For six albums over the course of the last decade or so, Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye has inhabited his dark and brooding alter ego, known as The Weeknd. In 2023, he suggested that this album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, would be his final outing with that stage name.

Indeed, the album does smack of finality, all 22 songs of it spanning nearly 90 minutes of dreamy and disconcerting synthesizer-fueled confessions and intro sections. It’s not an easy listen, musically or lyrically. But it is at times a mesmerizing one.

The Weeknd seems to have reached the end of the road, with many songs here focusing on death and a longing to step into that release. We hear harsh profanities at times, as well as some admissions of meaningless sex and despair over broken romances.

But as it progresses, The Weeknd’s focus gets unexpectedly spiritual, with several songs focusing explicitly on God’s grace, mercy and redemption, and The Weeknd’s desire to fully experience those things.

The overall result is a jarring journey, spanning the distance between suicidal ideation to the hope of finding peace with God.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Album opener “Wake Me Up” hints at where The Weeknd will arrive about 21 songs later. There’s a longing for deliverance from spiritual threats (“It feels like I’m dying/Wake me up, these demons/Keep creeping, don’t fear them.” And in a prayer-like moment, he sings, “I’m feeling like I’m paralyzed/Cleanse me with your fire/Open up my eyes.”

“Cry for Me” yearns, “I hope that I live life for a reason,” and admits the isolating emptiness of fame, a theme that turns up repeatedly on the album: “‘Cause the stage too a toll/Been faded on the floor/In this penthouse prison, I’m alone/ … Every time I hit the road, it takes a little piece of me.” “Drive” likewise recognizes “fame is a disease.”

Paralyzed and on the verge of drowning in a bathtub, The Weeknd sings, “Trying to remember everything that my preacher said/Tryna right my wrongs, my regrets filling up my head.” A bit later we hear, “I’ve been baptized in fear, my dear/I’ve been the chief of sin/Washing my soul within/ … Like Paul, I’m the chief of sin.”

“Open Hearts” admits the difficulty of being open to love: “Where do I start/ When I open my heart/It’s never easy falling in love again.” “Given Up on Me” contrasts The Weeknd’s selfishness (“I’ve been lying to your faces, yeah/I’ve been always wasted, it’s too late to save me”) with a desire for salvation (“Save me, save me, save me”) and confusion about why someone (God?) won’t just let him die (“Why won’t you let me sleep?/ … Why won’t you let me die?”). “Take Me Back to L.A.” laments having a numb soul (“Now I can’t even feel the breeze/ … Now I have nothing real left/I want my soul”).

“Big Sleep” seems to voice regret over squandered time (“Well, you used up your borrowed light/And you wasted your borrowed time”) before reciting a version of a common children’s prayer (“Now I lay me down to sleep/Pray the Lord my soul to keep/Angels watch me through the night/Wake me up with light”).

“Give Me Mercy” is so drenched in spiritual language it could practically be sung in a contemporary church service: “Every time I lost my way, I lost my faith in you/Fightin’ my temptations, put my body through abuse/Devil’s tricks with paradise/None of it is true, fighting for you light.” And then this confession and prayer: “Hope that you see me when I’m depleted/Give me mercy like you do and forgive me like you do.” Later, The Weeknd talks about trading sin for grace: “Ghost of my sins passing by/ … Give it all away just to feel your grace.”

“Red Terror” seems to be a message of hope and encouragement from The Weeknd’s mother from the other side of the grave: “Hush, my child, you’re mine/ … You’re still my child, don’t cry/Death is nothing at all, it does not count/I only slipped away into the next room.”

Album closer “Hurry Up Tomorrow” is likewise saturated with prayer, confession and a longing for heaven: “Wash me with your fire/Who else has to pay for my sins?/ … So I sing heaven after love/I want heaven when I die/I want to change/I want the pain no more.”

CONTENT CONCERNS

For all of that positivity, however, we have some significant content issues to deal with here. Five songs include harsh profanity, including f-words, s-words, “b–ch,” “d–n” “h—,” “p-ss” and the n-word.

Sexual references aren’t frequent, but when they show up, they’re harsh and in your face, including a reference to oral sex, a use of the f-word in a sexual context and some leering moments (“Tryna see you with your clothes off” in “Niagra Falls”). That song also includes a line that references getting high before having sex with someone.

