Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd: Album Review
A death on many levels
This is a milestone! It’s my first review of an LP that isn’t primarily hip-hop-centric (IGOR comes close, but “NEW MAGIC WAND” and “WHAT’S GOOD” still exist.) I initially strayed away from evaluating pop albums out of the fear that I won’t be able to provide good enough commentary on them, but Playboi Carti is on this project, so I think I’m confident in my abilities now.
It’s pretty fitting that I just finished writing up my review of Mac Miller’s Balloonerism. Two weeks after his estate dropped that posthumous project that heavily centers around death, The Weeknd followed suit with his Hurry Up Tomorrow, a 22-song almost movie-like album that also heavily discusses death. Just as Mac parallels the afterlife to the feeling of drugs, Abel draws a comparison between the death of his The Weeknd persona and a person’s physical death.
That’s not all there is to this album, though. It has some deeply religious undertones and personal messages to God himself. He speaks very strongly about his feelings and his past relationships in both positive and negative lights. The album is also deeply sexual, but all its discussion of it is accompanied by an undertone of deep emotions like sadness or regret. And most of all, the lyrical content is an incredible tribute that Abel uses to part ways with his The Weeknd alter-ego.
Production-wise, Hurry Up Tomorrow is the album that has my favorite sound of the year so far. It’s incredible how almost all of the tracks on this album would be a banger in both the gym and in a club, and how soothing, emotional vocals are paired with heart-pumping, thrilling electronic instrumentals. The only thing I can’t get behind on this album is the cover art. Either edition. They’re both so unimaginably freaky, especially the first version that looks like Ty Dolla $ign in his XXL Freestyle.
“Wake Me Up” is an incredible opener. It’s split into two halves: the slower, darker beginning and the more fast-paced and melodic closing section. It comes out of the gate discussing its theme of death, specifically The Weeknd’s fear of dying alone:
I'm all alone when it fades to black
Fades to black
This first section is a really nice opener which feels almost cinematic with its instrumental, that sounds like an electronic symphony of countless different sounds which each contribute to an amazingly dark tone.
The second section is unimaginably catchy, which reminds me of the popular Weeknd songs from the time around 2015-2017 (stuff like “Can’t Feel My Face”), which is really the only impression I had of him going into this album apart from features on other rappers’ songs. The theme of rebirth, which becomes really important as he discusses the death of his “The Weeknd” character, appears a lot—this is quite obvious, as the name of the song itself is “Wake Me Up,” and the chorus of the song itself follows this imperative up with “it feels like I’m dying.” It fits amazingly.
The next song is “Cry For Me,” which I actually am a bit disappointed in the production for, since the Brazilian funk-inspired sound of the intro (a variation of which appears in this project’s next track “São Paolo”) sounded incredible to me on first listen, only for them to mostly disappear when the synths kick in.
I do enjoy this song a lot lyrically, though. It has a Bruno Mars “Grenade”-esque message about whether or not a lover would cry for their partner, a care which he holds but is not sure if the woman he’s dating is reciprocating.
The secondary theme of the song, surrounding the juxtaposition between glorious fame and deep sorrow, is also very compelling. Lines like “I wash my fears with whiskey tears” and “In this penthouse prison, I'm alone” are great writing, as well as his expressions regarding his fans in the second verse:
I disappear
Don't interfere, the end is near
The crowd'll scream
I block my ears to stop the cheers
'Cause the stage took a toll
Been faded on the floor
“São Paolo,” which comes after a interlude where Abel loses his voice (something that actually did happen in real life), is a really weird case. On the one hand, it’s a song that’s almost impossible to hate because the production and sound is so nice, but on the other hand, it’s just an entire track about being sexually submissive. Anitta’s vocals are catchy, but they do get quite repetitive, and I’ll spare you the translation of what she’s saying—I’ll just tell you to make sure you’re not looking it up in public. I will say it follows the same theme as Abel’s verse, which reads:
Every time I try to pray you away, you got me on my knees
I surrender at your feet, baby, put it all on me
This song peaks in its second half, when the production varies up a little bit and we get The Weeknd’s vocals layered on top of Anitta’s.
