By Wallace Whitfield
Staff Writer
The Weeknd has come out of hiding, releasing three new songs and announcing the release date for his new album “After Hours,” which will be released March 20, followed by a world tour set to kick off on June 11 in Vancouver, BC.
Music fans haven’t heard from The Weeknd since his 2016 album “Starboy.” The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, surprised fans in November 2019 with his return to Instagram after a six-month hiatus from the site.
During this November return, he released two songs, “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights.”
After the release of these two songs, fans of the R&B artist eagerly waited for news about a new album, “After Hours.”
After listening to the songs and hearing interviews from people close to The Weeknd, it seems that the artist is going back to his mix-tape roots. This will be a big change from two of his latest albums, “Beauty Behind The Madness” and “Starboy,” which featured a more pop sound.
His track “Heartless” has a chorus where he says, “And I’m back to my ways cause I’m heartless.” Tesfaye is going back to a similar sound to the 2011 mixtapes “House of Balloons” and “Echoes of Silence.”
After its release, “Heartless” jumped to the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 for a short time. The song was The Weeknd’s fourth single to hit No. 1.
Hispanic singer Sabrina Claudio and Houston artist Don Toliver will open for The Weeknd’s U.S. tour dates. When the tour heads overseas, Glam 88 will replace Toliver as an opener.
So be on the lookout for The Weeknd’s new album “After Hours,” which drops on March 20.
