The Story of The Weeknd’s After Hours
How Abel pulled off his cinematic masterpiece
“TONIGHT WE START A BRAIN MELTING PSYCHOTIC CHAPTER LET’S GOOOO” tweeted The Weeknd one late November evening in 2019. The eerie out of the blue announcement followed by the blurred, monochromatic picture of the artist would signify the start of his next album run. Little did we know that this would also be the start of a whole new chapter in Abel’s career. He would use this new project to reinvent himself by experimenting with different styles of production and developing a stylized concept that only he could pull off.
After Hours is the sixth studio album by the Toronto crooner, released a year ago this past weekend. After the pop/braggadocio-fuelled energy of Starboy, Abel would delve into a direction that would encompass elements from all of his previous works. Sticking mainly to his dark, art-house roots while blending pop and new wave sounds. This among his dedication to the aesthetic values of his music videos, performances, and public appearances would make After Hours his most fully realized album. For the first time since House of Balloons, Abel isn’t trying to conform to any R&B or pop norms, After Hours takes what Abel is best at and cranks it up to eleven. This is The Weeknd’s magnum opus.
The Production
Since his inception this past decade, Abel has flipped R&B over its head by introducing his own hazy, underground sound into the mix. There’s no debate that the Weeknd’s sultry direction has shifted the way in which other artists approach the genre. However, since 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness, Abel has set his sights on a more pop-heavy direction, a choice that die-hard fans questioned as they assumed he “sold out”. In reality, it merely proved how versatile of an artist Abel is. What singer could make a song about heavy cocaine usage under the guise of a radio-friendly record? Moreso the old Abel was still there all along, as he touched on his original sound with the 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, a mere taste of what was to come for After Hours.
Abel’s mainstay crew of producers returned for the sixth time around. Household names like Illangelo, DaHealea, and pop producer of the generation Max Martin among others help drive the production of After Hours. Also included are trap producer Metro Boomin who helms the middle of the album, and electronic experimentalists Oneohtrix Point Never and Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala fame) who bring their own weirdness to close the album off.
Sonically speaking, After Hours blends his art-house underground sound with his more recent stadium pop anthems in a way never done before. It most notably introduces Abel’s own take on 80’s new wave and dream pop, genres helmed by groups such as Depeche Mode and the Cocteau Twins. Tracks like “Faith”, “Blinding Lights”, “In Your Eyes”, and “Save Your Tears” are prime examples of Abel honing this retro sound. Other examples include the UK garage and drum n bass influenced “Too Late” and “Hardest To Love”. He explores bedroom R&B with “Escape From LA”, bass-thumping trap with “Heartless”, psychedelic music on “Repeat After Me (Interlude)” and electro house with the title track “After Hours”. The production will surely take listeners for a ride and makes for one of Abel’s most diverse-sounding albums to date, solidifying his versatility as an artist.
The Aesthetics
To say Abel stayed committed to the visual aspects of After Hours would be an understatement. In every single live show or other public appearance, he can be seen in the now-infamous red suit and grown out fro. Abel has always been the artist to make a statement with his looks if you can recall back to his earlier days when he was making headlines for his Basquait-style hairdo, a subject of many memes. So naturally, his change in style is no surprise, but this time around it plays a vital role for this album.
Abel spends the duration of After Hours on his innermost vulnerabilities, the things that beat him up the most. The bruises and bloodied nose can be interpreted as the consequences of his actions, the emotional anguish he puts himself through is physically injuring him. Despite that, he still appears all dappered up because after all, the show must go on. This is exemplified further through the album’s cover art pictured above. Abel stares into your eyes, grinning menacingly from ear to ear with blood dripping from his nose and mouth. He’s smiling through the pain because he wants to assure listeners that he’s fine.
His commitment to the After Hours aesthetic carries on throughout the music videos as well. The most notable contribution being that of Anton Tammi, who seems to have inspired the entire art direction. He brings about this highly stylized look of bright lights and high contrast colours that makes each video appear glamourous. The editing is filled with fast cuts, while the cinematography bares resemblance to films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Joker, and recent works by the Safdie Brothers (Good Time, Uncut Gems.).
