The Weeknd's 'Brain-Melting' New Album After Hours Is Finally Here

Right after a rollout that was months in the making, The Weeknd has finally pulled the curtain back on his fourth album, After Hours. It had been a wild ride until the assignments release on Friday (March 20) — Abel spent the winter dropping a handful of singles and dazzling music videos, blowing our minds with innovative late-night performances, and sharing an extended look at the album's gritty universe in a dark short film.


The expansive sonic journey was previously described by The Weeknd as a "brain-melting psychotic chapter." That was definitely mirrored in his chaotic "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights" videos and in the album's bloody-mouthed aesthetic, and yes it seeps into all 14 tracks on the new project. After Hours is bookended by the sinister title track — which features one hell of a beat switch halfway through — and the creeping closer up until I Bleed Out," on which he repeats that's he's "so paralyzed" and thus terrified" of not feeling the ground anymore.


The rest of the album covers synth-pop jams "In Your Eyes," power ballads like "Scared To Live," and brooding R&B cuts like "Escape From LA." Perhaps most surprisingly, the project doesn't include any features — a major divergence from his last album, 2016's Starboy, which featured A-listers like Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk, and Future.


Hours before releasing his new album, The Weeknd dedicated After Hours to a longtime fan named Lance who recently passed away. "RIP LANCE aka XOPODCAST. You were one of the true original backbones of my XO fanbase," he wrote, commemorating the fan who ran both the XO Podcast and the @TheXOPodcast2 Twitter account. "Can't believe I'm finding out about this today. I'm dedicating Right after Hours to you, my friend."


While the status of The Weeknd's upcoming Immediately after Hours World Tour is in flux, these 14 new tracks should hold fans over for a while. And in the event you still need more Abel in your life, you need to strongly imagine giving Uncut Gems another spin (or two). Meanwhile, stream his new album below.