The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ marks the end of an era

Abel Tesfaye’s latest album revisits his signature themes but hints at a farewell.

The Weeknd performs at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on February 2, 2025. Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS/Getty Images

By Novanka Laras and Sarah Oktaviany

Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has always been an artist in motion. Over his decade-plus career, he has pushed the boundaries of his signature dark, electronic-infused R&B while staying commercially dominant. His latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is no exception. Spanning 22 tracks and 84 minutes, the project serves as both a retrospective of his career and a potential swan song for The Weeknd moniker.

The album explores his recurring themes—fame, self-destruction, and the allure of excess—while featuring longtime collaborators like Max Martin and Daniel Lopatin. While the music remains polished and immersive, the length and repetition raise questions about whether this farewell to The Weeknd is a triumphant send-off or an overstretched epilogue.

A journey through The Weeknd’s musical evolution

When Tesfaye first emerged in 2011, he was an enigma. His early mixtapes, including House of Balloons, captured a shadowy, intoxicating world of late-night hedonism. His debut album, Kiss Land (2013), solidified his cinematic approach to R&B, with themes of loneliness and indulgence.

As his career progressed, he found a way to merge his brooding aesthetic with mainstream appeal. Collaborations with Max Martin led to smash hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Blinding Lights,” making him a global superstar. By 2022, he was experimenting with concept albums, as seen in Dawn FM, which presented a radio-themed journey through purgatory.

Now, with Hurry Up Tomorrow, he circles back to his roots while acknowledging the wear and tear of fame. The result is an album that is as much a testament to his consistency as it is an exploration of his exhaustion with the persona he has built.

Revisiting familiar themes and sounds

From the opening track, “Wake Me Up,” The Weeknd sets the tone for an album steeped in nostalgia. The song, co-produced by French electronic duo Justice and Johnny Jewel, channels Thriller-era Michael Jackson, one of his biggest influences. The pulsating bassline and eerie synths evoke the moody, midtempo sound that has defined much of his career.

Tesfaye has long been obsessed with the romance of self-destruction, and that fixation remains central. On “Baptized in Fear,” he paints a vivid picture of impending doom:

"My foot hit the faucet, water started flowing in / Couldn’t scream for help / I just slowly felt the pressure hit."

These lyrics reference tragic celebrity deaths, reinforcing his long-standing fascination with doomed icons. Similarly, “Enjoy the Show” features Atlanta rapper Future and finds him reflecting on his mortality:

"No one thought I’d make it past twenty-four / And when the curtains call, I hope you mourn."

This self-mythologizing has always been a core element of The Weeknd’s artistry, but at this point in his career, it feels both compelling and slightly redundant.

A blend of excess and brilliance

Despite its thematic weight, Hurry Up Tomorrow isn’t without its lighter moments. “São Paulo,” a collaboration with Brazilian singer Anitta, brings a much-needed burst of energy with its syncopated, danceable rhythm. “Niagara Falls” stands out with its punchy beat and wistful lyrics about past indulgences in luxury hotels.

However, the album’s length becomes its greatest weakness. While each track offers something of value, they begin to blur together when consumed in one sitting. The highly processed voice of Giorgio Moroder chanting, “Pray the Lord my soul to keep” on “Big Sleep” adds theatrical flair, but too many tracks rely on the same atmospheric production and midtempo pacing.

Is this really the end of The Weeknd?

Tesfaye has hinted that this may be his final album under The Weeknd name, suggesting a shift toward a new creative direction. If that’s the case, Hurry Up Tomorrow serves as both a grand finale and a reflection on his journey.

The album’s excess is fitting—it embodies the overindulgence he has always sung about. Would a tighter, more concise version have had a greater impact? Perhaps. But for an artist who has always thrived on pushing limits, a maximalist approach feels appropriate.

Whether The Weeknd truly retires or reinvents himself remains to be seen. But if this is the end of the persona, Hurry Up Tomorrow ensures that he exits on his own terms, drenched in the same haunting melodies and seductive darkness that made him a global icon.

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