As much as I want to hate on this song lyrically and on how repetitive it can get, it’s just an amazing track that I had on repeat from the moment it first came out.
(also i watched the live performance of this and Anitta is pretty as hell so 10/10 fs)
Then following yet another instrumental interlude, we get “Baptized in Fear.” After the speedy excitement of the first five tracks, this is where the album finally slows down. And it does it really effectively, pairing a slower electronic beat to some very heavy vocals from The Weeknd. The best way I can describe this is that it sounds like something that would play in a ballroom in the year 2500. It has that patient, almost romantic quality to its vocal delivery and sound.
The lyrics are a lot darker than the more neutral production would initially let on. The first verse is literally just about Abel dying in a bathtub, and the chorus is about how he feels death is nearing ever closer.
I fell asleep in the tub, I was met with paralysis
My foot hit the faucet, water started flowing in
Couldn't scream for help, I just slowly felt the pressure hit
Moving one toe was the only form of motion left
Can't breathe for air, can't breathe
Trying to remember everything that my preacher said
Tryna right my wrongs, my rеgrets filling up my head
All the timеs I dodged death, this can't be the way it ends, no
Figure in the corner I can't quite see (Quite see)
I just know the shadow's staring at me
It gets closer, it gets closer, it gets closer now
This is probably also the place where the dual theme of death is introduced to the project: whenever Abel discusses death in this album, it almost always addresses both actual death and the end of his The Weeknd character. Being “Baptized in Fear” of such an event happening to him so early in life clearly affects him, and it really shows through his writing and his voice in this song.
This song undoubtedly wins the award for best transition—there are a lot of good ones on the album, but this one clearly stands out above the rest. It’s a faster extension of the previous song, kind of like a catharsis that Abel may be experiencing after his brush with death in the last track.
But it’s clear that he still holds reservations: though the title speaks of “Open Hearts,” The Weeknd makes it very clear that “it’s never easy falling in love again.” The upbeat, fast-paced, almost dance-like character of this track masks the very dark lyrical content. Abel discusses his past habits of self-harm as well as his failure to open his heart like the title of the song is commanding him to.
Where do I start
When I open my heart?
Cover my scars (Cover my scars)
When I open my arms (Open my arms)
This might be my favorite track production-wise on the album. There is a huge presence of dance-like instrumentals in the project, and this is pretty clearly the best one—if I could describe it any way, it would be the song that plays as you’re getting chased across the dance floor at a party.
This is, unfortunately, my least favorite track on the album. The instrumental, which includes sounds like the dialing of numbers on a phone, feels really odd, almost akin to Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “NOKIA” (full hate watch review coming next week), which I didn’t particularly enjoy.
Aside from the odd production, the track is exceedingly short at barely a minute and a half long. Lyrically, it’s akin to a dialogue between Abel and his romantic partner, which is done several times a lot better on the album already.
The album’s worst track is followed by its most unusual one, which I didn’t hate but was a little jarred by for sure. The song begins with an almost folk-like production, the kind of background music that would pair with one of those “just a chill guy” memes from last November. I would not have been shocked if all of a sudden I heard the crowing of a rooster and the chirping of songbirds in the intro.
The lyricism is pretty interesting though. He describes fame as a “gilded cage” that he’s trapped in, and talks a lot about his reflections, seeming to almost call back to the classic tale of Narcissus—consumed and trapped by his appearance.
