After flirting with pop on his last few projects, The Weeknd has finally returned to the style he helped pioneer with
“After Hours.”
The album once again proves why he’s near the top of the music landscape.
Abel Tesfaye broke onto the scene with the release of “Trilogy,” a compilation of three 2011 mixtapes, in 2012. “Trilogy” was as groundbreaking as it was popular, serving as a massive influence for the influx of dark and gritty R&B that crowded the airwaves in the 2010s.
Future efforts such as his sophomore and junior albums, “Beauty Behind the Madness” and “Starboy” respectively, took his music in a lighter instrumental direction while maintaining his trademark high-pitched voice and arrogant, playboy wordplay.
After some personal turmoil and a nearly four-year gap between studio albums, the Canadian singer-songwriter’s fourth full-length LP, “After Hours,” takes The Weeknd back to his darker roots while using the radio-friendly brush he’s painted with in more recent efforts along for the ride.
The first half of the album’s 14 tracks may shock listeners on an initial listen. Contrary to the confident, egotistical sentiment Tesfaye has portrayed through his music in the past, this is a vulnerable, honest breakup album.
It doesn’t get off to a great start, however. The first four songs are the weakest of the album, especially “Scared To Live.”
The Weeknd’s attempt at a slow ballad turns into a bad Bruno Mars impression, filled with songwriting clichés that should’ve been left in the 2010s.
It sounds like it’ll be a mainstay at high school proms for the next few years and when it comes on, that’s when everybody will go get some more fruit punch.
But Tesfaye turns the remainder of the record into perhaps his strongest string of songs yet.
Over the somber, melancholy synth track, “Snowchild,” The Weeknd sings about wishing for his past life before fame and money.
The song simply feels like a organic musical progression for the artist. The synth feels like it would fit on an
indie-rock record and it’s nice to see The Weeknd putting his own spin on a growing trend of fusing rock and hip-hop with the instrumental. It’s one of the standout tracks of the album.
After “Snowchild,” there’s a sequence of more classic-sounding tracks from the artist.
Bookended by mature and remorseful tracks at the beginning and end of the album, fans will surely hear the classic “scumbag-slow jams” Tesfaye.
The reversal truly shines on “Heartless.” After sorrowfully singing about mistakes and regrets with his love life, The Weeknd comes out swinging with vintage lines like “Never need a bitch, I’m what a bitch need.”
Matching the lyrical content, the production is grimey, dark and emotionless with complex drums and thumping bass. The balance couldn’t be more perfect.
The change in tone is jarring but the middle tracks are a treat for fans that have been with The Weeknd since “Trilogy.”
But right when fans return to the good ol’ days, Tesfaye throws something brand new right at them.
“Blinding Lights” and “In Your Eyes” are back-to-back ’80s-esque love songs and they are showstoppers.
“Blinding Lights” in particular is straight out of a car chase scene from a cyberpunk film with its sharp synths, pulsating bass and catchy hook.
With its groovy hook and bassline “In Your Eyes” is another throwback that will make you dance to that classic
synth sound.
The Weeknd isn’t done throwing curveballs after that pair of tracks. The album’s title track pushes the record onto the upper echelon of his discography.
With easily the best vocal performance of the album, The Weeknd puts listeners into a drug-like trance to the tune of a hypnotic bass line, subtle drums and a fantastic drop.
“After Hours” is the highlight of an album full of highlights.
Despite a slow start, “After Hours” places The Weeknd back on the map not just with R&B or hip-hop, but among the top tier of artists in modern music.
On just his fourth studio album in a career that has seemed to last forever, The Weeknd is back to what made him so cutting edge in the first place.
