Nearly five years after Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd made the transition from R&B’s underground critical darling into pop world’s leading expert in a very dour and emotive hemisphere, the long-awaited album finally makes its arrival. ‘After Hours’ marks his first full-length album since the wildly successful ‘Starboy’, a release that saw it’s singles almost define the trends of music in the year of 2016. Since then, Abel has remained relatively quiet, making minimal guest appearances and having all but one solo adventure through the likes of his 2018 EP ‘My Dear Melancholy,’. It’s no surprise that given the lack of presence from one of pop’s former biggest names the arrival of his newest project is nothing short of monumental, with its initial announcement and subsequent promotion via singles completely shaking the game.
What becomes unbearably evident upon both the rollout and arrival of The Weeknd’s newest album is the sheer amount of growth and versatility he has attained via his absence. Much like his past releases, each indicating not only stellar waves of success for The Weeknd but a flow-on effect that would help define the era of music at the time, ‘After Hours’ looks equally as ready to be a potent release to catapult The Weeknd into yet another career-defining movement. Primed with cumulative influences from his two most arguably successful eras, those being the work previewed on both ‘Trilogy’ and ‘Starboy’, The Weeknd finds an avenue in which his appeal to both the extreme audiences of R&B and pop can relish in his new formed sound.
The album’s opening track ‘Alone Again’ wastes no time in establishing the core thematic tropes and sonic offerings of the albums. Ushered in by the mystifying and shimmering synths the first sounds of the album establish the often used facade gimmick. Although sweet sounding in nature, the glossy synth work ultimately masks Abel’s lyrics, as he struggles to come to peace with his own identity. The opening track is a cinematic one, as the sound continues to evolve from there, swapping its glossy and welcoming appeals for a far more sinister and distorted one. The synthesisers added to Abel’s’s voice add an intoxicating quality to the track as he remains in a confused and out of body state in order to scrap together his life. The production is downright filthy, left to release any residual tension from opening moments of the track the instrumental is elevated through the grimy synths and violent levels of reverb. Having the vocals devolve into inaudible wailing, merging with the pulsating and riveting synth work manages to tie the opening track together in a bundle of distorted glory.
Throughout the album, The Weeknd turns out a number of tracks that follow a similar route from its opener. Further expanding upon the extremely distorted and sinister sounds that audiences are immediately introduced to is the track ‘Faith’. Featuring production from Metro Boomin who has moments of brilliance across the record, the track is very much reliant on its multifaceted synth melodies. The most obvious being the constant thick, low wubbing that acts as the basis for the entirety of instrumental masterpiece. Additional synth melodies fade in and out creating a sense of absolute chaos at times, whilst at others serves as the cohesive measure to tie Abel’s vocals to the frantic instrumental. Abel relates the act of getting high and partying, his usual delights to an act of fading from one’s religious beliefs, again tieing in the greater idea of losing a sense of identity. Abel fits effortlessly into the track, soaring above the intense production with his angelic vocal refrains, at times feeling as if his voice even transcends the instrumental mix.
Whilst The Weeknd has no trouble in excelling within the realms of his past moody R&B shticks, the album highlights just how versatile and adaptable to new trends he has become. The most present of stylistic change-ups on the album is the evident influence of the synth/electro-pop movement that defined the 80s. No track is this influence more celebrated than on ‘Blinding Lights’. Built upon an abundance of synths that burst with colour and energy as well as a steady bass that provides an inescapable groove the track is a perfect call back to the music of past generations. The clean-cut, restraint synth in the verses are set free as the tension is unleashed in the chorus, with cascading synth melodies that evoke the demand for movement. Lyrically the track further builds on the idea of Abel being eternally lost, as he sings of a constant state of unease without the presence of his lover. Though the sonic values of the track focus on a far more glossy and glamourise sound, the lyrics continue to depict a rather flawed life. Abel vocally sounds fantastic on the track, fitting perfectly into the crisp production with his full tone and wistful long notes.
Further experimenting with the full-blown 80s synth-wave sound is the follow-up track ‘In Your Eyes’. The glorious synths return to further celebrate The Weeknd’s talents for creating such authentic sounds. The far more joyful and streaky synths match Abel’s sweet-toned vocals throughout the track. Buried within Abel’s vocal refrain is a far more vulnerable perspective than previously presented. The change of tone is one that accurately matches the lyrical content of the song as the narrative entails the wealth of joy experienced finally in the presence of a loved one, solely locked on her eyes. The real selling point of this song is the thick bass that envelops the track, constantly wubbing and keeping the infectious groove alive. The compositional genius of the song is further reinforced by the introduction of the sax solo which takes control of the track upon entry. So much so to the point, where The Weeknd himself is easily replaced by the instrument’s gracefulness and aggressive edge. The track is everything that made the electro-funk so glorious in the first place, an impeccable example of composition and marriage of instruments.
