In every single live show or other public appearance, he can be seen in the now-infamous red suit and grown out fro. To say Abel stayed committed to the visual aspects of After Hours would be an understatement. The production will surely take listeners for a ride and makes for one of Abel’s most diverse-sounding albums to date, solidifying his versatility as an artist. He explores bedroom R&B with “Escape From LA”, bass-thumping trap with “Heartless”, psychedelic music on “Repeat After Me (Interlude)” and electro house with the title track “After Hours”. Other examples include the UK garage and drum n bass influenced “Too Late” and “Hardest To Love”. Tracks like “Faith”, “Blinding Lights”, “In Your Eyes”, and “Save Your Tears” are prime examples of Abel honing this retro sound. It most notably introduces Abel’s own take on 80’s new wave and dream pop, genres helmed by groups such as Depeche Mode and the Cocteau Twins. Sonically speaking, After Hours blends his art-house underground sound with his more recent stadium pop anthems in a way never done before. Also included are trap producer Metro Boomin who helms the middle of the album, and electronic experimentalists Oneohtrix Point Never and Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala fame) who bring their own weirdness to close the album off. Household names like Illangelo, DaHealea, and pop producer of the generation Max Martin among others help drive the production of After Hours.
What singer could make a song about heavy cocaine usage under the guise of a radio-friendly record? Moreso the old Abel was still there all along, as he touched on his original sound with the 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, a mere taste of what was to come for After Hours.Ībel’s mainstay crew of producers returned for the sixth time around.
In reality, it merely proved how versatile of an artist Abel is. However, since 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness, Abel has set his sights on a more pop-heavy direction, a choice that die-hard fans questioned as they assumed he “sold out”. There’s no debate that the Weeknd’s sultry direction has shifted the way in which other artists approach the genre. Since his inception this past decade, Abel has flipped R&B over its head by introducing his own hazy, underground sound into the mix. For the first time since House of Balloons, Abel isn’t trying to conform to any R&B or pop norms, After Hours takes what Abel is best at and cranks it up to eleven. This among his dedication to the aesthetic values of his music videos, performances, and public appearances would make After Hours his most fully realized album. Sticking mainly to his dark, art-house roots while blending pop and new wave sounds. After the pop/braggadocio-fuelled energy of Starboy, Abel would delve into a direction that would encompass elements from all of his previous works. He would use this new project to reinvent himself by experimenting with different styles of production and developing a stylized concept that only he could pull off.Īfter Hours is the sixth studio album by the Toronto crooner, released a year ago this past weekend. Little did we know that this would also be the start of a whole new chapter in Abel’s career. The eerie out of the blue announcement followed by the blurred, monochromatic picture of the artist would signify the start of his next album run. “TONIGHT WE START A BRAIN MELTING PSYCHOTIC CHAPTER LET’S GOOOO” tweeted The Weeknd one late November evening in 2019. Pictured: Abel Tesfaye, Source: Rolling Stone