The Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow: Album Review
His Sixth and Final Studio Album
The trilogy is complete…
Hurry Up Tomorrow released on January 31st as the last hurrah for The Weeknd following After Hours and Dawn FM. It absolutely exceeded expectations for me and should easily hold up as a top project as 2025 rolls on.
I came in with a lot of expectations considering this would be his final album, but even so; they were far exceeded.
For this review (and all reviews to follow) I will be rating Hurry Up Tomorrow off of the artist’s performance, content, features, production, and replay value. So, each category will receive anywhere from a bad to perfect rating while I will also be giving the album a final assessment at the end.
Artist Performance - Perfect
This is a nearly flawless performance by The Weeknd. The singing performances, the hooks, the melodies, the rhythms — just an absolute masterclass from Abel.
His ability to end songs in style is a major thing that jumps out to me. Looking at “Wake Me Up”, that ending is breathtaking with how he’s able to sustain that last note before rolling over seamlessly into “Cry For Me”. Speaking of those two tracks, the choruses jumped out to me on both with his energy.
Another standout performance to look at is on “Give Up On Me”, which is featuring this hypnotic, jazzy atmosphere and these very warm and fragile vocals.
Overall, his vocal performance on the project is impressive (especially considering this is his sixth studio album) and he’s able to deliver these great sounding notes, especially looking at something like the chorus of “Baptized In Fear”.
Some other notable tracks I picked out where he shined were: “Big Sleep” where his distorted vocals stood out and set a good transition into the rest of the album. Also, the darker tone he uses on “Red Terror” was a great touch.
Again, an extremely satisfying sound from The Weeknd, where he’s clearly reaching a new level of artistry and pushing himself to deliver passionate performances. I can’t give this category anything but perfect.
Content - Perfect
Looking back at The Weeknd’s discography, he’s typically put together some great themes and concepts. Even in the latter half of his career, he has become a master of “world-building”, with this like character and lore surrounding him, which always creates anticipation for what’s next to come.
Dawn FM for instance felt like a realization for him that he was living a life of toxicity and was on a path to his own demise, but he was ready to move on from that lifestyle. Now with Hurry Up Tomorrow he’s singing about not being on that path of redemption and still engaging in the same behaviors, but at the same time he’s showing self-acceptance and a desire to kill off the “Weeknd” character to live his life properly. It’s deep stuff for sure, which is why I’m looking at this project as highly as I am.
Many people have assumed After Hours symbolized his death and Dawn FM was more of a purgatory state.
The concept of the album is also explored in songs like “Open Hearts”, where The Weeknd sings about delaying his own demise, which I touched on earlier, because of a lover’s words which makes death a deliberate choice for his character.
Another key concept is his struggle with maintaining control over his life while living a lavish lifestyle, which is a recurring theme throughout the project (particularly in a cut like “Take Me Back To LA”).
How about the duality of The Weeknd (his character) vs Abel (his human side)? Just the tensions and contradictions between the two, and how they are intertwined throughout the album’s narrative is cool to hear.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is also a full circle moment for him.
The album’s closer of the same name, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”, is a track where he gives everything he has to offer, and the transition at the end leads directly into his first mixtape, creating a sense of closure… but what’s next…?
He wants this redemption… a fresh start under a new persona, which will obviously lead to new life decisions (such as potentially becoming a father and adopting a more mature lifestyle).
It takes multiple listens to fully grasp and appreciate what he’s put in front of us… but each one is well worth the time.
Features - Perfect
The features were hidden on Hurry Up Tomorrow but it was known for sure that Anitta and Playboi Carti would be included with their appearances on the already released singles “Sao Paulo” and “Timeless”.
Anitta’s vocals on “Sao Paulo” are well-mixed and looped, bringing that Brazilian Funk sound that complements the production, and her part is essential to the song’s success.
