Recording Review: Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd

One of, if not, the most famous artists on the planet, The Weeknd, released his final album under said alias… it was a bit underwhelming. 

Hurry Up Tomorrow is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye and is the conclusion to Abel’s third trilogy. While it’s far from the triumphant statement one hopes for in such a monumental work, there are several high points within the project.

“Cry For Me” is one of the few tracks that actually delivers on the epic, emotional feeling that Abel attempts throughout the record. The first half of this track along with “São Paulo” mark an entry into Baile Funk for Tesfaye, and showcases his ability to make a danceable, Latin tune. 

 Playboi Carti joins The Weeknd for the R&B and trap fusion song “Timeless”. The chemistry is evident on this one, with both taking their turns to float over the beat; the two should definitely get together more often.

And the title track is undeniably beautiful. A stripped back instrumental with minimal drums offers a serene conclusion to The Weeknd as a whole. It also perfectly transitions into “High For This”, the first song off of Abel’s first project House Of Balloons. A full circle moment for all of the iconic artist’s fans.

Now onto the negatives. Hurry Up Tomorrow lacks the catchiness of After Hours and the inventiveness of Dawn FM. And at 22 tracks, it’s simply too long for a Pop album.

So many of the tracks seamlessly fade into the next, and while this adds to the cohesiveness of the project, it ends up feeling like a slog. This is due to the sheer amount of ballads with little to no variation in flow from Abel. Another contributor to the feeling as if time is moving too slow is the input from legendary producer Mike Dean. His signature synth sounds typically add a grandiose vibe to anything he works on. However in Hurry Up Tomorrow these sounds don’t feel as tastefully placed as previous collaborations with The Weeknd. As such, they lack the impact the two go for.

Lastly, the percussive elements, along with mostly all of the sound selection, lack character. It’s understandable to want to choose clean sounds for a pop album, especially for one by an artist with such a high stature as Abel. That being said, he takes it too far on this one.

Overall, Hurry Up Tomorrow doesn’t represent a final rallying cry for a highly celebrated artist, but rather a long, exasperated sigh from a creator who is ready to move on to other sounds.