Underrated channel man, brilliant analysis. I think After Hours is a climax in the story of the 'The Weeknd's' character. He has reached a point where he must decide if his demons will pull him down or he will let them go. He has to decide and we have to decide with him. The Weeknd according to Abel is the character who portrays the darker themes, he is an alter ego for The Weeknd.
@@DA-fx2ip there definitely can be one. and i think it’s subjective. obviously no album will BE LIKE thriller because that era is gone and music has changed and evolved, music being put out now just sounds different. but there can and most likely will be a new Thriller sometime if there hasn’t already been one.
@@dannysankyu I think I should have clarified. I'm not talking about the quality of the music. Thriller was 9 tracks, 7 were HITS. If Thriller was released today it would have smashed everything. And Thriller is still universally acclaimed 40 years later. Thriller is one of again, it is a disservice to AH to compare it or say "this is xyz's generations thriller".
@@DA-fx2ip i wasn’t talking about quality either. if Thriller were released today it probably wouldn’t smash everything either, that’s like saying if Halo: Combat Evolved or GTA San Andreas were released today, then they’d be incredible games. They wouldn’t. They’re outdated, and the only reason anyone says both the album and those two games i mentioned are so good is because of nostalgia and how great they were for their time. Thriller is really good, and i do love it 100%, but to hold it up to this pedestal like this is a bit much. I’m not sure how comparing an album to Thriller and saying “It’s the Thriller of this generation” is a disservice either if AH is a genuinely very good album.
@@dannysankyu Thriller isn't "dated" though. Nor is it "nostalgia". It's a 9 track album where 7 were top 10 singles (before the streaming era), and 40 years later it still is in rotation for many music fans (Casual and hobbyist). With how much more accessible music is now, you don't think it's performance would be even better? AH's incredible performance, imo is really only carried by Blinding Lights, and let's not let that take away from a great album, one of the best in the past decade. But c'mon now; The Girl is Mine, Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Human Nature, PYT....No album is touching that six track run. Thriller is one of a kind, there is no album that should be compared to it. Different eras, yes, but the different eras is more to AH's benefit than Thriller's.
It’s a damn shame that After Hours or any of the songs on it were even nominated for a Grammy, this album came out at the perfect time literally days before the lockdown was put into effect and unintentionally spoke about what everyone was feeling having to be forced to be alone or trapped inside and a year later, the album still feels just as fresh as it did when it first released
Come on now, as a coherent album it might be comparable but song by song, trilogy is unbeatable especially echoes and house of balloons tapes, love after hours tho it’s probably just behind trilogy and kissland
@@fazanchaudhry9907 I’m not just basing it off song to song. Don’t get me wrong Trilogy is a 10/10, same with MDM (though it’s not an album) which is another 10/10. But After Hours is just on another level. The creativity, the sound that it has, the feeling it brings, it’s just so dark but so bright at the same time. 11/10
@@AngelNOTAngle I agree after hours is really good as a full album but even with that, I’ll be honest I can’t remember the last time I flipped on a specific song, it’s more like I’ll listen to the entire album rather than one song, whereas trilogy or kissland has so many independent god tier tracks on top of a nice story but yeah after hours story wise and theme wise I’d agree is by far the most well done, but yeah house of balloons itself has like 6 songs I like more than any song on after hours, kissland has 7, echoes has like 3 or 4
Personally, I think Trilogy has a lot of “empty space” that doesn’t need to be there. It felt like every other song had an outro that was over a minute long, with not much going on during said outro, such as Loft Music, Lonely Star, Heaven or Las Vegas, and especially Gone. (Probably one of my least favorite songs on the three EP’s). But, there are some songs like The Birds Part 2 and Echoes of Silence where it feels less like obvious padding. And then, there’s songs like Glass Table Girls, The After Party, and Loft Music’s outro that just feel... incomplete. Not unfinished, necessarily, but ones that could certainly have more to them. Going back to Gone, it’s over eight minutes long, and I’d dare to say that at least half of its length is “wasted”. I still appreciate a lot of the lyrics, a lot of the better songs throughout the EP’s, and the massive amount of continuity the 30 songs hold together, but I think XO’s need to accept that it’s imperfect, and that he’s certainly improved with his actual studio albums. Even Kiss Land, which was his first work released after Trilogy, feels way more polished.
