The Weeknd - After Hours (2020) Hi Res

The Weeknd’s epochs can be clearly defined as pre- and post-“Can’t Feel My Face.” The mysterious character of his mixtape trilogy cut an enigmatic figure lurking seedy club and hotel corridors, and producer Max Martin transformed him into a radio-friendly Kids’ Choice Award nominee, a progression that led to an eventual rebirth as a Daft Punk-retrofitted Starboy. He straddled the line on his last EP, My Dear Melancholy, but there has always been an explicit conflict between the volatile, shapeless R&B of his breakthrough and the sophisti-pop of his star turn.

From the start of The Weeknd’s career, he’s always gone into depth about how he’s basically just a party, drugs, and sex monster where he just goes around doing whatever he wants however he wants it. This is the first time where he looks back at his actions and takes responsibility and accountability for them. The production is also top tier with a heavy-hitting and groovy bassline that is minimalist yet compact. This is something that’s really exciting to me because this means that we could see an entirely new side of him on this album in a way that he’s never really expressed himself before.