By Kate Coli

Dressed in a crisp red Joker-inspired suit, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) stumbles into a Las Vegas casino. The shining beat of his album’s lead single, “Heartless,” swirls in the background of the music video as Tesfaye looks up into the golden lights of the casino’s overhang. An oversized pair of dark-framed sunglasses shield the world from seeing the heartbreak from earlier that night buried in his eyes. He allows the lights to shimmer on the surface of his glasses for a brief moment before he breaks into a wide, psychotic smile. 

Photo credit: Anton Tammi via Abelardo Ju on Wikimedia Commons.

“Heartless” was the world’s first taste of Tesfaye’s cinematic, ‘80s-inspired project After Hours. Released on March 20, the fourteen-track album illustrates the tale of a character based on the darkest parts of Tesfaye’s personality.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Tesfaye started his career in 2011 with three dark R&B mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The three tapes were later remastered, combined, and released in 2012 under the name Trilogy. With endorsements from the likes of Drake, Tesfaye found his place in the spotlight with later works like 2013’s Kiss Land and 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, along with his own division of Universal Music Group, XO Records. Throughout his nine years in the music industry, Tesfaye has accumulated three Grammy awards and ten nominations, among other critical acclaim.

Tesfaye’s After Hours houses tracks that range from ballads to synth-heavy anthems that are reminiscent of his Kiss Land era. The producer list consists of many prominent names, from long-time Trilogy collaborator Illangelo to distinguished trap producer Metro Boomin. The project is cohesive both through sound and theme. Every song features shimmering instrumentals that are glazed over by lyrics with dark plotlines and deep remorse. My personal favorite tracks are “Faith,” “Snowchild,” “Escape from LA,” “Scared to Live,” and the title track. Grace Song (‘21) says that her favorite from the album is “Save Your Tears,” a catchy guitar-based song where Tesfaye masterfully paints an emotional moment between himself and a person of his past. Song says it stands out to her because “it sounds like something you could both listen to in the car with the windows down, but also cry to when you’re sad.” 

After listening to After Hours many times since the release date, I’m certain that the album will one day become a classic. “Scared to Live,” a tear-jerking ballad that interpolates Elton John’s “Your Song” in the chorus, is easily one of Tesfaye’s best vocal performances on the album. The song even got John’s endorsement, as he states in TIME Magazine that Tesfaye’s talent is “rare in pop.” Another stand-out from the album is “Faith,” a two-part song that shows Tesfaye’s character at his lowest. It features a pumping beat and flashing synths laced with lyrics about how unhealthy decisions have led him on a downward spiral where he is now hurting the people he loves. The end dilutes into an atmosphere of distant sirens and haziness that Tesfaye’s loose, yet emotional vocals float over. It then funnels into the record-breaking song of the year, “Blinding Lights,” which is yet another piece where upbeat production conceals a dark message. Tesfaye has put this strategy to work multiple times with other chart-topping songs, like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “In The Night,” both from 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness.

Tesfaye performing songs from Beauty Behind the Madness in 2015.
Photo credit: Kayla Johnson.

Released on November 29, 2019, “Blinding Lights” quickly became Tesfaye’s most successful song. As of September 22, the flashy fast-paced song broke the record for most weeks (28 at the time) in the top five on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It also won Tesfaye awards for Video of the Year and Best R&B at the VMAs. On top of its current critical acclaim, “Blinding Lights” is also in the running for Record of the Year at the 2021 Grammys. 

Tesfaye’s newest project is one of his best and has had tremendous commercial success. The combination of these two factors resulted in After Hours nabbing a nomination for Album of The Year at the 2021 Grammys. Its competition includes Harry Styles’ Fine Line, Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake, Roddy Ricch’s Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, and Taylor Swift’s Folklore. While these four albums feature catchy TikTok hits like Ricch’s “The Box” and Lil Uzi’s “Myron,” none of the projects contain the cinematic aspect that Tesfaye worked so hard to incorporate into After Hours. Chris Willman from Variety predicts Tesfaye’s success at the Grammys, saying that “After Hours” is really the only contender you could bet the family jewels on without blinking an eye.” 

In an interview with Jem Aswad from Variety, Tesfaye says, “I felt like I went overboard with the ambition” on the project. His statement most likely refers to the strands of music videos that are more like mini-movies. However, his ambition and cinematic flare are just two of the things that set his project apart from his contenders. 

After Hours is not only an album. It is an experience. Sonically, it crosses the line between pop and his dark R&B roots, while lyrically, it is raw self-reflection. Tesfaye’s red-suited character embodies this story of evolution, pain, and emotion with ease. After almost seven months of Tesfaye’s creative success, it is no longer a question if After Hours is the Album of The Year. 

Listen to After Hours below.