The Weeknd is Spotify’s second most-streamed artist in the world with more than 104 million monthly listeners. The Canadian singer’s last two instalments blessed our ears in 2020 with the psychedelic After Hours and 2021’s futuristic Dawn FM. Now in 2024, The Weeknd, also known as Abel Tesfaye, is ready to start the final chapter of his current three-album run with Hurry Up Tomorrow and its lead single ‘Dancing in the Flames’. Listeners can hopefully uncover more about the character of ‘The Weeknd’, an extreme representation of a Hollywood persona.
This lead single sees Tesfaye recollecting a story of love while driving on the road, opening, ‘Traffic dies while we are racin’ home / Melted lights cover the open road’. A continuous synth pattern builds during the chorus, creating a fresh and crisp-sounding instrumental.
During the bridge, heavier and slower synths can be heard underneath The Weeknd’s emotive vocal style. The synths in this section are reminiscent of songs from the House of Balloons days, more notably the opening of ‘The Morning’. Intentional or not, this is a reminder that Tesfaye’s songs are so distinctively his, listeners can easily detect his musical style.
The synths never left!
Adlibs from Tesfaye carry this song to new heights. The 34-year-old singer is known for his vocal techniques and the final chorus proves no different. He uses little sharp “Ah’s” and “Hey’s” making the track feel like it’s being performed live. More additional vocals can be heard throughout the closing making this a full musical experience with no empty space, completely contrasting the quiet-toned bridge.
The cohesive sound that has followed The Weeknd and been noted as his signature style continues with this project too. Tesfaye finds himself working with usual collaborators Max Martin and Oscar Holter, names who have now been credited on all three parts of the trilogy following the release of ‘Dancing In The Flames’.
After a first taste of new music from The Weeknd, anticipation is certainly at its peak. An album’s title has never made more sense, so please… Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Words by Thomas Melia
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