Each music video follows a concise narrative with a majority of the videos taking place after each other. Starting with “Heartless”, Abel and Metro Boomin arrive in Las Vegas and drown themselves in booze, gambling, and drugs. “Blinding Lights” finds Abel coming down from the fun, cutting between him dancing on the empty streets like a bloodied mad man and racing through the streets of Vegas. The “After Hours Short Film” takes place immediately after his Jimmy Kimmel performance and follows him as he leaves the studio and walks through the streets of LA. Abel becomes progressively more paranoid, as a darker impulse creeps up on him before he’s dragged through a subway station by an unknown force (an allusion to his vices taking hold.). It sets the stage for the video of “In Your Eyes”, Abel has now become a stone-cold killer possessed by his dark thoughts, acting similar to Mike Myers from Halloween. He chases a woman through a club before she decapitates him and parades with his severed head before tossing it onto the street. This four video run follows a typical story construct that visualizes this artistic yet at times, weird direction that Abel is going for with this phase.
The story ends there, and shifts into a completely different narrative, as Abel begins to tell an even deeper story with the videos for “Too Late” and “Save Your Tears”. Picking up where “In Your Eyes” left off, “Too Late” follows two bandaged white women obsessed with plastic surgery as they stumble upon Abel’s severed head. The video explores the over-sexualization of the black body and how Hollywood elites like themselves obsess over black artists like Abel, to only use them for their own personal intentions. The duo plot to kill a black male dancer and use his body for their sexual desires. It also highlights the darkness surrounding LA, beneath the luxury houses and lifestyle lies an even darker and violent presence.
“Save Your Tears”, the most recent video, looks at Abel’s stardom among these high-class elitists. Filmed just after his protest against the Grammys, I consider this as Abel’s “fuck you” to the higher class. Performing in front of an audience ripped straight out of Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, Abel sports a bedazzled suit with facial prosthetics enhancing his jaw and lips, looking like a caricature of himself. Almost his way of asking: “Is this how you want me to look? is this the ridiculous-looking flawless superstar you expect me to be?” He dances around the crowd spraying champagne and spitting it in their faces, he tosses a golden trophy offscreen (further signifying his Grammys detest) before inviting a woman onstage to shoot him point-blank in the head. I interpret all of this as Abel’s way of showing how higher-ups and record labels want him to look and act, and the absurdity behind it all. Without a doubt my favourite video from this album solely for the tongue in cheek concept.
The Lyricism
After Hours fits into the hedonistic world of sex, drugs, and self-loathing that Abel has been known for. Only this time it feels much more refined, as Abel seemingly follows a concept throughout the whole album. The story follows the pain Abel puts himself through following a failed relationship, by the album’s end, it's revealed that this pain is cyclical and will repeat with every heartbreak he’ll endure. From loneliness to regret, to escapism, and back to loneliness, After Hours explores the cycle of Abel’s mind.
Starting with “Alone Again”, Abel fears his own loneliness. He asks himself how he’ll manage by himself without his lover over the track's ethereal synths. “Too Late” sees Abel beg for forgiveness as indicated on the song’s hook (“It’s way too late we’re on our own babe, I made mistakes, I did you wrong”.). The first indication of Abel taking the blame for the relationship’s failure, which he explores throughout the next track “Hardest To Love”. He admits he is a difficult partner because of his past behaviour, yet the woman won’t let him go.
On the searing ballad “Scared To Live”, Abel pleads for his lover to move on from him. He knows it’s his fault that she doubts the idea of love after everything he did to her, and he should have ended it the moment it started (“When I saw the signs I should’ve let you go, but I kept you beside me. And if I held you back at least I held you close.”). It takes guts to look at yourself in the mirror and admit that you are the reason why things turned sour. Hearing Abel take the blame for once was an unexpected surprise, a self-reflective Weeknd? talk about growth.
Abel takes us on his journey from homeless to Forbes list with “Snowchild”, the track makes reference to the HOB track “The Morning”. In that song, he sings about Calfornia being the goal, whereas on “Snowchild” he expresses his desires to now leave. We find out why on the following track “Escape From LA”. Abel sees the City of Angels as a major factor for his relationship strifes, citing it as the end of him. The song takes a turn when the beat shifts into a more ominous and sinister tempo. The second half of the song details Abel’s own infidelity as he sleeps with a LA siren while at the studio. The self-reflection from earlier is suddenly gone, as Abel’s own selfishness and hedonism take hold.
