The Weeknd’s versatility is underrated. He can dish out crossover pop smashes, tender ballads and killer hip hop features with ease. He does, however, excel most when he’s allowed to lean into his degenerate persona and make party music perfectly suited to making bad decisions. The Weeknd made his name as a Lothario who spends too much time in clubs, and the sonic direction of his upcoming album seems to be leaning into the club element more than ever. “Open Hearts” keeps this trend going.
The Weeknd’s new single takes off like a rocket. There’s a glitchy bounce to the instrumental that evokes the 1980s while still keeping the sound firmly planted in the now. The beat sounds cool and confident, an all nighter still in the early hours. The Weeknd’s lyrics, however, convey a different story. In maintaining a theme laid out by the previous singles, “Open Hearts” reckons with the idea of finding love in a hopeless place. “Trapped inside a limbo, watching through a window,” he sings. “Of my soul, Suffering… I’ve been low, then I see your halo.” The seediness is strong as ever, but there’s a faint possibility of redemption in the verses. Hurry Up, Tomorrow is Abel Tesfaye laying the Weeknd persona to rest, and it’s obvious that he’s doing so in style.
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