(Almost) every artist's career can be divided into "chapters", or "eras", of music where they evolve and sonically morph their sound to resonate with the chapter/era of their life they are enduring. The Weeknd's career began with releasing mixtapes that skyrocketed him in 2011 and influenced darker themes into his major-label debut album Kiss Land. It was during this time that he generally stayed out of the public eye by declining interviews, rarely being photographed, and personifying the "mysterious" reputation, until the release of Beauty Behind the Madness, which saw him working with big-league producers such as Max Martin. That album spawned major hits like "Can't Feel My Face" and "Earned It", and turned Abel Tesfaye into a megastar. He became even more popular with his next release Starboy but took a hiatus soon after.
The Weeknd's newest era and album, After Hours, is his best so far. With sounds heavily influenced by 80's-style pop synthesizers, pulsating bass, his signature dark R&B roots, and contrasted with his angelic voice, After Hours is not an album to be left unheard. Every song is distinct from one another (something that some albums tend to miss) and blends seamlessly together. It's also accompanied by a short film that sets a backstory to the narration in the lyrics and gives a visual representation of the '80s/Las Vegas/Thriller vibes that can be heard throughout the album. As if it wasn't already sonically impressive, all the music videos released so far have been a consistent continuation of the storytelling within the album and highlights his captivating performance art as well.
After Hours is sure to become one of 2020's best albums.
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