The Weeknd has proven to be an elite hitmaker over the past five years or so. In 2020, he released his fourth album, After Hours. And while I think I prefer some of his previous work, this is still a slick, emotionally impactful album.
As with many projects, the hype for After Hours came from its bombastic lead singles. They certainly deserve to put The Weeknd back on the map. However, they don't really provide a good impression of what this album actually is. It's a lot darker and slower-paced than what "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights" would have you believe. Not that that makes the album bad or anything; I think quite a few songs on here are excellent. But it may provide a tonal whiplash.
Most of the songs on here toe the line between older Weeknd and more pop-friendly Weeknd. I'm not really a fan of "Too Late", where the chorus sounds like Mike Tyson recorded it through a radiator. But every other song is at least passable, and if you like The Weeknd, this is certainly another project that you won't be disappointed by.
8/10
Best Tracks: "Escape from LA", "Heartless", "Blinding Lights", "In Your Eyes", "After Hours", "Until I Bleed Out"
No comments:
Post a Comment