The Weeknd - After Hours Album Review

03/29/2020

Since his opus Trilogy was released in 2011, Abel hasn't been able to create an album that stands up next to it, at least in the eyes of many. Whether that is just fans and critics nostalgia for that time and what he was able to do with Trilogy is a debate in itself, but it is undeniable that this effect has impacted his career. Abel wanted to blend that era with much more focus on pop appeal with an album like "Beauty Behind The Madness," it didn't live up. "Starboy" was a massive record, "Kissland" was ambitious, but the sounds he went for with each release were never as impressive as it was in that early era. The music was still good, he just wasn't living up to the standard that he set and it was noticeable that he clearly wanted to capture that moment again in 2018 with his "My Dear Melancholy" EP.

As soon as he released that EP, everybody including myself was going on and on about how the old Weeknd was back. However, as great as the music was, he wasn't truly back. Looking back on it now, it doesn't seem like he did it for any reason but to please fans. If he killed the old Weeknd on "Starboy" he desperately tried to revive him on "My Dear Melancholy." It brought our nostalgia back, but it didn't really feel the same. Abel needed just a little more time to reflect on himself as an artist and come with something that feels like another peak in his career. Fast forward three years to the present and The Weeknd has done just that. "After Hours" released on Republic Records & XO is the most genuine his blending of pop music with R&B has sounded.

This is the character of The Weeknd perfected. His songwriting remains relatively the same, with familiar topics making of the bulk of this album, but his vocals sound better than ever and the production is handled perfectly, it doesn't take much away from it. His lines can be cringe like "futuristic sex, give her Philip K dick" on the track "Snowchild" that tells the classic come up story from Abel. For the most part though, the songwriting on the album is solid. Like on the second single from the album "Blinding Lights," an electropop hit that sees Abel singing about assumingly loneliness and the need for a woman to help him out of that feeling. The track has only gotten better since it was released.

The up-tempo sounds of "Blinding Lights" are one part of the album, but he also goes back to a darker sound on songs like the title track. This is another one of those tracks that remind of those trilogy days, both in sound and in songwriting. "Escape From LA" is one of the darkest moments on the album, and his writing is brilliant, especially the last few lines of the final verse. Some of the best writing also appears on "Faith," a somber track with production handled from Metro Boomin. He sings about addiction and has harsh lines like "but if I OD, I want you to OD right beside me," uses some light religious themes, another highlight on the album.

Abel has made arguably his best work to date, crafting an album that is unique, accessible, and the most genuine expression of himself artistically. Abel stepped up everything, which pays of greatly. That villain that we love is personified, his flaws still put right in your face. After Hours is a peak in his career and fans and critics will now be debating if he will ever top this one.

Rating 8.6/10

-CHASECDHIPHOP