Reflections lookin' back at me
They're smilin', they're smilin'
I'm trapped inside a gilded cage
A golden blade I'm sharpening
After a quick intermission coming in the form of what’s presumably a voicemail from his partner, we get the weirdest Travis Scott verse of maybe all time. His voice is deep to a Playboi Carti or Future level—this made him unrecognizable to me when I first heard the track when it dropped in January. I think this verse was kind of disappointing, as we get any of the signature Travis Scott vocal inflections, along with the lyrics just not being much to write home about. Then, like in UTOPIA’s “PARASAIL,” I just don’t think Travis sounds right over this type of production.
“Enjoy The Show” is the first song to describe drug use in heavy detail. We’ve seen flashes through the rest of the album, (it seems to be the logical way Abel got into the situation he was in during “Baptized in Fear,”) but this is the first time we truly see all the emotions and feelings associated with it.
Future is featured on this track, doing things like calling back to The Weeknd’s first real hit song “Can’t Feel My Face,” but his presence really doesn’t change much. This is one of the first times I’m honestly unhappy with a feature, since I think Abel’s performance on this song is infinitely better and carries a lot more emotional weight (“I just wanna die when I'm at my fuckin' peak.”)
The production on here is actually below par for the album, nothing very memorable. The more complex second half is a little entertaining, though.
This song actually pulls a bit of a Kanye West with the soul sample in the beginning and during the intermission between the two sections of the song. I enjoy the first half immensely, but the second half’s slower production doesn’t really do it for me.
The second half’s lyrics are definitely interesting, though, since it introduces the religious theme to the album with Abel talking directly to God.
Ooh, Lord
I want your company (Eh)
Ooh, oh, Lord, oh, Lord
Don't you give up on me
Mercy-cy me
Oh, Lord, my company
The first half is a surefire highlight, but the second half does take this track down a notch in my opinion. It’s kind of unfortunate, since the instrumental break that closes the track is definitely entertaining and an interesting idea.
I didn’t think I would like this song when I first listened to it. It’s kind of the inverse of the previous track, as it starts with just The Weeknd’s vocals over some very simple production but adds more instruments as it progresses. On my second listen, I warmed up to it a lot more, especially with the more classical R&B sound and verses about the Drake beef, something I did pay a lot of attention to over the last year.
It’s kind of funny to see his conflicting perspectives on the beef within the same verse—both highlighting his victimization while also threatening retaliation. It feels like a little angel and devil on his shoulders pulling him in two different directions.
And they try to fuckin' kill me, spreadin' misinformation
Tryna paint me a villain
Guess I did it to myself, man, this business life pimping
Who can tell me the difference?
Dealt with scarier situations, I had nowhere to live in
And I eviscerate my enemies and piss on they grave, yeah
And I swear I’m gon' do it, I know
“Timeless” is decent, if not a little overrated. I mainly enjoy Carti over his own production or very hype, fast-paced beats at least. This is the first time I’ve really seen him over a normal rap/R&B type beat since his early days, which I didn’t particularly like him in (I think “Magnolia” is pretty heavily overhyped).
The song is pretty entertaining, but not very memorable. I think Carti’s verse is just fine, and Abel kind of just repeats the same ideas, so it’s very above average overall. I do think it’s really funny that Carti references the “I put da rick on onyx” meme when he says “I put ma son in some Rick.” It was later said that this song was ghostwritten since Carti’s name wasn’t in the writing credits, which does make sense since I don’t think Carti is chronically online enough to understand that meme.
The production on this song is probably its biggest draw for me, since the electronic piano notes and the electronic orchestra (a recurring production motif in this project) in the instrumental complement the almost robotic melody that is Carti’s voice.
“Niagara Falls” is just pretty average, honestly. It’s another slower love ballad, something that’s already done a lot more movingly by certain verses on other songs. I don’t particularly like the choice to put the chipmunk-sounding pitched-up vocals in the background of this instrumental since they do sound pretty jarring.
The lyrics also don’t exactly innovate much, since they use the theme of “you were better off with me” that’s already been done countless times. My favorite part of this song is the transition into the next track, which we can just move on to right now.
