AFTER HOURS MUSIC REVIEW
THE WEEKND
This past year has been huge for the Weeknd, and became a leading artist with his most recent album. After Hours is definitely a hit-after-hit album, but there are certain tracks that seem to overlook others in my opinion. Here I will be explaining and listing my personal favorite tracks from this album and why I like them more than the rest.
ALONE AGAIN.
This track gives off the overall vibe of the album, including heartbreak and substance abuse. In this particular track, he is asking his significant other to remind him who he is and to help take him out of this sick habit. His very first verse starts with “Take off my disguise; I’m living someone else’s life.” This is Abel asking someone to drag him out of this other personality, and stop him from potentially overdosing.
What really grabs your attention in this song is the transition of musical background. At first, the tempo is rather slow and quiet, and then loud with a faster beat near the end. This dark and lonely tone immediately is exposed in the intro track in a big way and that really is the best kick start to a well-written album.
TOO LATE.
Too Late is a more fast paced track on this album, but has the recurring theme of regrets and forgiveness. As the song goes on, the relationship is described as slightly toxic in ways regarding lust and unfaithfulness. Abel tells his lover that when he is in his darkest moments, she is his light and that even though he has made mistakes, it is too late for them to save themselves from those moments. At the end of the song, he admits that he should probably let go of her, but he can’t imagine himself not being with her especially in the night.
This song is very catchy in its faster beats and repetitive chorus, but what really attracts me to this song is how Abel fully admits that both himself and his lover have made multiple mistakes to each other, which oddly enough keeps their relationship alive.
SCARED TO LIVE.
After a few tracks go by, Abel changes his perspective of love in a more ballad tone. After a hard breakup, his lover was left in doubt that she will ever find love again. Even though Abel himself says that he is hard to fall in love with and held onto her for too long, he assures her that she will be able to move on and she should not be scared to live again.
Even though this may be one of the less complex songs in the album, I personally got attached to it due to Abel’s change in love and how even though he has lost most of his hope for love, he does not want to leave his lover lonely and heartless without him. Abel knew she could find someone better, but he also wished he could have kept her to himself.
AFTER HOURS.
Ever since this track came out as a single, I was obsessed with it on all aspects. In this song, Abel is fully in a guilty state after a heartbreak and apologizes to his lover for the mistakes he made. He explains to her how empty he was inside, and lost focus of what he truly loved by compensating in spending money and clubbing. Abel recognizes where he went wrong, and realizes that no matter what, he wanted to be by her side. After all his apologies, he asks to be reconciled. He tries to assure his lover that this time he will be better, and will not break her heart if she gives him another chance.
Everything about this track hits me in a way that I’ve never personally experienced before. The lyrics make me feel for Abel, and how mistakes happen in relationships especially if it’s with someone that you truly love and cherish. Most importantly, the musical transitions played a key part in the overall feelings Abel is facing throughout the entire song including regret, and the hope for forgiveness.
NOTHING COMPARES.
This song, and two others, were not included in the original album, but were added to the deluxe album as bonus tracks. This song in particular is about Abel’s limitless affection towards his lover, and how he will never love someone as much as her. With this never ending love for her, Abel can’t hold onto her due to his own drug struggles. Regardless, he assures her that he would never stop thinking about her and she will never compare to anyone else he meets.
When the bonus tracks were released, I immediately favored this song because it shows Abel’s utter affection towards his lover whether or not he is in too deep with his issues. The instrumentals throughout the song are very complex with an electric guitar, synthesizer, and occasional clapping percussion. To me, I feel like the lyrics and included instruments in this track really pull together Abel’s overall musical vibe.
