After Hours
Details
LP / Format
Tags
Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
91
No, it’s not comparable to old Weeknd material, nor should it be. As he evolves, he continues to reinvent himself, and he knows exactly how to leave fans hooked on havoc.
82
After Hours is the most satisfying blend of “old” and “new” Weeknd that he’s ever put forth on a single project.
80
The Weeknd is that rarest of creatures, a pop star whose work still chomps at the boundaries. After Hours, his fourth album, balances what his fans already like about him with a new twist.
80
Spidery tendrils of sex-and-drugs-related dread curl around dramatic synth-pop and twinkling R&B, Yet there's also a batch of tracks that draw from bombastic, slightly tacky '80s pop - a warm, funny and wholly welcome diversion from the stylish but sterile bleakness that remains Tesfaye's calling card.
80
The album explores new levels of sonic innovation, expanding on old themes while finding new shades of emotional maturity.
80
Some of Tesfaye's most vivid and piercing lines are herein.
80
The Weeknd's After Hours naturally weaves together cinematic vignettes of debauched Hollywood and Las Vegas nights, following a new filmic tie to Uncut Gems and a prior decade of character building.
80
Production-wise especially, this is The Weeknd’s strongest project yet, and deserves all the recognition.
80
While the Weeknd's sound has veered off track from his early feel in the past, After Hours gives fans the closest taste to Trilogy that they will get.
80
On his fifth album, Scarborough native Abel Tesfaye couldn’t be further from his debut – and that’s okay. The hour-long LP often plays out like an experimental 80s fever dream, but it’s still anchored by The Weeknd’s broody sonic DNA.
80
The Weeknd's comeback record splits the difference between his hedonistic and reflective personas.
80
By balancing the two sides of his musical personality – not to mention add some levity to that boring, bad-taste id – After Hours feels like the first Weeknd album in a while to offer up a clear, singular vision rather than something frustratingly abstract.
80
Like Starboy, there’s a hefty Eighties influence here, although for the most part, After Hours abandons the danceability of its predecessor in favour of moody introspection. This is the music you listen to when the party’s over.
79
There is not a single song on the album that colors outside the lines he established nine years ago, but his narrow focus has paid off: He’s finally found harmony between the enigmatic noir-pop that broke him to the blogs and the arena-worthy ambition that launched him into the mainstream.
75
The Weeknd has made his most appealing record in years—a reminder of just how good Tesfaye is at this whole elite pop stardom thing.
75
There's a cohesion to these 14 tracks that was absent from Tesfaye's last several releases, a real sense that he's closer than ever to striking the perfect balance between the darkly shaded aesthetic he broke out with and the naked pop ambitions of his more recent material.
75
Re-evaluating the past while glancing to the future, the Toronto native, despite lofty pretensions, manages to deliver the core goods for those expecting a soundtrack to sun-dappled summer days inside or outdoors, lockdowns permitting.
70
After Hours is a fruitful reinvention of The Weeknd.
70
Musically, After Hours hits the best balance yet of the gloomy melodrama of the Weeknd’s early EPs or his 2018 release My Dear Melancholy and the pop slickness of his 2016 LP Starboy — at once lachrymose and sleek, cold but plush, like a lavishly ornamented fallout shelter.
60
Perhaps After Hours’ retro electronic sound does have a bleak vibe that suits the times, but only if you block out the words.
I judged this with a half assed listen judging this as "This isn't the Weeknd that I wanted..."
I came back to this to make a video doing an actual reaction to this... and this isn't the Weeknd that Abel wanted. The synth poppy elements do an amazing job at reflecting what his life has become. He does the same thing as what Kendrick did on swimming pools, but for an entire album, showcasing the flashing lights and distractions that lead him away from the true hole in his heart. He ... read more
I’ve become a big slut for synths as of recently so this makes me happy, rating to come soon.
EDIT: I am a big slut for this entire album, I feel like Abel is having sex with these synths and I’m recording it. The ambiance is *chef’s kiss*. Big big fan of this one.
Abel knocked it out of the park with "After Hours", a drug-fueled journey through the sounds of the 80's and the future joining forces (I'd like to say that it's a mix of his pop stuff with the druggy, more experimental works in the "Trilogy" days). The results on display are magnificent, with thick-ass kick drums and eargasmic synths that accentuate just how well-mixed and produced this album is. Also, Oneohtrix Point Never produced on this album. If that isn't a music ... read more
[The Weeknd Discography Review Binge to prepare for The After Hours Til Dawn Tour] #8
This is one of those albums that made me want to dive deeper into my music taste. I remember my very first listen during quarantine. I was playing GTA and thought why not play that new The Weeknd album in the background. I listened through the whole thing without paying much attention and I remember just finding it pretentious and uninteresting. The following day, I’m not sure why, I decided to give it ... read more
Contributions By
Novell_sx, Leo Aguilar, domvic, Toasterqueen12, anztec, Juneclew, MikeOwen, owenthinks, Blader, Muratka, casmesk, dumbmoonlight, South101Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | Alone Again 4:10 | 85 |
| 2 | Too Late 3:59 | 82 |
| 3 | Hardest To Love 3:31 | 87 |
| 4 | Scared To Live 3:11 | 84 |
| 5 | Snowchild 4:07 | 80 |
| 6 | Escape From LA 5:55 | 82 |
| 7 | Heartless 3:18 | 88 |
| 8 | Faith 4:43 | 90 |
| 9 | Blinding Lights 3:20 | 94 |
| 10 | In Your Eyes 3:57 | 91 |
| 11 | Save Your Tears 3:35 | 91 |
| 12 | Repeat After Me (Interlude) 3:15 | 78 |
| 13 | After Hours 6:01 | 93 |
| 14 | Until I Bleed Out 3:10 | 84 |
Total Length: 56 minutes
Year End Lists
| #1 | / | Complex |
| #1 | / | Yahoo Entertainment |
| #2 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
| #3 | / | Billboard |
| #4 | / | Highsnobiety |
| #4 | / | Variety: Jem Aswad |
| #4 | / | Vulture |
| #5 | / | Gaffa (Sweden) |
| #5 | / | The Young Folks |
| #6 | / | Idolator |
More Lists
By landlalt
Sign in to comment
2w
Not sure what the weeknd was on during the first half of his record but the rest of the album went crazy
Added on: January 18, 2020