This is especially apparent in the title track, “After Hours.” He articulates, “My darkest hours / Girl, I felt so alone inside of this crowded room / Different girls on the floor, distractin’ my thoughts of you / I turned into the man I used to be, to be.” The Weeknd’s descent into his previous, indulgent lifestyle seems almost involuntary, even though he is aware of it happening. In “Heartless,” The Weeknd refers to himself as a cold and empty man who has “lost heart and mind.” He sings, “Low life for life 'cause I'm heartless,” and then “Tryna be a better man, but I'm heartless.” He accepts his failure to hold himself to higher standards, which he accredits to being “heartless.” The Weeknd often returns to this theme of attempting to escape the degrading and vain lifestyle he loses himself in, but being unable to do so.
He repeatedly returns to themes of being blind, alone, and bleeding out, particularly in the tracks: “Alone Again,” “Heartless,” “Blinding Lights,” and the lead single “After Hours.” The lavish lifestyle he has reveled in no longer possesses the same charm - it lacks substance. However, he begins to stray away from this excitement in “After Hours,” delving into the darker sides of the success his music has brought him. The Weeknd’s previous album, “Starboy,” which carries more of a free-spirit vibe, revolves around his newfound fame. It embraces a distinct sentiment of disenchantment with The Weeknd’s current lifestyle and deviates from the more carefree falsetto on his past songs like “I Feel It Coming” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” On top of his famously laid-back synths, the album relays a sonic and lyrical exploration of loneliness. “After Hours” strips back the early optimism of fame with a futuristic sound but familiar R&B feel.
In many ways, The Weeknd’s latest album marks the beginning of a new era.
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