@@prettierjesus3119 I can definitely see where you’re coming from, I like the grimy unfinished feel trilogy has tbh, it makes it feel more real as it wasn’t even supposed to be made considering the weeknds life and situation, can’t agree with the songs feeling unneeded. Different moods for me requires different songs and trilogy has multiple for each feel. But yeah the weeknd definitely cleaned up his production for kissland, good but didn’t need it imo it felt amazing during trilogy.
I like how The Weeknd dropped the Deluxe and 3 new songs after releasing After Hours for few days. You can argue it's the unfinished songs but you can also say it's not having closure and not moving on despite saying He's fine and that he's alright being all alone. In the end He still misses her and that the only thing he can do is wish the girl Peace and have a nice sleep on the bed.
@@checksoverstripes2498 the song seems to fit in the album if it was intended to be apart of it, not as a deluxe song. Cause if you're seeing this in the present it would contradict Dawn FM's idea of regretting and forgiveness.
Little thing that people don’t notice is that in “Until I bleed out” there’s balloons in the video indirectly telling us that he is heading back again to his “House of Balloons” type of lifestyle
I always read that it was him hating this lifestyle of partying now that he’s grown up and that it’s cause the loss of his relationship yet he’s consumed by it anyway, maybe I’m wrong.
The coolest thing about After Hours is that the Deluxe Edition offers a different interpretation of the ending. "Nothing Compares" is him saying that nobody else will ever compare to the girl he lost, while "Missed You" is him acknowledging that he still has feelings for the girl and coming to terms with it. "Final Lullaby" seems, on the surface, to be him singing to his lover, trying to help them fall asleep. But I think it's metaphorical, symbolic of him trying to close the book on the relationship, knowing even though he still has feelings for the girl, he can't have her, and wants to finally put their relationship to bed, so that he can try to move on. Abel is a genius and master of his craft.
Through that I realize that the artist named Abel Weeknd try to find true happiness That make me keep the faith After many years I found through this artist that through him music magic CONTINUE I LIKE HIS VOKAL I LIKE LYRICS AND MUSIC MY MESSAGE TO HIM IS. WEEKND CREATE YOUR OWN HISTORY PROTECT YOUR DREAMS AND YOUR SOUL AN UNKNOWN TRUE FRIEND OF YOURS CONTINUE LOVE FROM GREECE
So his new album seems to be a “party album,” more upbeat and whatnot, but unlike before where he usually has a new haircut and look for each era, he’s still sporting the afro and glasses, though now with a beard and a darker suit. Could this be his AH character’s redemption arc? Or something else?
I agree I think this is his redemption arc and you can even tell when you hear his verse hurricane in the new Kanye West Donda album that he wants to be a better person so we will prob get happier songs with this next album
@Zero idk, the transition from Bbtm to Starboy was like him killing off his old self and becoming a whole new person. In the dawn able is still his after hours self with a different twist in a different area. Kind of like how After Trilogy Able still looked similar and was his old self, just in a new different place.
@@mr.youtubetoast4062 in the future, you're right. His trying to fix himself, now he has to decide if he wants to go back to his After Hours self, or be a better person.
Somewhere in between Starboy and My Dear Melancholy, was a story he almost revealed in an unreleased album, which I'll call Starboy 2, but he decided to not release it because right before it was announced, the break up with Selena happened, and it became a past feeling he won't get back any time soon, so he just didn't release it and made 2 EP's, My Dear Melancholy and We're Alone Together, and just released one of them.
Underrated channel man, brilliant analysis. I think After Hours is a climax in the story of the 'The Weeknd's' character. He has reached a point where he must decide if his demons will pull him down or he will let them go. He has to decide and we have to decide with him. The Weeknd according to Abel is the character who portrays the darker themes, he is an alter ego for The Weeknd....
After Hours is so good. Every song is great and when you listen to the lyrics you really hear what a damaged man it is talking about. I don't necessarily believe that artists portray themselves accurately within their works, but I think Abel really did throw a lot of his past and his uncertainty of the future into this album. Perhaps it's exaggerated and certainly has taken artistic liberties in some respects, but it does feel like an interesting autobiography of "The Weeknd" character.
It probably sounds weird but I almost feel grateful for breaking up when after hours dropped + the quarantine. Really felt the songs, the pain, the pouring emotions, the depression. Absolutely intense experience.
The breakdown was really dope! Thank you! Didn’t really listen to Abel after House of Balloons but Afterhours brought me back to appreciating our native son🇨🇦. I know this album was healing for a lot of us during pandemic/lockdown.