This sets the tone for “Heartless”, Abel contradicts everything he sang about previously as he returns to his old ways of toxic behaviour. He implies that the fame, money, and emotional turmoil turned him this way (“Cause’ I’m heartless, and I’m back to my ways cause’ I’m heartless. All this money and this pain got me heartless.”). It doesn’t last long though as he immediately feels the repercussions on “Faith”, arguably the darkest moment of After Hours. The drugs take hold as Abel “loses his faith” or loses his genuineness. At his lowest point, he calls for his ex-lover, begging her to be with him at this time of desperation with the standout line: (“And if I OD, I want you to OD right beside me. I want you to follow right behind me. I want you to hold me while I’m smiling, while I’m dying.”). The song ends with sirens echoing over the instrumentals, Abel has either overdosed and is in the back of an ambulance or in a police car having been arrested (he’s confirmed it’s the latter in an interview with Variety) He croons that lights that pass him by are blinding, the city shining in his face during this hopeless case.
This is a turning point in the album both sonically and thematically, the album begins to embrace the new wave/dream pop sound fully while also acting as Abel’s failed redemption arc to attempt to gain his lover back. Starting with “Blinding Lights”, behind the strong 80’s influence and infectious chorus, the main theme of this Billboard anthem is perfectly described by Abel himself from the following quote:
“how you want to see someone at night, and you’re intoxicated, and you’re driving to this person and you’re just blinded by streetlights, but nothing could stop you from trying to go see that person, because you’re so lonely.”
It pairs seamlessly after the end of “Faith”, after Abel’s low point of desperation, he’s in a vulnerable state to get back with his ex. He may still be high, but he’ll stop at nothing to be in their arms again. The follow-up “In Your Eyes” is an upbeat, face-to-face with his lover. He can see the damage he’s done despite her keeping a happy facade (“In your eyes, I know it hurts to smile but you try to.”). He’s trying to remain positive but by now the relationship has completely fallen out. His vulnerability from earlier has returned.
“Save Your Tears” has Abel recollect how everything fell apart, questioning why he always leaves when issues arise (“I don’t know why I run away. I make you cry when I run away”.). As the song continues, it's clear the woman took his advice and moved on, she won’t reminisce about the time they had, telling her to save her tears for another day. Abel’s desperation to get her back is in clear view on “Repeat After Me (Interlude)”. The hypnotic track is Abel’s way of trying to brainwash her to come back as he repeats the mantra (“You don’t love him, you don’t love him, if you’re thinking of me.”). A desperate and toxic attempt to get her back.
Abel’s emotions take center stage as the album comes to an end. The title track “After Hours” is the music equivalent of that drunk late-night phone call from an ex you’ve been avoiding for the longest while. He apologizes for everything he’s done, promising to treat her better, and stating that his house is not a home without his baby. It’s a clever nod to another HOB track “Twenty Eight”, where he regrets letting the woman inside his home, whereas now the tables have turned as regrets pushing her away.
The closer “Until I Bleed Out” sees Abel finally giving up, he’s out of energy and he’s bled out completely. He dreams of giving up drugs (“I don’t wanna touch the sky no more, I just wanna feel the ground when I’m coming down it’s been way too long.”). Using the phrase “touching the sky “as an allusion to getting high. He convinces himself that he doesn’t need the woman (or drugs) anymore in the same manner an addict would, but just before the song ends you can briefly hear the same keys that play before the second half of “After Hours” begins. I’ve interpreted this as the cycle I mentioned previously because Abel will most likely put himself through this pain of heartbreak and infidelity in another relationship. It’s a very subtle hint that Abel’s suffering will return again. He’ll become alone again, he’ll self-loathe and self-medicate as means of running away from reality before attempting to get another lover back. Only realizing they’ve pushed him away because of his toxic behaviour, and the cycle will repeat again, and again, and again.
In Conclusion…
Admittedly this was a doozy to write, but I’ve been meaning to discuss Abel’s newest album in full detail ever since it dropped last March. Everything from the diverse production, his commitment to the aesthetics of his public appearances and music videos, alongside the story of the album has made me conclude that After Hours is The Weeknd’s best studio album. I still hold House of Balloons up as his greatest work, but I’d be lying if I said After Hours wasn’t amazing. This is the album that Abel has always wanted to make, it’s the perfect representation of who The Weeknd is as an artist.
It’s uncertain where Abel will go with his next project, I wouldn’t be upset if he did an entire synthpop, 80’s inspired album as the second half of After Hours expertly shows how well he hones that classic sound, but wherever he goes, he’s set the bar up high for himself. Abel Tesfaye has outdone himself with this album, After Hours is a masterpiece that encapsulates the best attributes of The Weeknd, and will be remembered by fans as one of the highest achievements of his career.
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