Hurry Up Tomorrow”: Is This The End of The Weeknd?

For over 15 years, Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has explored the dark underbelly of fame, success, and hedonism. From his early mixtapes drenched in atmospheric R&B to the stadium-filling anthems that made him a global superstar, his music has always been a deep dive into excess and its consequences.

But what happens when the man who has it all realizes the price he’s paid?

That’s the central question at the heart of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’, The Weeknd’s sixth and possibly final album. At nearly 90 minutes long, spanning 22 tracks, this album is a complex, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately mesmerizing reflection on his past, present, and uncertain future.

With a mix of introspection, despair, and artistic reinvention, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ might be the most ambitious project of his career. It’s a self-examination wrapped in grand, cinematic production, and it challenges listeners to rethink everything they thought they knew about The Weeknd.

Opening with a Crisis: “Wake Me Up”

The album wastes no time in setting the tone. “Wake Me Up” opens with a cinematic wave of synthesized strings and choral vocals, evoking a cathedral-like intensity. Then comes Tesfaye’s chilling realization:

“All I have is my legacy / I’ve been losing my legacy.”

As the song unfolds, the instrumental shifts into a serpentine rhythm reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” making an explicit connection between The Weeknd’s own meteoric rise and the cautionary tales of past music legends.

It’s an ominous warning—not just for himself, but for any artist who reaches the pinnacle of success only to find themselves trapped in their own creation.

Revisiting a Nightmare: “I Can’t F*ing Sing”**

One of the album’s most gut-wrenching moments arrives early with “I Can’t F*ing Sing”**—a raw, painful interlude that flashes back to his infamous 2022 concert at SoFi Stadium, where he lost his voice mid-performance, forcing him to cancel the show.

This track is brutally self-aware, with Tesfaye confronting the terrifying fragility of his gift. He relives the panic of the moment, with distorted vocal samples mimicking his own hoarseness as he sings:

“If I can’t sing, what am I? If I can’t sing, who am I?”

It’s a high-low point of the album, illustrating both the human vulnerability behind the megastar and the suffocating weight of expectation.

From Panic to Escape: The Album’s Sonic Evolution

Despite its heavy themes, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ isn’t just an exercise in self-pity. The album’s production—helmed by a dream team including Giorgio Moroder, Daniel Lopatin, Max Martin, and Oscar Holter—offers moments of pure sonic brilliance and reinvention.

“São Paulo” is a Brazilian electro-funk thrash that follows the SoFi incident, capturing the sheer panic and claustrophobia of losing control.

“Open Hearts,” a collaboration with Martin and Holter, is a New Romantic-inspired synth anthem, with Tesfaye diving into the lowest depths of his vocal range, delivering one of his most soulful performances.

“I Can’t Wait to Get There” blends classic R&B balladry with a 21st-century electronic sheen, creating an otherworldly contrast between hope and despair.

“Drive” offers a rare moment of escapist bliss, filled with lush synths that feel like breaking free from the weight of it all—a fleeting glimpse of the happiness he’s been chasing.

The Final Reckoning: “Hurry Up Tomorrow”

The album closes on its most haunting note yet. The title track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” is a full-circle moment—a confessional, a reckoning, and maybe even a farewell.

Over swirling synth arpeggios, Tesfaye’s voice trembles as he delivers what feels like a deathbed confession:

“I promise I’m sorry / But now I’m drowning in the same tub where I learned how to swim.”

He recalls his mother trying to preserve his innocence, his failures, and the inescapable consequences of his choices. The production mimics the eerie beauty of stepping into the white light, reinforcing the album’s overarching theme of finality.

Is This Really The End?

The Weeknd has been fueling speculation that ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ could be his final album. Cryptic billboards, interviews hinting at closure, and social media posts declaring it “the final beautiful chapter” all suggest that Tesfaye might be closing the book on The Weeknd persona.

But what does that actually mean?

While he may step away from The Weeknd, Tesfaye has been expanding his artistic reach, from acting in HBO’s The Idol to producing and co-writing major projects. He’s even hinted at focusing on film scoring and experimental music.

And with a film adaptation of ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ dropping in May and a stadium tour on the horizon, it’s hard to imagine him stepping away entirely.

Perhaps this isn’t an end, but a transformation.

Final Verdict: A Dazzling, Maddening, Essential Album

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is both mesmerizing and maddening—often in the same breath.

It’s a deeply personal, sometimes exhausting listen where The Weeknd grapples with the very thing that made him famous.

The production is flawless, blending 80s nostalgia, modern pop, and experimental synthscapes in a way few artists could pull off.

The lyrics teeter between profound and self-indulgent, sometimes strikingly vulnerable, other times bordering on the complaints of a man drowning in his own wealth.

Whether this is The Weeknd’s Swan song or just the beginning of a new chapter for Abel Tesfaye, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ cements his place as one of the most enigmatic, ambitious, and influential artists of the 21st century. Love it or hate it, you won’t forget it.