Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, ever since his first mixtape “House of Ballons” in 2011, has been one of the most successful and praised pop and R&B artists of the last two decades. His 2015 and 2016 albums, “Beauty Behind the Madness” and “Starboy” were major hits that solidified The Weeknd as a popstar, with several hit singles that still sit as some of his most played songs. His 2020 album, “After Hours” was critically acclaimed by both fans and critics alike; its ability to weave energetic 80’s-influenced synth-pop and slower R&B production with introspective, vulnerable, and moody lyrics about love, addiction, faith, and numerous other subjects made the album an instant hit, with one of the album’s singles, “Blinding Lights” becoming the most played song on of all time on Spotfy. 2022 saw the release of “Dawn FM,” which was highly praised as well for its continuation of many of the themes set up in After Hours, as well as its unique setting and narration.

In an Instagram post on Nov. 24, 2024, Tesfaye announced “Hurry Up Tomorrow” was set for a Jan. 24, 2025 release date but was later released on Jan. 31 due to the wildfires affecting California. Two of the album’s singles, “Timeless,” which featured trap artist Playboi Carti, and “São Paulo,” featuring Brazilian artist Anitta were released earlier in 2024, prior to the album’s announcement, and met with okay reception. 

The album continues off Dawn FM’s purgatory setting and takes many themes and styles from “After Hours” and “Dawn FM”, as well as styles from Tesfaye’s “Trilogy,” “Kissland,” and his other albums opening with the track “Wake Me Up,” produced by Justice. Immediate inspirations are seen here. The song opens with heavy, slow synths as Tesfaye reflects on his fame and legacy. The song’s beat switch about halfway through shows one of his main inspirations, Michael Jackson, with the song sampling Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Immediately on the first track, a Weeknd staple, and one of the album’s highlights is noticeable: the production. Hit producers like Mike Dean and Metro Boomin, who’ve worked with the Weeknd and other similar artists, are clearly visible within the album’s production and style, which is nothing short of stellar.

Continuing from “Wake Me Up”, the song “Cry For You” is a Brazillian funk-inspired pop hit. The Brazilian funk style is carried into the next full song, one of the album’s singles, “São Paulo.” “Hurry Up Tomorrow” continues with the synth-pop style that Tesfaye is known for for a few tracks, slowing down at “Baptized In Fear,” before returning to the pop hit style with “Open Hearts.” The ninth track, “Reflections Laughing” is where the shift in styles is seen in the album. “Reflections Laughing” is a significantly slower track, with use of acoustic instruments, a feature from Travis Scott, and a spoken section from Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. The feature run is continued into “Enjoy The Show,” which sees The Weeknd grappling with alcohol addiction, with a feature from rapper Future, who also features on the next track, “Given Up On Me.” “Given Up On Me” is an extra strong track; the short bit of vocals that future provides and the first half of the track being more trap-style, leading into the beat switch into a slow piano beat make the song incredibly unique.

Alongside the newer synthpop style that Abel is known for, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” takes inspiration from “Trilogy” as well. This is seen most in the second half of the album. Songs like “Big Sleep” and “The Abyss,” which features singer Lana Del Rey, and “Without A Warning” are slower, and generally more reflective than the first half. The second half of the album isn’t completely devoid of energy, though. The songs “Niagara Fall,” and the following track, “Take Me Back To LA,” a sort of sequel track to After Hours’ “Escape From LA,” are some of, if not the best synthpop tracks on the album, while still managing to contain reflective lyrics from Tesfaye.

The final song and title track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” is a masterful ending to not just this album, but the entire saga of the Weeknd. It’s written entirely by Tesfaye himself, unlike most of the other songs on the album. The song is, sonically, relatively simple, it’s mostly just a piano and some synths. Over the simple production, The Weeknd reflects on everything his albums have discussed, one last time, as he seeks redemption. The song ends, going into a slow synth, transitioning perfectly, if queued, into his first song ever, “High For This.”

Song segues, also one of the most beloved parts of “Dawn FM,” are another staple of “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” A majority of the album’s songs seamlessly transition into each other, either by themselves or through instrumental interludes. The transitions add a lot of cohesion to the album and cement the narrative being told.

Overall, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is a beautiful album that ends The Weeknd’s saga perfectly. The production is masterful, the lyrics and subject matter are impactful and diverse, the song transitions make for a strong narrative, and there’s a ton of diversity in the album’s genres and styles. The Weeknd’s “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is an 8.5/10. While it isn’t as good as “After Hours,” it’s still an incredible piece of work and storytelling, that anyone should listen to.