Travis Scott’s feature on “Reflections Laughing” was a genius move by The Weeknd. He matched the low pitch of the distorted vocals, creating this cool flow that clearly pays homage to the chopped and screwed sound (which is a nod to his Houston roots). I was surprised by this feature, as he was obviously not announced to be on the album, but his performance is fantastic no matter. It’s also relevant to point out that he has appeared on many of The Weeknd’s tracks, but never on one of his albums itself (until now).
Then you have the hit “Timeless” with the well-balanced back and forth between The Weeknd and Playboi Carti, who delivered one of his best verses in a long time. The song itself fits perfectly into the album providing a much needed “jolt of energy” midway through the project.
Future delivers a solid performance on “Enjoy The Show”. He gives off such a boss-like vibe on this track, also paying homage to The Weeknd’s old song “Can’t Feel My Face”. His appearance on the album is quite fitting, given his history of addressing substance abuse in his own music, with his performance here feeling genuine and raw to me with impressive vocals and melodies.
Finally, we get a Lana Del Rey feature on Hurry Up Tomorrow as she provides her vocals on the back half of “The Abyss”. It’s one of the best features on this project as she gives us these beautifully haunting harmonies while also showcasing her vocal range in the process. It’s also worth noting the contrast of her voice compared to The Weeknd which worked perfectly with this song.
All in all, this is a well executed feature list (his best since Starboy in my opinion), with each collaboration making sense for the concept of the album and really nothing felt out of place or forced. I will say only five features on a 22 song album is a bold choice, but it allows The Weeknd to dominate the majority of the track list (which is fitting for what is considered to be his last hurrah).
Production - Perfect
The production here is simply incredible as we’re getting a talented team of primary producers including Mike Dean, Oneohtrix Point Never, Justice, Metro Boomin, and many others. I’ll say it right now this is his best produced album BY FAR.
We’re getting a wide range of sounds including choirs, drums, and background vocalists, creating this layered and beautiful soundscape. The production itself is advanced, technical, and cinematic, with songs like Sao Paulo featuring that Brazilian Funk beat that I was mentioning earlier and a distorted baseline.
The vocal samples on the album are also noteworthy, with some being actual choir performances, such as the song “I Can’t Wait To Get There”, while others were beautifully incorporated into the music.
The instrumentals are progressive, colorful, and futuristic, with a mix of classic synths and instruments that I’ve quite honestly never heard before, making the project sound expensive and well-produced.
It’s flawless production hands down. Just the ability to blend so many different elements and make them work well together is impressive to say the least. This should be the textbook inspiration for any upcoming pop artists and those in the music industry.
Replay Value - Perfect
Hurry Up Tomorrow is the full package. 20 complete songs (2 transition/interlude tracks) with no misses and a variety of tracks that cater to different tastes.
We’re getting The Weeknd’s signature toxic and trilogy-esque style, as well as new and experimental sounds, such as “Cry For Me” and “Sao Paulo”.
It stands out and its going to continue to stand out from other pop albums, as time goes on, by avoiding repetitive themes and topics. Instead it’s offering a unique and cohesive listening experience that rewards close attention (I beg you!!!) and analysis.
I think another thing that’s going to add to the replay value is the album’s status as The Weeknd’s last album under that name. It’ll be immortalized in music history as the final chapter making it a significant part of his discography.
The only real criticism I’m seeing pertaining to the replay value would be the latter half of the album being a bit boring and mellow, but songs like “Give Me Mercy” are actually some of the strongest cuts on the project when taken in context.
I’ve been going back to this album time and time again since it’s dropped and it’s still sounding as good as new so I’d be hard pressed to give this anything but a perfect rating for this category.
Final Score - Perfect
This is The Weeknd’s magnum opus.
A culmination of 15 years of building his unique sounds and style, which combines elements of dark R&B, 80s synth pop, and hedonistic lifestyle themes.
It’s a masterpiece that showcases his artistic growth and ability to create a complete package of music, writing, and production — a must listen for fans. His career itself has been marked by his ability to create new sub-genres and push boundaries.
This is the closest an album has gotten to a movie for me (and probably will ever be) —an instantly recognizable classic.
Now, sit back and enjoy the ride…