8:57 I think the reason why the weeknd is unable to come to terms and live a stable life with a commuted relationship and to truly love even though he longs for it is because he doesn’t love himself. There is a line on faith where the weeknd sings “I pray when I look inside the mirror and see someone I love”. The weeknd is unable to love his partner because he doesn’t love himself and who he’s become, this party lifestyle has and will continue to affect him for the rest of his life yet he sings on alone again, “take of my disguise, living someone else’s life” when put in to the context of the album considering its later in the narrative I feel this is him directly addressing this, he wants love but knows the only thing about him that’s real is his lifestyle so he starts to question why, and I think that’s the real tragedy of this album and Abel.
Broooo from the last 2 sentences to the camera backing away from the tv to the end credits with a good song is so creative it was a movie seen right there
im heartbroken by the most important girl in my life. and seeing the story of the weeknd makes me realise that money doesnt buy happines if u are not with the people you love
she aint worth being depressed bro just saying theres more fish in the sea just go find another one thats worthy of you and never EVER settle for less than what you want
I also took the themes of car crashes as the turbulent nature of his relationship. Theres a lot of ambulance sirens in the songs, and blinding lights probably symbolizes the lights from those ambulances
This analysis is spot on. But it does miss out that Abel is also talking about his drug addiction; although that addiction is arguably not too different from his attachment to the woman that he can't let go of
This album will be his most popular one just like Michael had thriller and prince had purple rain. People are gonna think of after hours when they think of the weeknd.
Cuhh i recently discovered your channel and I am blown away cuhh! I cant believe you don't have more subscribers! The way you give such articulate break downs of subjects is amazing! Its so in depth, focused and your attention to detail is on the micro scale yet but it remains easy on the ears and the mind. I literally just turn on one of your videos and just listen to it as I work, or do one of my hobbies. The first video I ever saw was the Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and I have been a loyal subscriber ever since. Basically what I'm trying to say is keep up the good work man you doin the shit right!
my favorite song on AFTER HOURS is of course, AFTER HOURS...this shows how much he truly loves that woman and how he regretted letting her go.....but overall, this ALBUM is probably one of the best of this generation!
ruclips.net/video/ik8o1Natq9g/видео.html Check this one out, it phenomenally broke down how the whole album is telling a story. I didn’t realize this while listening, I just felt every song was fire, didn’t know it was a whole story
Need to go listen to the song but your description and explanation resonated on a spiritual level. I literally thought you were talking about some of my own current life incidents and experiences, which is a whole different mindfuck.
This is a great analysis. Posted just 2 days before my birthday no less. I loved After Hours too. The Weeknd. and I go way back since 2011. Every album was relatable to my own life at the time, very eerie but so good. Well done!
I loved Blinding Lights. After watching the video, I finally realize the full meaning of it, and hence love it even more. He was blinded by the intense LA lights. The night life was drowning him. LA was just a city a sin for him. Weeknd is a genius.
I think it was meant to subtly commentate on LA police culture, too, and how police are more present than they need to be. (The lights being those of the car sirens.)
My favorite album! He is not only deserving of Grammys, but also awards for the brilliant performances in the videos and all appearances he made in character. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 Now, this is an interesting perspective upon the album. Although, there is some overlap, I have a slightly different perspective. But great summary, nonetheless.
great video. I like how you approached this. However, I think this album and the videos tell a story about how he sold his soul to the devil, and is now regretting it when the devil comes to collect. He tries to run but he can't escape him, which eventually leads to weekend's soul finally being collected, and now he's a puppet for him, basically a slave to his every command.
That was BBTM, also. He sells his soul in CFMF (burning to death from the lighter) then tries to leave his old self behind, depicted by him quite literally burying his old self in TYF’s. Afterwards, he tries to escape his “resurrection”, likely because he regrets it, but he fails, seeing as the same guy who killed him in CFMF shows up in the house in The Hills. Then, you could argue that Starboy is how it’s starting to affect him. (Especially since he sort of re-enacts him “killing” his old self at the beginning of the video.) Again, he’s starting to regret it, as depicted with him using the pink cross to destroy mostly everything in the mansion, especially his old work. The frequent references to cars and panthers, on the other hand, is likely referencing how it’s turned him into a greedy person who wants nothing more than fe and success. I haven’t really figured out what most of the other music videos, whether for the main album or the MANIA video mean, but here’s some thoughts about what I think he may be trying to say. •Party Monster: Him becoming more mainstream is turning him into, well, a party monster. He’s making “party songs” instead of more “deep” songs. And, this is just my opinion, but songs like Rockin’, True Colors, Attention, and Six Feet Under don’t feel as authentic as some of his older songs, almost as if they were made to be “mind numbing”. •False Alarm: The song talks about a woman who wants nothing more than men to leech off of for money, and the music video is of a bank robbery. I’m just guessing, obviously, but maybe Abel was doubting his ability, and felt like he was “robbing a bank” by making a profitable album that wasn’t as focused on quality as his previous two, or his EP’s. •Reminder: He feels like just another celebrity at this point. He’s surrounded by a bunch of other popular male singers in the video, and he’s starting to seep into the general greed and egotism many modern singers fall into, such as by wearing that pretty showy jacket that he did in the video, and quite literally having to remind you of who he is. I’ve yet to figure out what Secrets or IFIC’s videos are trying to say, or fully understand what MANIA was trying to say, though.
