For some time now, Canadian singer The Weeknd has been teasing the retirement of his hit-making stage persona, going so far as to use his real name for his lead role on HBO’s The Idol. The singer’s long-awaited sixth—and seemingly final—album Hurry Up Tomorrow is out now, and with sounds pulled from every era of his career, it serves as a fitting end to this chapter as The Weeknd.
Hurry Up Tomorrow as a project is no small feat, clocking in at nearly an hour and a half across 22 tracks. Along the way, he’s joined by some all-star guest stars from Lana Del Rey on “The Abyss” and Anitta on single “São Paulo” to Future on “Enjoy the Show” and “Given Up on Me” and Playboi Carti on single “Timeless.” No sonic stone is left unturned as the singer explores moodier melodies that characterized his initial Trilogy mixtapes as well as radio-ready R&B synonymous with more recent efforts.
In the end, the album is a perfect way to lay The Weeknd as we knew him to rest. There’ll even be an accompanying Hurry Up Tomorrow film starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan due out May 16.
“Everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, The Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do The Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge,” he told Variety of this crossroads.
“But I just want to know what comes after,” he added. “I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
Before the film’s release, the singer will kick off the next leg of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which has been ongoing since 2022 in support of his After Hours, Dawn FM, and now Hurry Up Tomorrow albums. It all starts May 9 in Phoenix and wraps up Sept. 3 in San Antonio.
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