5 takeaways from the Weeknd's new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow
Social Sharing
The Weeknd's new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, has finally arrived, marking an end to his current After Hours and Dawn FM album trilogy and, potentially, his stage name.
Featuring an array of collaborations with singers and producers including Belly, Metro Boomin, Lana Del Rey, Justice, Florence & the Machine, Travis Scott, Future and more, the project explores themes of heartbreak, fame, faith, isolation and loss.
Fans will be able hear the songs live on the recently announced 2025 After Hours Til Dawn tour, which kicks off in May.
CBC Music has gone through the 22-song album to find some of its most noteworthy moments. From a David Lynch credit to a House of Balloons connection, learn more about the record's influences and Easter eggs below.
1. He pays homage to Michael Jackson
The album's opening track, "Wake Me Up," seemingly interpolates Michael Jackson's "Thriller," a nod to how Jackson has long served as an inspiration for the Weeknd. He has spoken about Jackson's influence on his artistry in various interviews: "I want to make it very clear that I'm not trying to be Michael. He's everything to me, so you're going to hear it in my music," he told the Los Angeles Times in 2016. " Off the Wall was the album that inspired me to sing."
In 2023, when the Weeknd broke Jackson's record for the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist, he paid tribute to his idol.
2. He spotlights the influence of Giorgio Moroder and classic film scores
The very first thing you hear on "Wake Me Up" is a sample of the main theme from Scarface by legendary composer Giorgio Moroder. Those haunting synths are actually a remix of the piece that Moroder did for the Weeknd back in 2017. The Weeknd has always been a longtime admirer of Moroder, who's considered to be the godfather of modern dance music, and you can hear that influence clearly on Weeknd tracks such as "Blinding Lights" and "Take My Breath." On Hurry Up Tomorrow, the two finally officially collaborate on not one, but three tracks, with Moroder also co-producing "Big Sleep," which features an extrapolation of the theme from his Midnight Express score, as well as "Without a Warning."
"I'm thrilled to continue bridging the gap with Abel between the past and the future, creating something timeless yet innovative," Moroder told Variety of working with the Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye.
In another nod to classic film scores, the Weeknd also interpolates the late David Lynch's " In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)" from the film Eraserhead on the title track. Lynch has long been a big influence on the Weeknd's music, with the singer referencing Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks in his work (Laura Palmer's scream in " The Hills" is one of the most notable examples). When Lynch died on Jan. 15, the Weeknd posted a tribute to the director on Instagram with the caption, "everything is fine…," directly nodding to the song that's interpolated in "Hurry Up Tomorrow."
3. He reflects on a scary, real-life moment behind 'I Can't F--king Sing'
The 12-second track/skit "I Can't F--king Sing" highlights a 2022 low point for the Weeknd: the superstar lost his voice and ended his L.A. concert at SoFi Stadium early after he was unable to continue singing. Over anxiety-inducing instrumentals, the Weeknd sounds panicked as he states, "No, it's my f--king voice, OK?"
Earlier this year, he told Variety that he was "defeated on the world stage" when it happened.
"My body, and specifically my voice, had never failed me before," he said.
In an interview with W, he revealed that playing Tedros, the creepy character on his since-cancelled show, The Idol, could have contributed to the temporary voice loss. "My theory is that I forgot how to sing because I was playing Tedros, a character who doesn't know how to sing," he explained.
"I may be looking too deeply into this, but it was terrifying," he continued. "As the Weeknd, I've never skipped a concert. I've performed with the flu. I'll die on that stage. But there was something very complicated going on with my mind at that moment."
He eventually rescheduled the SoFi shows, and went on to record them for his first live album, Live at SoFi Stadium, which was released in 2023. An accompanying concert film was also released, and received two prime-time Emmy nominations: one for outstanding lighting design/lighting direction for a variety special and another for outstanding technical direction and camerawork for a special.
4. 'Take Me Back to LA' has a charitable connection
In the wake of the L.A. wildfires, the Weeknd pushed back the release of Hurry Up Tomorrow and cancelled his concert at Hollywood's Rose Bowl. "This city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time," he shared on X. "In light of this, I have also decided to push the release of my album to January 31st. My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild."
He donated $1 million to fire relief efforts, and the album's track "Take Me Back to LA" continues this charitable thread: proceeds from the song will support the L.A. Regional Food Bank, which is providing food to victims of the wildfires.
