The Weeknd's Final Album

The Weeknd returns to Grammys after historic boycott, delivering "Timeless" performance as career-defining triumph.

February 07, 2025

👋 Dark prince claims his crown. As The Weeknd bids farewell to his signature persona and reconciles with the Grammys, 2025 witnesses pop's greatest antihero writing his own fairy tale ending (plus here’s a list of all the 2025 winners).

Read time: 3 minutes | 783 words

TRENDING

Who do you think Kendrick Lamar might bring out in the Superbowl halftime show?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

TOGETHER WITH 1440

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

In the most recent edition, you would have learned about “Gold Bar Bob,” how the government is repurposing Guantánamo Bay, why eggs are getting more expensive, baby names on the brink of extinction and more. Join now.

FEATURE

The Weeknd's Final Act: "Hurry Up Tomorrow"

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern music, few transformations rival Abel Tesfaye's journey from mysterious Toronto upload artist to global pop phenomenon.

1. The Grand Finale "Hurry Up Tomorrow" emerges as a staggering 22-track opus that defies industry conventions. The January 31, 2025 release transcends typical album scope, delivering a cinematic farewell that mirrors Tesfaye's own artistic evolution.

Unprecedented commercial success validates artistic ambition:

2. A Trilogy Completed. The three-album saga traces a journey through darkness, dawn, and final transformation:

  • 2020: After Hours - Descent into darkness

  • 2022: Dawn FM - Light begins to break

  • 2025: Hurry Up Tomorrow - Final metamorphosis

Cross-media expansion elevates the experience beyond music. A feature film starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan promises to translate the album's surreal soundscape into visual storytelling, with early footage suggesting a David Lynch-meets-Gaspar Noé aesthetic.

3. Artistic Evolution Studio collaborations showcase unprecedented range:

  • "São Paulo" with Anitta bridges continental sounds

  • "Timeless" featuring Playboi Carti defines new pop

  • "Enjoy The Show" captures Future's career-best verse

  • "Reflections Laughing" unites Travis Scott with Florence + The Machine

  • "I Can't Wait To Get There" pushes dream-pop boundaries

Grammy reconciliation adds powerful subplot to farewell narrative. After years of boycott following the After Hours snub, The Weeknd's triumphant return performance and the Academy's public apology create perfect symmetry for this final chapter.

4. Legacy Secured Career. The album's closing track "Hurry Up Tomorrow" seamlessly flows into 2011's "High For This," completing a 14-year artistic journey that began with anonymous Soundcloud uploads.

Through masterful production and fearless innovation, The Weeknd crafts ultimate farewell. As Abel Tesfaye prepares to shed his iconic persona, "Hurry Up Tomorrow" stands as testament to an artist who transformed pop music while remaining true to his creative vision.

The album's ambition, coupled with its commercial triumph, cements The Weeknd's legacy as one of the defining artists of his generation.

SONG OF THE WEEK

📀 The Weeknd’s “Cry For Me” | 4.1/5⭐

The Weeknd's Metro Boomin-produced emotional centerpiece emerges as a masterclass in modern suffering, where success and isolation collide in haunting harmony:

  • Thunderous production builds cathedral of pain through clashing synths and rolling drums, creating perfect sonic metaphor for fame's gilded prison

  • Repeated mantra "cry for me like I cry for you" anchors track's devastating emotional weight, proving hooks can cut as deep as they soar

  • Vocal performance shifts from numb detachment to raw anguish, marking new territory in Tesfaye's exploration of modern alienation

  • Title captures dual meaning - both desperate plea to an ex-lover and broader cry into fame's void

From Trilogy's shadows to Hurry Up Tomorrow's neon-lit farewell, The Weeknd proves pain evolves but never fades. "Cry For Me" stands as testament that even at the end, no one chronicles isolation's shadow quite like Abel.

Review of Cry For Me by jnsquoi - Musicboard

Review of Cry For Me by The Weeknd. ★ rated the track 4.0 / 5 stars. A soul-stirring ballad,

musicboard.app/jnsquoi/review/track/cry-for-me/hurry-up-tomorrow/the-weeknd

Honorable Mentions:

MEME