“Take Me Back to LA” sounds beautiful. It opens after a declaration of Abel’s desire to “go back in time” as the closing words in the previous track. It’s a better song about reflections than the actual track titled “Reflections Laughing,” funnily enough. There are a lot of highlights to this piece.
First is the production. It’s a medium-paced, dance-like funk melody that sounds like a club DJ got his hands on a Bruno Mars song and did some funny electronic twisting. It’s something that perfectly matches his vocals in tempo and mood.
The lyrics are also interesting, highlighting more of the conflicting personality we first saw on “I Can’t Wait To Get There.” Just a verse after he declares “It's better when I'm by myself,” he immediately does a 180 and says “I hate it when I'm by myself.” This song is also apparently an extension of a previous track, “Escape From LA,” which I unfortunately have not listened to so I won’t comment on. But it’s a very enjoyable listen nonetheless.
“Big Sleep” is a pretty interesting case because I enjoy exactly one element of the song: the cinematic-sounding synths in the bridge that repeat through some of the rest of the track. That’s what’s most compelling about the song for me for sure.
The lyricism is also worth touching on. The verses are akin to some sort of eulogy-deathbed confession hybrid delivered at the close of his time as The Weeknd:
Well, you used up your borrowed life
And you wasted your borrowed time
Big sleep, big sleep
Well, you barely put up a fight
Ready for the forever night
Big sleep, big sleep, oh
The production is pretty sub-par for the rest of the song, though, and it definitely holds it back. But I still think this song is worth a repeat listen based on that epic-sounding bridge and some of the lyrical highlights.
“Give Me Mercy” is your run-of-the-mill pop song. The production feels pretty uninspired for this album, which has had some huge highlights in the rest of its runtime. Abel’s vocals also sound pretty standard as well. Don’t get me wrong—the song is quite catchy and entertaining, it’s just a bit out of place on this project.
I think this song signals a pretty huge shift to the religious-centered second half of the album. It begins the pattern started in “Big Sleep,” which referenced angels, and the ask for forgiveness from a higher power in this track is a really common theme in a lot of religious scripture and belief. It feels like The Weeknd is just confessing a lot of his sins, and I think as a result, this track has more value in the storyline of the album than as an individual song.
This is a pretty nice breath of fresh air after the very dark stretch of the album that we’ve just gone through. It’s a very upbeat dance song that’s incredibly optimistic compared to any other song on the LP. It probably represents the Weeknd persona’s last-ditch attempt at happiness and survival in the wake of his feeling that he needs to die in order for Abel to progress forward.
The track uses “driving” as a way to represent continual life—activating a car is like turning The Weeknd back on as a part of his psyche:
You'll always be a part of me
Just turn the key
I just want to drive, I just want to drive tomorrow
I just want to drive, I just want to drive tomorrow (I just want to drive)
The most notable thing to come off this track is the one-liner that really encapsulates the main message of the album: “Fame is a disease.” It’s a beautiful summation.
The last four songs of this album need to be studied, since they are a near-flawless run that act as a perfect sendoff to The Weeknd.
The piano that starts this song is genuinely so amazing—brings me back to my days of sweating the piano in middle school. It has the quality of raindrops. It’s also paired with a great Weeknd verse where he walks us through the reasons why he wanted to keep his alter-ego despite knowing it may not be the best for him.
I tried my best to not let you go
I don't like the view
From halfway down
Just promise me that it won't be slow
Will I feel the impact of the ground?
When the synths kick in on the rest of the song, I will admit I like the production a little bit less. This half of the song actually has a Lana Del Rey feature, which was kind of disappointing because I’ve heard good things about her music and her verse on this song is just her saying the same thing over and over. I think the value of her verse is more so the layering of her vocals alongside The Weeknd’s. Their vocals carry the second half, where the instrumental gets a bit boring.