5. There's a full-circle closing moment
In a nice Easter egg to Day 1 fans, the closing notes of the album perfectly sync up to "High For This," the first track on the Weeknd's first mixtape, House of Balloons. The full-circle moment is a touching way to close out what Tesfaye has said could be his final album under the Weeknd name.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial is coming to a close. Here's what you need to know
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. Jurors will soon weigh the case against former movie studio boss Harvey Weinstein, who is standing trial for a second time in New York on sexual assault charges. The trial, which began in a Manhattan criminal court on April 23, moved on to closing arguments Tuesday without testimony from Weinstein. Deliberations by the jury — made up of seven women and five men, with five people serving as alternates — could begin Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. Weinstein, 73, is accused of raping an actress and assaulting two women in what prosecutors have called a pattern in which the disgraced movie producer used his power and influence to lure in victims and then keep them silent. The Miramax studio co-founder has pleaded not guilty and has denied ever having non-consensual sex with anyone. Weinstein, suffering from a litany of health problems, was present throughout the trial in a wheelchair. Weinstein returned to court five years after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault by a New York jury, for a new trial covering many of the very same allegations — plus one that hasn't been tried before. That trial and a whirlwind of other allegations against Weinstein from women in the film and television industry, including some prominent movie stars, propelled the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. The retrial is happening because New York's top court last year threw out Weinstein's 2020 conviction. The high court found that the previous trial judge allowed prejudicial testimony about allegations separate from the charges. Here's what you need to know about Weinstein's retrial as the case nears a close. WATCH | How the prosecution took a gamble in 2020 Weinstein trial and what went wrong: Why Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was overturned | About That 1 year ago Duration 8:49 Weinstein not testifying Weinstein opted not to testify at his New York retrial, his lawyer Arthur Aidala said Sunday night. It was a fraught decision for the 73-year-old, who didn't testify at previous trials in New York and California and was convicted in both. He denies the allegations, and Aidala has said that Weinstein was carefully weighing whether to take the stand this time. Speaking outside court on Thursday, Aidala said that Weinstein thought a lot of holes had been poked in the accusers' accounts, but that he also was pondering whether jurors would feel they needed to hear from him. In the U.S., defendants in criminal cases aren't obligated to testify, and many decide not to, for various reasons. Among them: the prospect of being questioned by prosecutors. Who are the accusers? He's charged in New York with raping Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, separately, in 2006. Mann was an actor and hairstylist, Haley a production assistant and producer, and Sokola a model who aspired to an acting career. It was the first time prosecutors publicly identified Sokola and detailed her account of what unfolded between her and the Oscar-winning movie producer in the early 2000s. She has also accused him in a civil lawsuit of groping her against her will four years earlier, when she was 16. Like the two other accusers in the case, Sokola alleges a complex series of encounters and reactions — being sexually assaulted, yet staying in touch; wary of Weinstein but wanting to remain on good terms with a Hollywood power broker who dangled the possibility of an acting career. The Associated Press does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named, as Haley, Mann and Sokola have done. What are the accusations? All three women testified for days at the retrial, giving emotional and graphic accounts of what they say they endured. They said Weinstein suggested he'd help them achieve their show-business dreams, but then manoeuvred them into private settings and preyed on them. Haley, a former TV production assistant, was the first to testify and recalled the alleged events of July 2006. She said she accepted an invitation to visit Weinstein's Manhattan apartment one early evening because she felt it would have been odd to decline; she was due to fly on his company's dime to Los Angeles the next day to see a premiere of the film Clerks II, which Weinstein's company co-produced. After she and Weinstein briefly chatted on his living room sofa, he lunged to kiss her, she testified. She said she leapt up and rejected him, but he grabbed her and forcibly backed her into a bedroom. Then, Haley said, he pinned her down on a bed and performed oral sex on her, ignoring her pleas that she didn't want it. Sokola, an aspiring actor at the time, told jurors Weinstein put his hand inside her underwear and made her touch his genitals at a Manhattan apartment in 2002. Mann, a 39-year-old cosmetologist and hairstylist, was the last of three accusers to testify in the case and the one with arguably the most complicated history with Weinstein. She said she met Weinstein at a party in late 2012 or early 2013, when she was 27 and had recently moved to Los Angeles to try to launch an acting career. She said he took an interest in her ambitions, and they had a few followup meetings that alternated between professional talk and boundary-pushing. In March 2013, she said she travelled to New York with a friend. After the pals made plans for breakfast with Weinstein, he showed up early and got a room at Mann's hotel, over her protests, she said. Weeping and wiping her eyes on the witness stand, she said she went upstairs with Weinstein to try to avoid a public argument and told him, "I don't want to do this," but he shoved the door shut as she tried to leave. After Weinstein demanded she undress and grabbed her arms, she said she "just gave up." Mann said he then had sex with her — after, she believes, injecting himself with an erection-promoting drug that she later found in the bathroom trash. Mann told no one about the alleged rape. She said that she doubted she'd be believed and feared reprisals from the well-connected Weinstein. Weinstein's lawyers have argued that anything that happened between him and his accusers was consensual. Will Weinstein go free if he's acquitted at this trial? Weinstein had been serving a 23-year sentence in a prison in upstate Rome, N.Y., when his first conviction was overturned. But even if he's acquitted in this trial, he's not a free man. Last year, he rejected an extradition request from California, where he was found guilty of rape, forced oral copulation and another sexual misconduct count involving a woman known as Jane Doe 1, after a two-month trial held in Los Angeles in late 2022. He was sentenced early the following year to 16 years in prison, which was to begin after the New York sentence was served. Weinstein's conviction in California is subject to review, but in the wake of the overturning of the New York verdict, legal experts said that the two states had rules that differed regarding testimony about prior acts and behaviour. WATCH | Weinstein sentenced for rape, sexual assault of accuser known as 'Jane Doe 1': Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years for rape and sexual assault 2 years ago Duration 3:04 An L.A. judge has sentenced Harvey Weinstein to 16 years in prison following his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of the accuser known as 'Jane Doe 1.' The former movie producer will serve the sentence after his current 23-year sentence in New York.