Not so much in the same vein of pop experimentation as the previous two examples, but it would feel wrong not to address the equally as varied ‘Heartless’. Bringing yet another example of The Weeknd’s knack to appeal to the heavily pop-oriented audience, the track exudes a sense of confidence and devilish charm that is unmatched throughout the record. Brought to life again by the talents of producer Metro Boomin the bass-heavy, exuberant cut rings true to the nature of a far more standard trap song, only on crack. Abel’s vocals assume a far more aggressive sound on the track, using his range to create piercing notes that just add to the ferocity of the track. The bridge of the track breaks the track down, seeing Abel shift from his braggadocious, confident stance to one of empathy and emotion in the face of a loved one. In collaboration with the aforementioned 80s inspired examples are part of the wave that is so derivative from the work that saw him shift into a far more radio-friendly oriented sound on ‘Starboy’ and attributes to his talents of meshing vastly different genres into one cohesive project.
Despite all the highs experienced on the album, there are minor interruptions with tracks that seem to pale in comparison and end up playing with concepts either too ambitious or not developed enough. The track ‘Too Late’ for example, maintains the core lush synth production, with its shimmering sounds and constantly evolving movements, the faults, however, stem from vocal aspects of the track. In an attempt to further develop the intoxicating tone Abel so heavily leans on throughout the record, the modifications made to his vocals instead lead to a sound so devoid of character. The completely synthetic vocals are far too pronounced in the mix and remove any and all charm Abels natural voice holds. Beyond this, the albums only other missteps stem from not complete songs, but rather decisions made in the production of tracks that fail to live up to the inventiveness and raw intensity of the rest of the album. Though taking a more personal and vulnerable stance, the emotional cut ‘Scared To Live’ is one of these tracks. Whilst it could be argued that the lack of production is an executive decision to allow Abels elegant vocals to shine through, the track truly feels like it needs a more supportive foundation in order to sell the emotional deep cut.
Trumping everything in this album, however, are the tracks that pull a wealth of inspiration from former The Weeknd sounds. It is at the hands of these few tracks that the album relishes in the dystopian sounding tropes that truly put The Weeknd on the map. ‘Escape From LA’ is one of the most narrative-driven cuts on the album, as Abel struggles to find solace in his lover, suggesting the LA landscape is by in large the reason for such constant confusion. The grimy and lethargic track is the embodiment needed in order for Abel to express just dark and empty his view on the world is. The constant intentionally unpolished sounds and wavering synths are the perfect soundtrack to the harsh reality of the LA lifestyle. Vocally, Abel’s ghostly voice adds to the sense of escapism and distanced view he holds on a place that has caused him to lose so much. Perhaps the most derivative of his work on ‘Trilogy’ the title track ‘After Hours’ is another cut that truly demonstrates the complexity of the album. The ghostly vocal refrains that echo throughout the track stain it with a permanent sense of isolation. He sounds emotionally drained and broken as he details his failed attempts at love, reflecting in his destructive mannerisms. The production, which is equally as haunting with its echoing synths and its unapologetically distorted movements work to make the track the most chilling on the album. This is a moment in which the mental denial and distractions of a lavish lifestyle simply won’t serve, as Abel is caught in a moment of reflection on his character.
With the title track being the song that binds together the mental breakdown and acceptance of the long drawn out mess The Weeknd so vividly depicts, it seems fitting that the conclusive track to the album ‘Until I Bleed Out’ is the complete decomposition of his physical being. The end of a relationship and attempt of escapism that has drawn from him every ounce of his being, Abel sounds sings of a world in which the pain, and consequently everything ends. Utilising his vocals to create yet again another ghostly and eerie melody, he sounds as if within his final moments he begins to ascend. The production aims to create this sense of beautiful chaos, with multiple synth melodies building upon each other methodically as the track progresses, beginning with a singular isolated one, and ending with a multifaceted arrangement of distortion. The track’s dying moments rest upon the shoulders of the eerier fade away, symbolising the end of the emotionally draining journey the album represents.
After years of silence The Weeknd has come through with an album that perfectly culminates his past musical endeavors into a cohesive project that sees fit for the musical landscape of today. ‘After Hours’ adopts and fully embraces all its dark undertones and refuses to shy away from its sinister imagery in order to successfully bring the tale of tragedy to life. Whilst the lyrical content on the album isn’t exactly foreign within the greater scope of The Weeknd’s repertoire, that narrative is vividly painted through the excellence of composition and track arrangement. Credit must be given when looking into the grand fusion of stylistic choices made throughout the album. Rather than following one avenue like past releases, the project dares to meld together tropes from past examples of genre exploration, all whilst never once getting convoluted or sacrificing the integral artistic direction of the album. On what may be deemed his most adventurous and emotionally attached album to date The Weeknd demonstrates exactly why he sustains such a revered position within the music world, constantly delving deeper into the roots that made him the act the world is familiar with today.
After Hours – 8/10
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