It's an interesting art Weeknd caught my attention after many years I got the feeling that a young man named Weeknd through his art try to send his soul s message to youth
your channel and voice brings me so much comfort, i tried meditating and even that didn't bring me this much comfort omg, thank you so much for all the videos you make! ♡
What do you guys think of After Hours? Let me know. As always thank you so much for your support. ❤️
Your channel is a gem hidden in RUclips man! It's great dude 👌 👍 👏
Underrated channel man, brilliant analysis.
I think After Hours is a climax in the story of the 'The Weeknd's' character. He has reached a point where he must decide if his demons will pull him down or he will let them go. He has to decide and we have to decide with him.
The Weeknd according to Abel is the character who portrays the darker themes, he is an alter ego for The Weeknd.
Its great to know abaut the artist named weeknd CONTINUE
Love from Greece
what do you think about take my breath Explain that
Subbed ❤️🔥🌐📶
this album is a masterpiece and will stand the test of time for many years to come! This is the Thriller for our era.
AH is great album. But please, do not compare any album to Thriller. There is none, and likely never will be.
@@DA-fx2ip there definitely can be one. and i think it’s subjective. obviously no album will BE LIKE thriller because that era is gone and music has changed and evolved, music being put out now just sounds different. but there can and most likely will be a new Thriller sometime if there hasn’t already been one.
@@dannysankyu I think I should have clarified. I'm not talking about the quality of the music. Thriller was 9 tracks, 7 were HITS. If Thriller was released today it would have smashed everything. And Thriller is still universally acclaimed 40 years later. Thriller is one of again, it is a disservice to AH to compare it or say "this is xyz's generations thriller".
@@DA-fx2ip i wasn’t talking about quality either. if Thriller were released today it probably wouldn’t smash everything either, that’s like saying if Halo: Combat Evolved or GTA San Andreas were released today, then they’d be incredible games. They wouldn’t. They’re outdated, and the only reason anyone says both the album and those two games i mentioned are so good is because of nostalgia and how great they were for their time. Thriller is really good, and i do love it 100%, but to hold it up to this pedestal like this is a bit much. I’m not sure how comparing an album to Thriller and saying “It’s the Thriller of this generation” is a disservice either if AH is a genuinely very good album.
@@dannysankyu Thriller isn't "dated" though. Nor is it "nostalgia". It's a 9 track album where 7 were top 10 singles (before the streaming era), and 40 years later it still is in rotation for many music fans (Casual and hobbyist). With how much more accessible music is now, you don't think it's performance would be even better?
AH's incredible performance, imo is really only carried by Blinding Lights, and let's not let that take away from a great album, one of the best in the past decade. But c'mon now; The Girl is Mine, Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It, Human Nature, PYT....No album is touching that six track run. Thriller is one of a kind, there is no album that should be compared to it. Different eras, yes, but the different eras is more to AH's benefit than Thriller's.
The Dawn is here but I'm still stuck in this era
FRRR
I think he knows that why he hasn't released it yet
Same... Still processing how mind blowing is this album I just can't let go
Will never truly leave this era just like House of Balloons. I love After Hours soo much from the music to the album concept
i feel that. to me i feel the after hours will never end
Minstrom: "So it's winter now"
The Month of June: "Am I A Joke To You"
In Africa it’s winter
@@romeodimba6009 south hemisphere: am i a joke to you?
hes prob australian
It’s a damn shame that After Hours or any of the songs on it were even nominated for a Grammy, this album came out at the perfect time literally days before the lockdown was put into effect and unintentionally spoke about what everyone was feeling having to be forced to be alone or trapped inside and a year later, the album still feels just as fresh as it did when it first released
I actually believe After Hours might be better than Trilogy.. I can’t believe I’m saying it. But, my god this Album is something else
Come on now, as a coherent album it might be comparable but song by song, trilogy is unbeatable especially echoes and house of balloons tapes, love after hours tho it’s probably just behind trilogy and kissland
@@fazanchaudhry9907 I’m not just basing it off song to song. Don’t get me wrong Trilogy is a 10/10, same with MDM (though it’s not an album) which is another 10/10. But After Hours is just on another level. The creativity, the sound that it has, the feeling it brings, it’s just so dark but so bright at the same time. 11/10
@@AngelNOTAngle I agree after hours is really good as a full album but even with that, I’ll be honest I can’t remember the last time I flipped on a specific song, it’s more like I’ll listen to the entire album rather than one song, whereas trilogy or kissland has so many independent god tier tracks on top of a nice story but yeah after hours story wise and theme wise I’d agree is by far the most well done, but yeah house of balloons itself has like 6 songs I like more than any song on after hours, kissland has 7, echoes has like 3 or 4
Personally, I think Trilogy has a lot of “empty space” that doesn’t need to be there. It felt like every other song had an outro that was over a minute long, with not much going on during said outro, such as Loft Music, Lonely Star, Heaven or Las Vegas, and especially Gone. (Probably one of my least favorite songs on the three EP’s).
But, there are some songs like The Birds Part 2 and Echoes of Silence where it feels less like obvious padding.
And then, there’s songs like Glass Table Girls, The After Party, and Loft Music’s outro that just feel... incomplete. Not unfinished, necessarily, but ones that could certainly have more to them. Going back to Gone, it’s over eight minutes long, and I’d dare to say that at least half of its length is “wasted”.
I still appreciate a lot of the lyrics, a lot of the better songs throughout the EP’s, and the massive amount of continuity the 30 songs hold together, but I think XO’s need to accept that it’s imperfect, and that he’s certainly improved with his actual studio albums. Even Kiss Land, which was his first work released after Trilogy, feels way more polished.
@@prettierjesus3119 I can definitely see where you’re coming from, I like the grimy unfinished feel trilogy has tbh, it makes it feel more real as it wasn’t even supposed to be made considering the weeknds life and situation, can’t agree with the songs feeling unneeded. Different moods for me requires different songs and trilogy has multiple for each feel. But yeah the weeknd definitely cleaned up his production for kissland, good but didn’t need it imo it felt amazing during trilogy.
Blinding lights hits different after listening to faith
Don't even have to watch to know it's a certified banger.
RNS
I like how The Weeknd dropped the Deluxe and 3 new songs after releasing After Hours for few days. You can argue it's the unfinished songs but you can also say it's not having closure and not moving on despite saying He's fine and that he's alright being all alone. In the end He still misses her and that the only thing he can do is wish the girl Peace and have a nice sleep on the bed.
Yeah I wish Missed You was a little longer but Bruh thank God for those bonus tracks cause damn they add to the heat of the album
I wish he included Take Me Back to LA (Myself). That would’ve been the PERFECT ending to After Hours.
@@checksoverstripes2498 the song seems to fit in the album if it was intended to be apart of it, not as a deluxe song. Cause if you're seeing this in the present it would contradict Dawn FM's idea of regretting and forgiveness.
@@Ro_kly or maybe After Life
The weeknd isn’t an artist
He is an experience
Now I realize why I actually listen so often to his songs, this guy is a genius.
Little thing that people don’t notice is that in “Until I bleed out” there’s balloons in the video indirectly telling us that he is heading back again to his “House of Balloons” type of lifestyle
I always read that it was him hating this lifestyle of partying now that he’s grown up and that it’s cause the loss of his relationship yet he’s consumed by it anyway, maybe I’m wrong.
The coolest thing about After Hours is that the Deluxe Edition offers a different interpretation of the ending. "Nothing Compares" is him saying that nobody else will ever compare to the girl he lost, while "Missed You" is him acknowledging that he still has feelings for the girl and coming to terms with it. "Final Lullaby" seems, on the surface, to be him singing to his lover, trying to help them fall asleep. But I think it's metaphorical, symbolic of him trying to close the book on the relationship, knowing even though he still has feelings for the girl, he can't have her, and wants to finally put their relationship to bed, so that he can try to move on. Abel is a genius and master of his craft.
I'm a simple man. I see Abel, I click
edit: how are you so underrated jesus christ
Pleaaaaase do the rest of his discography
Definitely. I’ve got an idea for a Beauty Behind The Madness video so keep a look out for that
@@mintrommovies i'd also love trilogy, particularly the three mixtapes leading into the remastering
@@mintrommovies I need one for Beauty Behind the Madness video it’s a classic
@@mintrommovies can't wait
Very underated channel - Keep it up 🙏🔥
Through that I realize that the artist named Abel Weeknd try to find true happiness
That make me keep the faith
After many years I found through this artist that through him music magic CONTINUE
I LIKE HIS VOKAL
I LIKE LYRICS AND MUSIC
MY MESSAGE TO HIM IS.
WEEKND CREATE YOUR OWN HISTORY
PROTECT YOUR DREAMS AND YOUR SOUL
AN UNKNOWN TRUE FRIEND OF YOURS CONTINUE LOVE FROM GREECE
@Kelton Mitter on in that he’s fighting it.
Only artist I can relate to in his art and personality. His voice just amplifies his art a million times!
So his new album seems to be a “party album,” more upbeat and whatnot, but unlike before where he usually has a new haircut and look for each era, he’s still sporting the afro and glasses, though now with a beard and a darker suit.
Could this be his AH character’s redemption arc? Or something else?
I agree I think this is his redemption arc and you can even tell when you hear his verse hurricane in the new Kanye West Donda album that he wants to be a better person so we will prob get happier songs with this next album
I think The Dawn is the next part to After Hours, kind of like How Kissland was the next part after Trilogy.
@Zero idk, the transition from Bbtm to Starboy was like him killing off his old self and becoming a whole new person. In the dawn able is still his after hours self with a different twist in a different area. Kind of like how After Trilogy Able still looked similar and was his old self, just in a new different place.
@@mr.youtubetoast4062 in the future, you're right. His trying to fix himself, now he has to decide if he wants to go back to his After Hours self, or be a better person.
This album just set the tone to 2020s for me.
I just binged all your videos such an underrated channel with such high quality
Thank you!
First thought after listening to until I bleed out was that the whole album could be a cycle, alone again could literally follow up until I bleed out.
If you watch the Snowchild video at the end he walks right back into the Heartless video, so you could be onto something…..
Somewhere in between Starboy and My Dear Melancholy, was a story he almost revealed in an unreleased album, which I'll call Starboy 2, but he decided to not release it because right before it was announced, the break up with Selena happened, and it became a past feeling he won't get back any time soon, so he just didn't release it and made 2 EP's, My Dear Melancholy and We're Alone Together, and just released one of them.
Felt this in my heart I almost shed a tear. I relate to this psyche so much
DAMM IS WINTER OVER THERE? VIDEO WAS FIRE.
Thank you! 🥶
Underrated channel man, brilliant analysis.
I think After Hours is a climax in the story of the 'The Weeknd's' character. He has reached a point where he must decide if his demons will pull him down or he will let them go. He has to decide and we have to decide with him.
The Weeknd according to Abel is the character who portrays the darker themes, he is an alter ego for The Weeknd....
Dawn FM exist + a new album in the trilogy is coming
The Weeknd is a genius . Great video!
After Hours is so good. Every song is great and when you listen to the lyrics you really hear what a damaged man it is talking about. I don't necessarily believe that artists portray themselves accurately within their works, but I think Abel really did throw a lot of his past and his uncertainty of the future into this album. Perhaps it's exaggerated and certainly has taken artistic liberties in some respects, but it does feel like an interesting autobiography of "The Weeknd" character.
It probably sounds weird but I almost feel grateful for breaking up when after hours dropped + the quarantine. Really felt the songs, the pain, the pouring emotions, the depression.
Absolutely intense experience.
Impressive work!
The breakdown was really dope! Thank you!
Didn’t really listen to Abel after House of Balloons but Afterhours brought me back to appreciating our native son🇨🇦. I know this album was healing for a lot of us during pandemic/lockdown.
Thanks! Yeah this album was the best during those early lockdown months, I have good memories of my first few listenings
8:57 I think the reason why the weeknd is unable to come to terms and live a stable life with a commuted relationship and to truly love even though he longs for it is because he doesn’t love himself. There is a line on faith where the weeknd sings “I pray when I look inside the mirror and see someone I love”. The weeknd is unable to love his partner because he doesn’t love himself and who he’s become, this party lifestyle has and will continue to affect him for the rest of his life yet he sings on alone again, “take of my disguise, living someone else’s life” when put in to the context of the album considering its later in the narrative I feel this is him directly addressing this, he wants love but knows the only thing about him that’s real is his lifestyle so he starts to question why, and I think that’s the real tragedy of this album and Abel.
Broooo from the last 2 sentences to the camera backing away from the tv to the end credits with a good song is so creative it was a movie seen right there
I only found you yesterday and you never miss every vid I've seen is a banger
Thanks man!
Your channel is one of the best hidden gems on youtube.
Bro ur so underrated
That was surprisingly in-depth
im heartbroken by the most important girl in my life. and seeing the story of the weeknd makes me realise that money doesnt buy happines if u are not with the people you love
she aint worth being depressed bro just saying theres more fish in the sea just go find another one thats worthy of you and never EVER settle for less than what you want
this album changed my life. After hours is a masterpiece
I also took the themes of car crashes as the turbulent nature of his relationship. Theres a lot of ambulance sirens in the songs, and blinding lights probably symbolizes the lights from those ambulances
Damn this album really resonates bc I’ve been here time n time again.. Abel gets it
Nice man. Loved watching this
This analysis is spot on. But it does miss out that Abel is also talking about his drug addiction; although that addiction is arguably not too different from his attachment to the woman that he can't let go of
This album will be his most popular one just like Michael had thriller and prince had purple rain. People are gonna think of after hours when they think of the weeknd.
I thought the line from snowchild referred to the snow in Canada, how he was walking in the snow before he ever made his wrist freeze
Same they both make sense though
Double entendre
This album and whole era is just masterpiece. My favourite album for sure!
Cuhh i recently discovered your channel and I am blown away cuhh! I cant believe you don't have more subscribers! The way you give such articulate break downs of subjects is amazing! Its so in depth, focused and your attention to detail is on the micro scale yet but it remains easy on the ears and the mind. I literally just turn on one of your videos and just listen to it as I work, or do one of my hobbies. The first video I ever saw was the Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and I have been a loyal subscriber ever since. Basically what I'm trying to say is keep up the good work man you doin the shit right!
Cheers I appreciate it bro
On crip cuhh
got goosebumps watching this
I can’t believe how relatable this is
my favorite song on AFTER HOURS is of course, AFTER HOURS...this shows how much he truly loves that woman and how he regretted letting her go.....but overall, this ALBUM is probably one of the best of this generation!
even weekend wouldnt had thought this much
Amazing video about my all time favorite album, great job my guy
Best album review I’ve seen so far, though i think the deluxe tracks add more to the storyline and is often forgotten about.
Incredible album and incredible video, man!
Great video thanks for giving me a new perspective on the album
ruclips.net/video/ik8o1Natq9g/видео.html
Check this one out, it phenomenally broke down how the whole album is telling a story. I didn’t realize this while listening, I just felt every song was fire, didn’t know it was a whole story
Thank you furreal, bro I'm a day one and was happy how you did it justice in a the concise manner a summary requires
Very very underrated video, deserves millions of views
6:26 this whole line made me tear up. Plus the imagery 11/10
I stil don’t know how álbum didn’t won a Grammy
bro no lie the way you elaborated on why it’s called after hours was so on point i felt that shit 💯 nice video fr bro!
DUDE YOUR PRODUCTION IS FUCKING OUTTA THIS WORLD HOW DO YOU ONLY HAVE 5.8K SUBS??
Need to go listen to the song but your description and explanation resonated on a spiritual level. I literally thought you were talking about some of my own current life incidents and experiences, which is a whole different mindfuck.
This video was so well done... Enjoyed it so much that I was hoping for it to continue after the credits.
This is a great analysis. Posted just 2 days before my birthday no less. I loved After Hours too. The Weeknd. and I go way back since 2011. Every album was relatable to my own life at the time, very eerie but so good. Well done!
That was beautiful, thank you.
Top 5 album of the 2020 decade !!!
It's his best work yet!
And it ends with my favorite Weeknd song, this was all the way through a solid analysis!
I cannot wait for your analysis of Dawn FM!! This video essay was so well done
Yeah your gonna blow up stay on your grind.. sub earned
This was an excellent video. The editing, writing, subject everything on point. Keep it up mate
this video is a masterpiece, it shows that you are very dedicated to your work, I LOVED ITTTTT as much as i love this album
Amazing analogy! keep going bro
When it comes to the Weekend, I am so late to the party! That being said, what a CREATOR 👍🏾
This video is just so good and how deeply analyzes what the weeknd represents. Consider making a video in future about his trilogy album!
I loved Blinding Lights.
After watching the video, I finally realize the full meaning of it, and hence love it even more.
He was blinded by the intense LA lights. The night life was drowning him. LA was just a city a sin for him.
Weeknd is a genius.
I think it was meant to subtly commentate on LA police culture, too, and how police are more present than they need to be. (The lights being those of the car sirens.)
Perfect and detailed analysis..Makes me appreciate the album even more..You just gained a new subscriber..Cant wait for the dawn!
My favorite album!
He is not only deserving of Grammys, but also awards for the brilliant performances in the videos and all appearances he made in character. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Now, this is an interesting perspective upon the album. Although, there is some overlap, I have a slightly different perspective.
But great summary, nonetheless.
Such a refreshing take on Abel’s music, keep up the great work!!
probably the best breakdown of after hours I've seen and trust me I've seen them all. Way to go brother, you gained a new sub
one of the better written video essays on youtube
Means a lot bro thank you
great video. I like how you approached this. However, I think this album and the videos tell a story about how he sold his soul to the devil, and is now regretting it when the devil comes to collect. He tries to run but he can't escape him, which eventually leads to weekend's soul finally being collected, and now he's a puppet for him, basically a slave to his every command.
That was BBTM, also.
He sells his soul in CFMF (burning to death from the lighter) then tries to leave his old self behind, depicted by him quite literally burying his old self in TYF’s. Afterwards, he tries to escape his “resurrection”, likely because he regrets it, but he fails, seeing as the same guy who killed him in CFMF shows up in the house in The Hills.
Then, you could argue that Starboy is how it’s starting to affect him. (Especially since he sort of re-enacts him “killing” his old self at the beginning of the video.) Again, he’s starting to regret it, as depicted with him using the pink cross to destroy mostly everything in the mansion, especially his old work. The frequent references to cars and panthers, on the other hand, is likely referencing how it’s turned him into a greedy person who wants nothing more than fe and success.
I haven’t really figured out what most of the other music videos, whether for the main album or the MANIA video mean, but here’s some thoughts about what I think he may be trying to say.
•Party Monster: Him becoming more mainstream is turning him into, well, a party monster. He’s making “party songs” instead of more “deep” songs. And, this is just my opinion, but songs like Rockin’, True Colors, Attention, and Six Feet Under don’t feel as authentic as some of his older songs, almost as if they were made to be “mind numbing”.
•False Alarm: The song talks about a woman who wants nothing more than men to leech off of for money, and the music video is of a bank robbery. I’m just guessing, obviously, but maybe Abel was doubting his ability, and felt like he was “robbing a bank” by making a profitable album that wasn’t as focused on quality as his previous two, or his EP’s.
•Reminder: He feels like just another celebrity at this point. He’s surrounded by a bunch of other popular male singers in the video, and he’s starting to seep into the general greed and egotism many modern singers fall into, such as by wearing that pretty showy jacket that he did in the video, and quite literally having to remind you of who he is.
I’ve yet to figure out what Secrets or IFIC’s videos are trying to say, or fully understand what MANIA was trying to say, though.
Are you talking metaphorically?
This is beauty
What an explanation. Extremely articulate. 💯
It's an interesting art
Weeknd caught my attention after many years I got the feeling that a young man named Weeknd through his art try to send his soul s message to youth
I really adore this guy xx i can see thru his emotions he has it all but yet he is human too been hurt like the best of us xx my true inspiration xx
Love AFTER HOURS!!!! I WAS HONERED TO SEE HIM IN CONCERTTTT BOSTON
your channel and voice brings me so much comfort, i tried meditating and even that didn't bring me this much comfort omg, thank you so much for all the videos you make! ♡
A classic Mintrom Movies video
this video is just a masterpiece. looks like work done by someone from Abel's inner circle...
great video
Nice analysis, I think you’re spot on. It’s fascinating just how complex and dynamic his music is and how much bigger than just music his message is
Bruh you nailed this 🤨🔥
So much work for this video, love it
I loved that kanye breakdown which was amazingly well put! You should do a kid cudi breakdown he inspired many other artist with his unique sound.
8:30
Bro WTF just changedy whole perspective of I feel it coming
And MDM 😦😦
loved this. great analysis my man
I really appreciate the video keep up the good work. Snowchild is my Favorite song in the Album.
Fantastic video, i Hope you make another one about 'The Dawn'
Still my favorite music album ever I listen to it everyday
This album is a work of art.
Really great video, keep up the amazing work bro!!!
superb video, well done!