The Weeknd says he wants new album 'After Hours' to heal us

If you follow The Weeknd on Instagram you know he's been teasing an album release for months. Posting picture after picture, all following the same aesthetic, all telling the same story, all sending fans into a frenzy.In every image, Abel is bruised, bloodied and against an ominous background. We’re talking two black eyes, a taped up nose, and a bloody face that matches his bright red suit — basically, Fight Club vibes, but maybe in an slick NYC nightclub.

 

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A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) on Mar 3, 2020 at 10:16pm PST

Those of us paying close attention likely noticed that each video clip scattered amongst the images, seems to connect with the last. We can only assume he’s readying some sort of twisted, albeit artistic storyline. So, were all those injuries foreshadowing? We think so, because the singer says his 4th studio album After Hours is going to ‘heal us’. How exactly? TBD.

LET MUSIC HEAL US IN 4 DAYS #AFTERHOURS

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) March 16, 2020

After Hours arrives 3 years after his 3rd album Starboy, which seemed to take the artist in a slightly more pop-driven direction. Although an undeniable success, the album left some fans missing the emotionally-driven and edgy sound that initially earned him worldwide recognition. Although, he did give them a taste of his old ways on his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, which followed his breakup from Selena Gomez in both timing and subject matter.The Grammy winner recently told CR Fashion Book, “I feel confident with where I’m taking this new record.There’s also a very committed vision and character being portrayed and I get to explore a different side of me that fans have never seen.” Perhaps fans can expect the star to strike a balance between the hard-partying and heartbroken Abel we first came to know on 2012's Trilogy, and the upbeat R&B enigma he expressed on 2016's Starboy.[video_embed id='-1']RELATED: Drake is in self-isolation after partying with Kevin Durant.[/video_embed]Amidst the COVID-19 crisis unfolding around the world, an album release of this magnitude is surely a welcome distraction. And given our current circumstances (anyone else already feeling like they’ve been in isolation for weeks?) a little brooding music might be just what we need to unwind. In fact, the album broke records before it was even released.After Hours broke Apple Music's record for most pre-adds, accumulating over 975,000 — meaning nearly 1 million fans had the album set up to automatically download to their library the second it was released.The project also strikes a sentimental chord, as the singer is dedicating it to a longtime fan who recently passed away. The Weeknd took to Twitter to express his shock and sadness over the death of one of the 'true original backbones' of his XO fanbase, Lance, better known online as XOPODCAST.

RIP LANCE aka XOPODCAST. you were one of the true original backbones of my XO fan base. Can’t believe i’m finding out about this today. I’m dedicating After Hours to you, my friend.

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) March 19, 2020

After Hours, including pre-released hit singles "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights" along with 12 other tracks, dropped Thursday at midnight.[video_embed id='1924187']BEFORE YOU GO: Justin and Hailey Bieber social distance themselves in Canada.[/video_embed]