Abel Tesfaye released his last project using the stage name “The Weeknd,” a studio album titled “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” after a three-year album hiatus.
The Weeknd announced both the album and cover in early September and dropped two singles that month as well: “Dancing In The Flames” and “Timeless (feat. Playboi Carti).” He released the third and final single, “São Paulo (feat. Anitta),” in October. All signs were pointing to an album release sometime in the fall of last year.
However, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” wasn’t officially released until January 31. The Weeknd inexplicably changed the album cover just hours before it dropped on streaming services. He also omitted “Dancing In The Flames” from the album, despite its being the supposed lead single to the project.
From a production standpoint, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is incredible. With help from producers Mike Dean and Metro Boomin, it should be no surprise that the production is as grand and cinematic as it is.
The groove on “Wake Me Up (feat. Justice)” is undeniable, and the Metro Boomin beat on “Cry For Me,” my personal favorite track on the album, is one of the best beats of 2025 so far.
As far as The Weeknd’s performance goes, his vocals are on point throughout the whole project, but some of his choruses, like the one on “Give Me Mercy,” fall a bit short in terms of having the same energy and punch as they do on other tracks.
Lyrically, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” covers the theme of love, specifically learning how to love again, which can be seen on “Open Hearts,” a massive highlight for both its lyrics and stellar, futuristic production. Another prominent theme is the afterlife, as the closing and title track “Hurry Up Tomorrow” conveys.
One of the best aspects of the album is the seamless transitions from track to track. These transitions are smooth and creative—listeners might have no idea if a new song has started or not. This feature makes “Hurry Up Tomorrow” an epic cinematic experience.
Junior Peyton Remmer said, “The transitions are the best transitions I’ve ever heard. I literally never knew when the next song was playing.”
Without a doubt, the best transition is on the final track of the album, which is so subtle that listeners might not notice anything special. However, with more and more listens, you may realize that the final song transitions into The Weeknd’s very first song on his first project, “High For This,” creating one big loop in The Weeknd’s discography. This loop, from beginning to end, concluded the end of The Weeknd and the beginning of Abel Tesfaye.
The Weeknd has never been known for having lots of features on his projects, and that case is no different on “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” as there are only a handful of features scattered around the 22 tracks.
“The features weren’t very good,” junior Odin Gill said. “They made the album kind of a letdown for me.”
Nevertheless, there were some great features, like the awesome Playboi Carti verse on “Timeless” and Lana Del Rey’s haunting vocals in “The Abyss.” However, Travis Scott sounds like a robot on “Reflections Laughing,” and Future’s singing on “Enjoy The Show,” while not terrible by Future’s standards, makes me wonder why a different artist wasn’t chosen for that role, even though that track overall is still fantastic.
Structurally, some tracks don’t have any direction. The track “Big Sleep (feat. Giorgio Moroder),” despite having impressive production, lacks structure and feels a bit messy, which can be a real issue for some listeners.
Some listeners may take issue with the album’s one-hour and 24-minute runtime. This length is a gift to fans who simply want to hear more from The Weeknd, but it could bore impatient listeners.
Some fans, though, do not seem to find any issues with “Hurry Up Tomorrow” and see the album as near flawless.
“The Weeknd’s best album in my opinion,” junior Enrique Toledo said. “The first 15 songs are all perfect.”
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” may not be my personal favorite album of his, and my probably least favorite of his recent trilogy (which includes “After Hours” from 2020, “Dawn FM” from 2022, and now “Hurry Up Tomorrow”), but there are definitely some great tracks, and I am certain there are others who will enjoy it much more than I did.
The Weeknd has had a phenomenal career, and his departure will be bittersweet. However, the era of Abel Tesfaye is upon us, and he will not disappoint.
