *Escape From LA*, as its title suggests, wins first place on the podium of blame. LA is definitely the villain of "After Hours". The lethargic track makes Abel sound bitter to a beat I wouldn't be surprised to hear Kehlani on: I wonder if Bella Hadid stopped calling after hearing the lines "Gave you everything you wanted / Gave you power, gave you life, gave you space so you can shine / Gave you everything you wanted / But none of that matters to you". Overall the track doesn't stand out for the best of reasons; musically it's just another pretty generic song in The Weeknd's catalog. The Weeknd has clearly honed his craft over the past decade: "After Hours" successfully sounds simultaneously eclectic and cohesive. The tracks appear grown beyond experimentation with different sounds; more like siblings that breathe electronic and synth soundscapes in and out. Album opener *Alone Again* addresses substance abuse issues and an overdose scare from the jump. It also announces the saturated echo chambers and snaring beats "After Hours" is rampant with. Pulsating synth arpeggios drip with warning on a background of grainy vinyl sound, resonating shimmer and sounding cavernous at the same time. Abel came up with a really mesmerizing track that mesmerizes, sobers and dizzies all at once. *Faith* is also on brand, addressing the desensitization through drugs and the aftermath of use ("When I'm coming down is the most I feel alone"). The song grows more urgent as it progresses, with adroit vocal distortions that alternate between Abel's signature feathery falsetto and a deeper commanding chant. Another highlight of the album is its second lead single, *Blinding Light*. A nod to the Starboy era, the up-tempo electro pop, 80s inspired synth-led bop continues where *Faith* ended. The rotating lights of the ambulance carrying ODying Abel have transformed into the lights of fame and excess. It has to be the album's catchiest song (and the charts have clearly picked up on that). The synth play is shiny and piercing, building a welcome contrast between its thump and the desperation of the lyrics. The record can be hard to follow thematically but you have to realize it was intended that way. At times it sounds like a break-up album, then it takes unexpected turns and sheds light on a tension between the man Abel was and the man he is becoming through text and music; a twilight zone of sorts. Lead single *Heartless* indulges into a persona that feels at odds with a lot of the other tracks. Metro Boomin's imprint is all over the track's production, playing into his strengths to get the song to perform well commercially. The Weeknd flexes financial success and fame, the exact things he spends the bulk of the album complaining about. Sonically, *Heartless* is captivating, through its sick beat to the bridge that shows relative vulnerability and allows the listener to rest a bit. Almost schizophrenically, Abel pleads for another chance with his ex on *Save Your Tears*. He's aware he doesn't necessarily deserve it but can't help himself from asking anyway. Another synth-heavy track, it doesn't bring out something particularly fresh to the album at this point but provides easily digestible enjoyment. He then sounds manipulative as he tries to hypnotize his ex into remembering who he says she truly loves. *Repeat After Me* is co-produced by Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), opening with a gauzy haze of vocals that lead to a beat that clashes with Abel's diction. Vocal effects don't do anything flattering for his voice either. The track is a Frankenstein monster, too rough around the edges to fit well in the wee hours evoked by its surrounding tracks. Picking the ball where it's been dropped, the title track features a beat that immediately brings Gesaffelstein to mind. It's an apology letter for past transgressions that moves toward a desire for reconciliation. Nearing the end of the album, his promises sound hollow - we've already been warned by Abel himself that he tends to make promises he can't keep. It's the longest track on "After Hours", upwards of 6 min, but The Weeknd manages to keep interest and attention up during this whole time. Not a home-run - I mean why in the world are the lyrics "I wanna share babies" in there - but a pretty good track nonetheless. "After Hours" is aptly named: the music flows in and out of consciousness, reminding you of the end of a long night when there is nothing left to do but go home. At times we get to hear glimpses of the party itself, but most of what is shared with us is the uncomfortable aftermath; the moment you don't like being reminded of, when you ask yourself if you're not getting too old to keep this up.
Favorite lyrics
"I ended up in the back of a flashing car With the city shining on my face The lights are blinding me again"
Faith
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