Imagine being stuck inside during a pandemic with nothing to do… everyone is tired of the old movies and music and morale is running low. Now imagine, an Angel (we shall call him The Weeknd) comes down and gifts us with a musical masterpiece: a perfectly drafted album to keep us entertained for hours on end as we listen and bask in the sweet bliss of new music.
We, the people of the world in 2020, do not have to imagine this because it actually happened, and I am here today to give you the rundown of this album.
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weekend, is a thirty year old singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. His music ranges from R&B and pop, to hip hop. The Weeknd released his fourth studio album After Hours on March 20th, 2020. The album is 56 minutes long, featuring fourteen songs.
After Hours is quite different from his last album Starboy which came out in 2016. Starboy featured many artists including Lana Del Rey and Daft Punk- After Hours however, has no features. The album does however sample Elton John’s “Your Song” on the track “Scared to Live”. Other notable songs include singles “Heartless”, “Blinding Lights,” and “In Your Eyes”.
The critics are saying the album gives off an 80’s synth-pop vibe and is accredited to be his most cohesive album to date.
Find the full track list below:
- Alone Again
- Too Late
- Hardest To Love
- Scared To Live
- Snowchild
- Escape From LA
- Heartless
- Faith
- Blinding Lights
- In Your Eyes
- Save Your Tears
- Repeat After Me (Interlude)
- After Hours
- Until I Bleed Out
The Weeknd celebrated his release with a Spotify listening session. The event streamed live to anyone tuned in with a Spotify account at 12am EST. Despite unsettling conditions and many being locked in quarantine, The Weeknd’s fans were still ready to party with him when the album dropped.
After Hours can be streamed on Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Music
written by: Jennifer Lazarowitz (@jlazarowitz_)