Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: The fourth studio album from Canadian R&B pinup The Weeknd (released last March) was produced, in the main, by the artist himself. Previous collaborators like DaHeala, Illangelo, Max Martin, Metro Boomin and OPN also stepped up to give a hand and between them, the four singles 'Heartless', 'Blinding Lights', 'In Your Eyes,' and 'Save Your Tears' topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and went platinum making the album another hugely successful one. After Hours explores the themes of promiscuity, overindulgence and self-loathing which help to make it one of his finest to date.

Review: Shockingly, "(Hurry Up Tomorrow) is probably my last hurrah as the Weeknd." With speculation that this could mark the final release under his stage name, Abel Tesfaye returns with his sixth studio album, doubling as the soundtrack for an upcoming psycho-thriller film of the same name, where film and album are to be released in tandem. A known cinephile, and widely applauded for his screen debut in the OPN-scored Safdie Brothers sensation Uncut Gems, Tesfaye's upcoming directorial collaboration with Trey Edward Shults presents an insomniac musician on the verge of a mental breakdown, pulled into an existential odyssey against his best volition. 'Timeless', 'Sao Paulo' and 'Cry for Me' lead the charge, in the aftermath of a vocal injury sustained on tour in 2022. Blending r&b, synth-pop and trap with flourishes of Brazilian funk and hip-hop, the new record doubles as the film's soundtrack, and pushes the Weeknd's palette ever further out into unsettling neon pop territory, contradictorily into the early hours of the weekday.

Review: The Weeknd's latest album takes the form of a concept about a radio station that is listened to on a car journey towards the end of days. It features a number of guests such as Tyler & The Creator, Jim Carrey and Lil Wayne as well as production from Calvin Harris. The album's standout single is 'I Heard You're Married' which is a gloriously catchy disco-dance beat with singable choruses and epic synth lines. The whole thing is a mix of dance, electro and pop with more wax and textural beats next to the sentimental songs. It's one of his most adventurous and a real return form.

Review: The Weeknd's upcoming release marks the final chapter in the trilogy that began with After Hours and Dawn FM, bringing his signature fusion of nocturnal R&B and cinematic synthwave to new emotional depths. Highlights include 'Timeless', a brooding collaboration with Playboi Carti, and 'Sao Paulo', a sultry track featuring Anitta, blending Latin rhythms with atmospheric production. Thematically, the album explores redemption and self-reflection, with Abel Tesfaye's haunting falsetto weaving through stories of loss and longing. Fans can experience this new chapter live at a one-night-only show at Pasadena's Rose Bowl, a fittingly grand stage for what promises to be an unforgettable closing act.

Review: The Weeknd's latest project continues to push boundaries, but it's the quieter moments that really leave a mark. Take 'Dancing in the Flames'iit starts with muted synths, almost tentative, like something trying to find its footing, before blossoming into a dense, emotionally charged soundscape. Tesfaye's falsetto feels particularly vulnerable here, a perfect match for lyrics that seem to teeter between hope and resignation. On 'Timeless (feat Playboi Carti),' the mood shifts entirely. Carti's jagged verses cut through the lush production, creating a tension that makes the track feel alive and unpredictable. And then there's 'Sao Paulo (feat Anitta),' which bursts out with a vibrancy that feels like a releaseia rare moment of pure celebration. Overall, the album's impact lies in its restraint, in the contrasts and the spaces between moods where it truly resonates.