“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is the latest and confirmed last studio album for The Weeknd, the long time stage persona of Abel Tesfaye. 

In what will be the final release of an iconic persona, the expectations for this project were immense and the album certainly delivers across the board. 

The album will accompany a psychological thriller feature film of the same name set for release on May 16 of this year that will see Tesfaye star alongside actors Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. 

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is the third installation of a trilogy of albums following 2020’s “After Hours” and 2022’s “Dawn FM.” 

“After Hours” saw The Weeknd, as a character, over-indulging in all the excess that comes with the life of a superstar artist, full of self-loathing and dread.

“Dawn FM,” as described by Tesfaye, serves as a state of purgatory following the dark depths of fame and ‘death’ of the character in the aforementioned “After Hours.” 

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” sees The Weeknd persona given an opulent and grandiose farewell. After spending all of “Dawn FM” on a literal drive through purgatory, hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel to reveal itself, he is right back where he started, in the dark, waiting for another night of indulgence to begin. 

The album includes an all-star cast of features with the likes of Travis Scott, Future and Lana Del Rey all playing significant roles throughout the albums near hour and a half run-time. 

While the feature tracks are particular stand-outs, this album is by no means carried by them. Tesfaye’s solo tracks serve to push forward the overarching narrative of the project that is found in the previous two installations of the trilogy and more than carry their own weight.

The narrative is best enjoyed when having listened to the trilogies’ previous installments, but “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is very much good enough to enjoy on its own. 

The album is great and it is a fitting send-off for a generation defining artist like The Weeknd, I can only hope that Tesfaye continues to create, because the music industry is definitely better with him in it. 

Official Score: 8/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment