The Weeknd, also known as Abel Tesfaye, is wrapping up his current trilogy with the release of his latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which follows 2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM. The new album was a long time coming. Three years ago, shortly after unveiling Dawn FM, he mused on social media, “I wonder … did you know you’re experiencing a new trilogy?” Notice his use of the word “new,” as he had previously launched his career back in 2011 with a trio of classics. The Weeknd received critical acclaim early on for his mixtape trilogy—House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes Of Silence—which set a new benchmark for alternative R&B in terms of mood, sound, and lyrical content.

But the trilogy the singer’s currently bringing to a close turned out to be more than just a sequel—it has become, as became clear later on, the end of his Weeknd era. “I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he revealed in an interview with W magazine in August 2023. “I’ll still make music … but I still want to kill the Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn,” he went on. “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as the Weeknd. … As the Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say,” and for numerous reasons, apparently—including having to push back North American tour dates after losing his voice in September 2022 and the identity crisis he experienced while juggling musical performances with producing and starring in the HBO series The Idol. But are the reasons really that important? The predestined conclusion to the decade-long reign of one of the most successful musicians of the streaming era is a spectacle in itself.

Subsequent interviews, social media posts, and snippets from the Weeknd began to feel like steps on a roadmap toward a promised finale. One such event last September, a special one-night-only concert in São Paulo, Brazil, served as a monumental teaser. Just days before the concert, the singer posted a video revealing the upcoming album’s title, Hurry Up Tomorrow. “Yesterday was 14 years ago,” the manifesto read. “A new path awaits. When today ends, I’ll discover who I am. Hurry Up Tomorrow.” During the São Paulo show, he debuted nine unreleased songs, three of which—“Dancing In The Flames,” “Timeless,” and “São Paulo”—were subsequently released as singles. By late December, billboards reading “the end is near” were popping up all around the world, cleverly recycling the cover art from his past six albums but omitting the first, second, and fourth letters of “the Weeknd” to match the message. And there’s more to this than just music. A loosely connected movie sharing the same title as the album and starring Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan will be released in the US on May 16.

All in all, ringing in Hurry Up Tomorrow isn’t just about the typical countdowns or teasers but something that transcends a PR push meant to elbow out competition: It’s an attempt to go out on top. Ever since appearing as a version of his younger self in the film Uncut Gems, Tesfaye has frequently drawn a line between himself and his onstage persona, the Weeknd. This gradually evolved as the character came to take center stage of his musical identity—like the bandaged Weeknd we all followed along with during the After Hours era. Then, in Dawn FM, the same character is guided through purgatory by a fictional radio station, 103.5 Dawn FM, transitioning from a hedonistic lifestyle to a state of introspection and repentance. What could be left in store for a character who’s already traversed hell and purgatory?

More than the thematic aspect of the new album, the most striking aspect is that the 22 tracks clocking in at nearly 90 minutes are all brilliant, no exceptions—they’re not only sonically, but cinematically, amazing. The breadth is underscored by the diverse ensemble of renowned producers like Mike Dean, Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never), Justice, and Giorgio Moroder, and the blend of countless genres and styles. Even beyond the songs themselves, the transitions between tracks experiment with novel ideas, adding to the drama with effects mimicking radio and phone. The overall approach makes it feel like it’s expanding upon what was explored in Dawn FM.

In a word, the album is bold. First, Dawn FM wasn’t exactly a runaway success, at least not by the Weeknd’s standards. With 148,000 sales in the first week, his previous album broke his streak of three consecutive Billboard 200 debuts at number one, landing at number two instead. By contrast, After Hours moved 444,000 units in its first week. Second, the Weeknd has earned a reputation for constant reinvention and pushing musical boundaries, meaning another pivot in direction is far from unexpected. Granted, there are departures that might catch listeners off guard, like his collaboration with Anitta on the Brazilian funk-inspired “São Paulo,” but the overall cohesion holding the album together makes such moments feel more like little bonuses on top of the full arc rather than jarring detours.

He readies his character to take his leave right from the very first words he sings on the album (“All I have is my legacy … No afterlife, no other side,” “Wake Me Up”). He lives in a lonely world with no sense of belonging (“In this penthouse prison, I’m alone … I’ve been burning up my home,” “Cry For Me”). He can’t continue on with the tough path he started down as a teenager (“I’m not violent to my body anymore … No one thought I’d make it past twenty-four,” “Enjoy The Show”). He prays to God (“Pray the Lord my soul to keep, “Big Sleep”) for mercy and forgiveness (“Give me mercy like you do and forgive me like you do, “Give Me Mercy”). And he yearns for purification by fire while hoping he’ll reach heaven when he dies (“Wash me with your fire … So I see Heaven after life / I want Heaven when I die … I hope this confession is enough, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”).

And if his repentance and confessions are enough, what next? As many people have pointed out, the closing moments of Hurry Up Tomorrow appear to link back to the opening of his debut mixtape, House of Balloons. Is Abel Tesfaye locking the Weeknd into an infinite cycle while the singer himself moves onto the next phase of his life? If this liberation—or escape—turns out to be successful, we may already be witnessing a personal narrative unlike anything ever seen in popular culture. And if Hurry Up Tomorrow is one piece of the plan, it certainly feels like a plenty successful piece. What remains may be left to the upcoming film and whatever new ventures Tesfaye embarks on next. In other words, this doesn’t appear to be an ending but an inflection point. Perhaps the singer’s legacy won’t just be a collection of hit albums, singles, and trophies, but instead the cinematic life of a character born out of the rougher parts of Toronto.