#IRWIN EMC AFTER HOURS FULL#

On February 13, 2020, the Weeknd revealed the album's title through a short teaser.

In the hours leading up to the release of 'Heartless', the Weeknd took to social media to tease the album's era, posting 'the fall starts tomorrow night' and 'Tonight we start a new brain melting psychotic chapter! Let's go!' The next day, he teased the album's lead single ' Heartless', which was released on Novem'Blinding Lights' was released two days later. Īfter a five-month period of silence, the Weeknd revealed a snippet of the album's second single ' Blinding Lights' through a Mercedes-Benz commercial.

#IRWIN EMC AFTER HOURS FULL#

The Weeknd further teased the album on August 6, by tweeting 'album mode full effect'. His post made fans and media outlets believe that he would continue the darker sounds that were present in his first EP My Dear Melancholy (2018).

He continued to tease the project on January 12, 2019, by tweeting 'no more daytime music'. The Weeknd first teased that he was working on a new album during a performance in November 2018, telling the crowd that ' Chapter VI was coming soon'. To support After Hours and his fifth studio album Dawn FM (2022), the Weeknd is currently embarking on the After Hours til Dawn Tour, which is set to span North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia. As of December 2022, the album is certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. After Hours also reached the top spot in 20 other countries, including his native Canada and the United Kingdom. It debuted atop the Billboard 200, marking the Weeknd's fourth number-one album in the US, and stayed atop the chart for four consecutive weeks. The album received generally positive reviews some critics named it the Weeknd's best work. In March 2020, After Hours broke the record for the most global pre-adds in Apple Music history, with over 1.02 million users. The title track was released as a promotional single. The artwork and aesthetic for its promotional material has been described as psychedelic and being inspired by various films, such as Casino (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Joker (2019), and Uncut Gems (2019), while its title is borrowed from the 1985 film of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese.Īfter Hours was supported by four singles: ' Heartless', ' Blinding Lights', ' In Your Eyes', and ' Save Your Tears', three of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Music journalists have noted the album as an artistic reinvention for the Weeknd, with the introduction of new wave and dream pop influences. Prior to the album's release, the Weeknd confirmed that After Hours would contrast stylistically with its predecessor, Starboy (2016). Thematically, After Hours explores loneliness, self-loathing, and escapism. The standard edition of the album has no features, but the deluxe edition features Ariana Grande and the remixes edition contains guest appearances from Chromatics and Lil Uzi Vert. Primarily produced by the Weeknd, it features a variety of producers, including DaHeala, Illangelo, Max Martin, Metro Boomin, and OPN, most of whom the Weeknd had worked with previously. After Hours is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on March 20, 2020, by XO and Republic Records.

Irwin emc after hours