By ORION BAKER/Columnist
Hello and welcome back! I’m Orion, and after some consideration, I decided to look at more popular albums to build up the audience and then get the recommendations going. The form for recommendations is here, so please submit it to help this column. This week’s album is a unique one, as it’s Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd’s supposed last studio album: “Hurry Up Tomorrow”.
Some Context
Released on Jan. 31, 2025, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is Tesfaye’s last studio album under The Weeknd. It functions as the third and final part of the trilogy with “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.”
In an interview with W Magazine, Tesfaye states, “I’m going through a cathartic path right now. It’s getting to a place and a time when I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will.”
With over 125 million listeners on Spotify, Tesfaye is one of the biggest artists in the world, winning over 150 awards, four Grammys and multi-platinum records. He has grown to be one of music’s current biggest success stories.
He began releasing music in 2009 anonymously on YouTube. His name, The Weeknd, comes from him leaving his home during the weekend and also dropping out of high school. Much of his early work is very dark, due to the substance abuse and homelessness he faced. However, through his struggles and his consistency with music, he was discovered by producer Jeremy Rose in 2011, and then Drake through blog posts. From there for Tesfaye, it’s only been up.
With a story of rags to riches, Tesfaye’s story is inspirational for many artists, showing that anyone can truly do it. Yet, the question remains: does he end The Weeknd on a high note?
The Review
This album is enjoyable, but it feels bloated and honestly repetitive. If you asked me whether some of these songs were on “After Hours” or “Dawn FM,” you probably would’ve fooled me. Despite this, I think that is the point as it is part of a trilogy.
The 80s synths and more modern pop/hip-hop sounds are common for his more recent works, and while I don’t dislike the sound of this album, I just wished he went on a more distinct path for his official last work as The Weeknd.
With 24 songs, two interludes and a slew of familiar and new faces and sounds, this album is a big undertaking for Tesfaye, but it is not unusual for his output volume in past albums.
Across this album, the idea of Tesfaye going back to his older self is brought up frequently, but he really doesn’t do that. While his older works were more grim, their production and uniqueness at that time were honestly great compared to Hurry Up Tomorrow. While some tracks do stand out, most tracks sound the same sonically. Despite this, he does play with some unfamiliar sounds with experimentation on tracks like “São Paulo” where he plays with Brazilian funk with Brazilian artist Anitta.
The story of this album delves into the retirement of The Weeknd and the future of Tesfaye. He reflects on his past—including his substance abuse, his relationships, his career, and his living situation—and begins a new chapter in his life, away from the success of The Weeknd. It shows his journey of personal and professional growth.
The features on this album are fun, though. With appearances from Justice, Anitta, Travis Scott, Future, Florence + The Machine, Playboi Carti, Lana Del Rey, and Giorgio Moroder. The features aren’t inherently long, but they add a fun layer to these tracks. Some tracks are great, with stands out being Carti and Future; meanwhile, some tracks fall short, ie. Anitta and Giorgio Moroder.
Another note is that the transitions between songs are just alright. They flow well, but I wish they connected with the story Tesfaye was trying to tell. For example, the transitions in “Dawn FM” with Jim Carrey acting as God was fun and helped build a narrative around the album. It made it feel connected. Whereas here, the songs flow well together but don’t add to anything substantial.
Scoring and Conclusion
Score: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: Cry For Me, I Can’t Wait To Get There, Timeless (ft. Playboi Carti)
Least Favorite Tracks: Big Sleep (ft. Giorgio Moroder), Red Terror, São Paulo (ft. Anitta)
Overall, this album—while fun—is somewhat repetitive and bloated at points with great features and new sounds. While Tesfaye doesn’t end on a high note, I think it’s a good note to end this chapter in his career. Also, this review is based on my first listen, and I imagine this will more likely than not continue growing on me. Most of his work has done so in the past.
And that’s that! As I said in the beginning, requesting/recommending stuff for me to review helps keep this column going. So, if you want to of course, you can fill out this form, and maybe you’ll see it in the next Duke Reviews.
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