After Hours
A blood-stained wanderer in a neon nightmare seeking redemption through self-destruction.
After Hours is the fourth studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on March 20, 2020, by XO and Republic Records. The standard edition of the album contains no guest appearances, but the deluxe edition features Ariana Grande and the remixes edition features Chromatics and Lil Uzi Vert. Production was primarily handled by the Weeknd alongside a variety of producers, including DaHeala, Illangelo, Max Martin, Metro Boomin, and OPN, most of whom the Weeknd had worked with previously. The album's title is borrowed from the 1985 film of the same name, while its artwork and aesthetic was inspired by various other films. Thematically, After Hours explores loneliness, self-loathing, and escapism. It is also the first installment in a trilogy of albums, preceding Dawn FM (2022) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025).
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Weeknd
- Released
- 20 March 2020
- Recorded
- 2018–2020
- Genre
- Synth-pop
- electropop
- new wave
- synthwave
- R&B
- dream pop
- Length
- 56:19
- Label
- XO; Republic
Lore & Background
The album's artwork and aesthetic has been described as psychedelic and being inspired by various films, such as: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Joker (2019), Casino (1995), and Uncut Gems (2019), with the last film having a cameo appearance by the Weeknd himself. The title of the album was inspired by the 1985 movie of the same name by Martin Scorsese. The Weeknd's physical appearance in the era has been described by journalists as being red-pigmented, with him consistently maintaining a red suit and specific hairstyle throughout all of the album's promotional material, such as its artwork, music videos, teasers, and live performances, with its music videos and live performances used to create a mini story. The album's overall art direction was primarily handled by the Tammi brothers, with its design being handled by Aleksi Tammi. The album's creative direction was handled by the Weeknd's creative director and childhood friend La Mar Taylor. When asked about the reason behind the album's title, the Weeknd explained to Variety: "Oh, there are so many reasons for it. The main reason is these are all emotions and thoughts and feelings that I had late at night – [like the video] is all one night and I'm going through all the emotions, after the club, after the fight and after a long day, it's like these are my thoughts from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m."
Reader's Guide
The video follows Abel as he wanders through a surreal, empty Los Angeles at night. The narrative is non-linear and dreamlike, showing him encountering various scenes of decay and violence. He visits a strip club where dancers are frozen or injured, interacts with a police officer who seems indifferent to his condition, and eventually ends up in a hospital bed, suggesting he has been hurt again. Hidden details include the recurring motif of clocks stopping at specific times, symbolizing a frozen moment in time. The video features cameos from other characters in the saga, hinting at a larger interconnected world. Directed by Anton Tammi, the visual style mimics 1980s film noir with modern cyberpunk aesthetics. This entry connects directly to 'Blinding Lights' and 'Save Your Tears,' forming a trilogy of visuals that depict the protagonist's descent into madness before his eventual death or transcendence in later chapters.
Track listing
Standard edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alone Again | Abel Tesfaye, Jason Quenneville, Carlo Montagnese, Adam Feeney | 4:10 |
| 2 | Too Late | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Montagnese, Eric Burton Frederic | 3:59 |
| 3 | Hardest to Love | Tesfaye, Max Martin, Oscar Holter | 3:31 |
| 4 | Scared to Live | Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Martin, Holter, Daniel Lopatin, Elton John, Bernard Taupin | 3:11 |
| 5 | Snowchild | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Balshe, Montagnese | 4:07 |
| 6 | Escape from LA | Tesfaye, Montagnese, Leland Tyler Wayne, Mike McTaggart | 5:55 |
| 7 | Heartless | Tesfaye, Wayne, Montagnese, Andre Proctor | 3:18 |
| 8 | Faith | Tesfaye, Balshe, Montagnese, Wayne | 4:43 |
| 9 | Blinding Lights | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Martin, Holter | 3:20 |
| 10 | In Your Eyes | Tesfaye, Balshe, Martin, Holter | 3:57 |
| 11 | Save Your Tears | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Martin, Holter | 3:35 |
| 12 | Repeat After Me (Interlude) | Tesfaye, Kevin Parker, Lopatin | 3:15 |
| 13 | After Hours | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Balshe, Montagnese, Mario Winans | 6:01 |
| 14 | Until I Bleed Out | Tesfaye, Wayne, Lopatin, Mejdi Rhars, Notinbed | 3:10 |
| Total length | 56:19 | ||
Remixes EP
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heartless (Remix) (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) | Tesfaye, Wayne, Montagnese, Proctor, Symere Woods | 3:20 |
| 2 | Blinding Lights (Chromatics Remix) (featuring Chromatics) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Martin, Holter, Miller, Padgett | 4:21 |
| 3 | Save Your Tears (OPN Remix) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Quenneville, Martin, Holter, Lopatin | 3:40 |
| 4 | Heartless (Vapor Wave Remix) (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) | Tesfaye, Wayne, Montagnese, Proctor, Symere Woods, Quenneville | 2:45 |
| 5 | After Hours (The Blaze Remix) | Tesfaye, Quenneville, Balshe, Montagnese, Winans, Guillaume Alric, Jonathan Alric | 3:58 |
| 6 | Scared to Live (SNL Live) | Tesfaye, Balshe, Martin, Holter, Lopatin, John, Taupin | 3:37 |
| Total length | 21:43 | ||
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