Review: 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' is the perfect note to end on

Listening to "Hurry Up Tomorrow," The Weeknd’s sixth studio album, which was released on Friday, feels like running through a spinning, neon city. 

Abel Tesfaye has built up a dark and troubled character through his music under the alter-ego, The Weeknd, with drugs, self-harm and satanic references as prevalent themes in his music. However, with the release of "Hurry Up Tomorrow," Tesfaye has signaled that he is ready to move beyond this persona.

"Hurry Up Tomorrow" is widely expected to be Tesfaye’s final album under his alias. 

This project is the third installation of an album trilogy, a journey through self-hatred, loneliness, regret and, finally, healing. This release has been heavily anticipated after the success of the first two albums in the trilogy, "After Hours" (2020) and "Dawn FM" (2022). 

Tesfaye is well known for his experimental production, which only became more frequent in his trilogy of albums. "After Hours" incorporates the use of the synthesizer, akin to the sound of many 1980's hits. 

The first album of the trilogy was the start of a unique sound that The Weeknd has nursed and cultivated to the point of eventual blossoming in "Hurry Up Tomorrow."

The album’s first song, “Wake Me Up,” seems to sample Giorgio Moroder’s "Scarface"theme, a descending, sinister baseline. This sets a dark scene before Tesfaye’s now signature synth makes its way into the track, opening up to a beat drop around half-way through the song. Tesfaye officially collaborates with Moroder later in the album on “Big Sleep.”

Nearly seamless transitions connect each track, guiding the listener through this production masterpiece, sitting at 22 songs and just under 85 minutes. 

The third track “I Can’t Fucking Sing,” is a 12-second act that refers to a real moment in Tesfaye’s career when his voice started cracking on stage, causing him to stop the performance and the crowd to boo. As a track that can only be listened to in context, it adds depth and vulnerability that strike beyond Tesfaye’s other works. 

This transitions directly into “São Paulo,” one of the singles released before the album release. Other singles included “Timeless” with Playboi Carti, and “Dancing in the Flames,” which did not make the final album cut. 

With the help of features from artists such as Travis Scott (“Reflections Laughing”) and Lana Del Rey (“The Abyss”), and producers such as Mike Dean (“Niagara Falls”), tracks move between melodic R&B, Brazilian funk and Tesfaye’s unique curated sound.

The length of the album is abnormal, considering the under-one-hour length of the previous two albums. While it doesn't quite qualify as easy listening, innovative transitions and the expansive production offers a soundscape that leaves little room for boredom. 

Another hint of the conclusion of Tesfaye's career as The Weeknd is represented through the city of Los Angeles. In "Escape From LA" ("After Hours") Tesfaye pleads for an escape and in "Take Me Back to LA" ("Hurry Up Tomorrow") he longs to return back to life before fame. 

The final and title track of the album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” is the most melodic song of the album, with Tesfaye’s voice soaring over single chord synths. 

In the song “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” Tesfaye asks for forgiveness, singing, “I hope that he's watching from up above, I'm done with the lies, I'm done with the loss, I hope this confession is enough.”

The final minute of the album includes heavenly vocals and growing synths until a wind-like sound whooshes the album to a close. This final song can be transitioned fluently into the first track of Tesfaye's first mixtape, "House of Balloons," yet another signal that The Weeknd has reached its end. 

"Hurry Up Tomorrow" is a deeply moving and stimulating album that will transport you to an exquisite world of beat and sound, and if this is in fact the last album that Tesfaye releases, I am sure fans will be satisfied with this as a finale. 

@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com