This song’s production sounds like a late-2010s Geometry Dash level (I know that’s a reference like 2 of you will get), but it’s so movie soundtrack-sounding and I really enjoy that. You could speed up this song and put it as the audio for a LeBron edit, and that says a lot about how hyped this gets me.
This song is spoken from the perspective of his mother, and it introduces a parallel between him ending his Weeknd persona and a parent putting their child to sleep. It references the atrocities that his mom escaped in her home country of Ethiopia decades ago, and how she protected Abel through all his childhood.
Oh, you were never heavy, light just like a feather
I ran from the terror, the ground was red from the led
You were never scary, I knew you were special
My only intention, alone, I left to the west
Then moved to the city, eight months, we wеre pregnant
You came out so prеcious, in the snow, you would grow
Your mama loves you, you'll never be alone
This song is incredibly entertaining and goes really hard.
“Without a Warning” pretty fittingly near-shares a name with 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin’s 2017 album because it’s the closest the production on this album gets to a trap beat. In the first section, there are a few moments when the familiar 808s of a Future or early Travis song enter the production. I already like the acoustic guitar action that dominates the first section of the song, so the bites of trap we get through the rest of its duration is makes it even more satisfying for me as someone who primarily listens to the hip-hop genre.
The second half gets a lot more introspective, though. There’s a recurring motif of a crowd on this project, since Abel cites the moment he lost his voice and was unable to sing at a concert as one of the reasons why he realized he had to abandon The Weeknd and begin making music under his own name. Through the rest of the album, he’s been very firm about this choice—thinking that the expectations and pressure would dissipate with his moniker—but this is the first time we see reservations.
How do I know tomorrow's coming?
Especially when I always kiss the sky
Especially when I always chase the high
I don't suppose tomorrow's coming (How will I know, baby?)
This was a near-perfect penultimate track. The repetition of “hope you’ll love me ‘till my final day” works really well as a tribute to his Weeknd character.
This song doesn’t have as much of an impact on me as someone who really hasn’t listened to much else of The Weeknd’s content. Despite that, it’s still a really satisfying conclusion to his final chapter.
This is a full religious ballad—he prays for God to wash his sins away in the first verse, then extends the idea of saving his innocence and wanting to go to heaven. If you removed the electronic production from this track and put a choir in its place, you could probably play it during a sermon. (is that how sermons work?)
This song has no shortage of great one-liners and emotional messaging. My favorite is definitely “But now I'm drownin' in the same tub where I learned how to swim,” a reference to how his fame and singing prowess (his “swimming”) is the same thing that pushed him into a sinful lifestyle that could doom him to hell (the “drowning”) akin to the fear Kendrick had in DAMN.
The idea of wanting to see heaven and fearing the afterlife is a great theme that was executed amazingly in this album. The fact that this song transitions perfectly into the first song Abel made as The Weeknd is a nice touch as well to close out the album.
It’s pretty disappointing that this was the first full project I’ve ever listened to from The Weeknd. I really thoroughly enjoyed his production, vocals, and even his lyricism, something that I was a bit shocked to see given my image of him as a feature artist. It centered around some very compelling and interesting themes, backing them up with great production and mood-setting. Overall, very entertaining experience.
Ratings:
Wake Me Up: 9/10
Cry For Me: 8/10
São Paolo: 10/10
Baptized in Fear: 8/10
Open Hearts: 10/10
Opening Night: 6/10
Reflections Laughing: 7/10
Enjoy The Show: 8/10
Given Up On Me: 7/10
I Can’t Wait To Get There: 9/10
Timeless: 8/10
Niagara Falls: 7/10
Take Me Back To LA: 10/10
Big Sleep: 8/10
Give Me Mercy: 7/10
Drive: 7/10
The Abyss: 9/10
Red Terror: 9/10
Without a Warning: 9/10
Hurry Up Tomorrow: 9/10
Best:
Take Me Back To LA
São Paolo
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Worst: Opening Night
Final Rating: 8.3/10