Hurry Up Tommorow
First off—my bad for disappearing these last two weeks. School’s been brutal, basketball season is in full swing, and life’s been moving at 100 mph. But I’m back, and after the next two weeks, I’ll be posting daily again. Now, let’s talk about this album.
Man, it’s really over, huh? After three years of anticipation, speculation, and wild fan theories, Hurry Up Tomorrow is finally here—the supposed last album in The Weeknd’s trilogy and possibly the final full-length project under the name we’ve known for over a decade. That’s a lot of weight to carry, and I won’t lie—I was skeptical. The rollout didn’t exactly do it for me. The first two singles were cool at first but started wearing off fast, and then Sao Paulo dropped and had me wondering what Abel was even thinking. It just felt off, like a random B-side from an entirely different artist. Plus, while Dawn FM had its moments, it wasn’t my favorite, so I kept my expectations in check. But after sitting with this album? I had nothing to worry about.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is the way to wrap up a career. It doesn’t reinvent The Weeknd’s sound, but it doesn’t have to—it refines it, polishes it, and takes everything that worked across his discography and dials it up to an insane level. The cinematic ambition of After Hours, the synth-heavy obsession of Dawn FM, the dark, brooding energy of Trilogy—it’s all here, but mastered in a way we haven’t quite heard before.
A huge part of that? Mike Dean.
If you know, you know. Dean is a synth god, and everything he touches gets that signature sheen—crisp, clean, and borderline overwhelming in the best way. He’s worked with Abel before, but here, his presence is undeniable. The production on this album is insane. The synths hit like a truck, the bass is thick, and the mixing? Maybe the best in The Weeknd’s catalog. Every little detail shines. Even Abel’s vocals, which have always been flawless, feel sharper and more precise than ever. It’s wild that my favorite part of a Weeknd album might not even be The Weeknd himself—it’s just how good everything sounds.
Now, let’s talk about the vibe. If Dawn FM leaned too hard into its retro radio aesthetic for you, don’t stress—this one is way more in the After Hours lane. The transitions between tracks are seamless, making it feel like one long, immersive experience rather than a collection of songs. And as for Abel himself? He’s still Abel. You know what you’re getting—pristine falsetto, lyrics about love, fame, self-destruction, and all the mess in between. Does he break new ground here? Not really. But does he need to? The man has one of the most recognizable voices of our generation, and his formula still works. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Now, a couple nitpicks. The album is long—not unbearably so, but I can see it feeling bloated over time. And then there’s the Travis Scott feature on Reflections Laughing… look, I respect them trying something different, but the pitched-down vocals? Not it. It gets grating fast, and I’d much rather have Travis just be Travis. But that’s about it. Everything else? No notes.
I’ll be honest—when I first heard the singles, I was worried. But in the context of the album? They make perfect sense. This is one of those projects that demands to be heard as a whole, and when you do, it just clicks. Hurry Up Tomorrow doesn’t reinvent The Weeknd’s sound, but it perfects it. And if this really is the end of Abel as The Weeknd? He’s going out on top.
THE WEEKND - HURRY UP TOMORROW
RATING - 8.8/10
FAVORITE TRACK - N/A
GENRE - Pop, Rnb, Soul