CBC
30-05-2025
- CBC
Justice's best advice for artists: revel in your mistakes
French electronic duo Justice have three Grammy Awards, but they have no interest in going to expensive studios or working with famous producers. They insist on recording all of their songs in their home studio setup. "Non-professionalism is a very big component of the music that we make," says Gaspard Augé, in an interview with Q guest host Garvia Bailey. "Although we are not mixers, we've all always engineered and made things ourselves.... I always say you should mix it yourself. Because even if it's gonna sound less good, it's going to sound better. Because as the artist, you are the most relevant person to give that personality to your record." Justice's music has no shortage of character. They have a wide variety of musical influences, ranging from Funkadelic to Nirvana. The duo have also taken a lot of inspiration from Michael Jackson — they dedicated their 2007 hit song D.A.N.C.E. to him, and their new collaboration with The Weeknd sounds like a reimagined version of Thriller. Originally, Justice's song with The Weeknd was only supposed to be a short instrumental opening track. But in the end, Wake Me Up became a full five minute song with lyrics. WATCH | Official audio for Wake Me Up: "[The Weeknd] said, 'Yeah, can we make something like classical orchestrated music?' So we did that," Xavier de Rosnay explains. "And then we made like ten seconds of music just to show him that it could lead onto something else. And he's like, 'Oh yeah! That's cool!'... I think he liked the idea to once and for all concretize this kind of connection he has with Michael Jackson." After multiple decades in the industry, many music groups end up burning out or breaking up. But Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay say that they're bonded for life, and they could not be more in sync. "From the moment we met, it was really like a fusional type of relationship," Xavier de Rosnay recalls. "I think we met and two months after that, we were really spending all of our lives together. And that's still the same thing today.… I behave with him the same way I behave with myself. Like almost one entity." I behave with him the same way I behave with myself. Like almost one entity. - Xavier de Rosnay, on his relationship with Gaspard Augé "It's a bit crazy when you think about it," Gaspard Augé says. "And I still love you very much, so that's great — but it's a weird thing." The full interview with Justice is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
National Post
28-05-2025
- National Post
Co-defendant in Vince McMahon sex trafficking lawsuit makes deal to help accuser
Article content Article content John Laurinaitis, a former WWE executive who had been named as a co-defendant in the sexual abuse and sex trafficking lawsuit against the pro wrestling mogul, reportedly has reached an agreement to help the accuser. Article content Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate with and give evidence after reaching a confidential settlement with Janel Grant, according to a statement issued by their representatives on Wednesday. Article content According to CNBC, a filing in U.S. District Court in Connecticut shows that lawyers for Grant and Laurinaitis agreed to dismiss the lawsuit as it applies to the former wrestler and that it will be done so with prejudice, which means that it cannot be refiled. Article content 'John Laurinaitis has agreed to cooperate and provide evidence in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE,' the reps said in the statement obtained by NBC News. Article content 'His agreement to a confidential settlement is a pivotal next step toward holding McMahon and WWE accountable and bringing justice to Ms. Grant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking,' the reps added. Article content 'Mr. Laurinaitis looks forward to moving on with his life. We cannot provide any additional details at this time.' Article content The settlement between Laurinaitis and Grant comes three weeks after she filed an amended civil complaint against him, McMahon, and WWE. Article content In the original complaint, Grant accused McMahon of soliciting sex in exchange for giving her a job at WWE and of abusing her during their physical relationship. Article content In an amended version of the complaint filed in January, it is alleged that WWE superstar Brock Lesnar is the employee of the company previously referred to anonymously as 'WWE Superstar,' and also alleges that McMahon offered Grant to Lesnar for a sexual encounter during contract negotiations. Article content Article content The amendment also claims that the WWE founder instructed Grant to send sexually explicit content to Lesnar, who is also a former UFC star. Article content McMahon allegedly informed Grant that Lesnar would be their next 'playmate' and directed her to 'create personalized sexual content' for the wrestler. Article content The suit also claims that in 2021, 'McMahon flew and/or caused Lesnar to fly on a jet into a local airport and travel into Connecticut (across state lines) for what McMahon described to Ms. Grant as a 'business dinner,' as well as a sexual encounter with Ms. Grant in McMahon's condo.'
