At midnight Jan. 31, I was sitting in the passenger seat of my friend’s car. We were parked in front of our apartment building, and in the back seat was another friend of ours. We had no intention of going anywhere.
We were gearing up to listen to The Weeknd’s newest album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” I don’t tend to listen to albums as soon as they drop, but this was Abel Tesfaye’s last album as The Weeknd, and I was lucky to have Fridays off this semester.
We listened to the first few tracks and were immediately absorbed by the dreamy, dark, synthpop aesthetic that’s been a trademark in past albums such as “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.” The thought of waking up the neighbors with loud music, however, prevented us from taking full advantage of the speakers.
My friends and I tend to hold our so-called “album functions” inside the same gray 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The bassy speakers contrast with the car’s compact frame and enhance the listening experience. After several requests to turn up the music, my friend in the driver’s seat decided to take us to a nearby empty water park, and there we were able to immerse ourselves completely in the music.
A series of surprises followed: striking interludes, pleasing genre blends, and seamless transitions between tracks. Although the album felt a bit disjointed upon first listen, in hindsight, all the tracks contributed to the same grandiose atmosphere. The album is a fitting soundtrack to The Weeknd’s curtain call. Before shedding his old skin and continuing as Abel, he went out with a bang.
Lyrically, the album deals with heavy themes, such as mental breakdowns, grief, and the metaphorical killing of his alter ego. However, when I first encountered this album, the soundscapes commanded more of my attention than the lyrics, allowing me to mentally remove myself from reality.
With the album’s production, The Weeknd managed to give me a glimpse into another reality. I was inside a parked car, yet the album made me feel blinded by headlights as I sped down an empty highway late at night. It felt more like an experience rather than a collection of songs.
To me, this ability to make the mind wander and take audiences to a different setting is one of the most essential elements of storytelling. Films such as “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” do a fantastic job of building worlds different from our own; both films also make us feel like we’re on the Millenium Falcon or in a game of Quidditch. In writing, this can become a bit complicated because you rely on the reader’s willingness to create a mental image from words on a page. Fortunately, you do have tools to help them, mainly specificity and description.
Notice how, for example, I didn’t stick to mentioning “my friend’s car” and instead opted for “gray 2013 Hyundai Elantra.” If you can’t imagine what that looks like, you can at least look it up online.
My intent is not to become anyone’s writing coach; I still have a lot to learn. But as a reader, I recognize how some stories are more engaging because they encourage me to visualize people, places, and things that aren’t around me.
As an avid music listener, I also appreciate it when artists achieve this same effect through their stylistic choices such as when they conceptualize entire projects around an idea or aesthetic that persists throughout. The Weeknd’s latest album acted as the end of an artistic journey, beginning with his 2020 album “After Hours.” His last album trilogy represents a life cycle, going through stages of chaos, self-reflection, and closure with hope for the future.
By taking listeners on this journey with him, Abel Tesfaye is perhaps looking to instill hope within his fans, so they, too, can look forward to tomorrow.