Those issues certainly earn the album’s parental advisory for explicit content. But they’re arguably not the most problematic. Throughout “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” we get repeated references to death. The end seems very near in “Baptized in Fear,” where The Weeknd only narrowly avoids drowning in a bathtub: “I fell asleep in the tub, I was there with paralysis/ … Water fill my lungs, vision blurry/Heartbeat slower, heartbeat slower, heartbeat slower.”

In “Reflections Laughing,” we hear, “If you let me drown/I’ll die in your arms again.” Likewise, “The Abyss” is possibly a man’s thoughts after jumping off a high place but before he hits the ground (“I don’t like the view/From halfway down/Just promise me that it won’t be slow/Will I feel the impact of the ground?”

And “Without a Warning” likewise laments the vain emptiness of fame and perhaps hints at suicide: “I don’t suppose tomorrow’s coming.” And the song’s most problematic track, “Timeless,” includes profanity, drug references and this line encouraging someone (it’s not exactly clear who) to take his or her life: “If I was you, I would just cut up my wrist.”

ALBUM SUMMARY

It’s safe to say that, in the words of Taylor Swift, The Weeknd has “a lot going on at the moment.” Confessional prayers for mercy smack up against harsh profanity and, more darkly, allusions to death and suicide.

Some of those spiritual moments are, frankly, quite remarkable. Somewhere along the line, it seems as though Abel Tesfaye has had an experience of Christian theology of sin, grace and redemption that goes deeper than we normally see in popular music. Those moments here were a pleasant surprise.

That said, I can’t help but wonder that, when people listen to this album, which of its messages will be stronger: the spiritually redemptive ones, or the darker musings about death and suicide. For someone in a vulnerable place, it wouldn’t be hard for me to see how this album could tragically open an inviting door to self-harm instead of pulling someone away from those choices and giving him or her hope.

I’m reasonably sure that Tesfaye—and perhaps some in-the-know superfans, too—might balk at that suggestion, saying that I’ve missed the point of the dramatic persona he’s created and what he’s trying to accomplish through this character. But in a world where adolescent rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation are currently at historic highs, I’m not sure every vulnerable listener is going understand that artistic intent—even if there are some strong redemptive moments woven into the lyrics as well.

When an artist says, “If I was you, I would just cut up my wrist,” he needs to acknowledge that some unstable listeners might just take him up on that suggestion.

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If you’re anything like Charli XCX, sometimes the only appropriate response to these relatable pressures of life is to dance the night away. And gauging BRAT’s recent streaming success, it’s clear that listeners agree.

With BRAT, Charli XCX has finally graduated from underground darling of the pop scene to the top tier of the genre. In fact, Charli’s connection with a certain political party in this upcoming election year has vaulted her and her critically acclaimed album into another stratosphere of popularity and relevance.

Everything is here in BRAT. Charli is controversial and harsh at some points. At other times, her lyrics grow more personal and conversational. BRAT’s songs range from recounting cute dates with her boyfriend, to exchanging bedroom gossip with girlfriends, to delivering tirades about the state of feminism and victimization in culture.

Yet, it doesn’t take long to discover that Charli’s outlook on the current state of the world is swamped with cynicism and emptiness.  

POSITIVE CONTENT

Metaphors are so out. At least according to Charli XCX. She’s claimed BRAT as her most honest and personal album to date. And she rarely holds back when sharing her honest and direct opinions about pretty much everything on this album.

“Sympathy is a knife” and “Girl, so confusing” feature moments where Charli opens up about the difficulties of being a woman and navigating hurt from relationships to forge healing friendships. 

In “Everything is romantic” she talks about how to find beauty in everything, even in the low moments of a relationship or family hardships. 

Another prevalent topic across BRAT is motherhood. In “I think about it all the time,” Charli wonders if “it [motherhood] would give my life a new purpose?” She also describes meeting her friend’s baby for the first time and saying, “She’s a radiant mother, and he’s a beautiful father/And now they both know these things that I don’t,” alluding to the joy and privilege of parenting.

In “Rewind” Charli sings about her desire to “go back in time to when I wasn’t insecure/to when I didn’t overanalyze my face shape” showing her honesty about past struggles and embarrassment.

CONTENT CONCERNS

As a larger theme of the album, being a “brat” is complicated.

To some generations, the term might refer to someone who is bratty, disrespectful to authority, and brash in their decision-making. On the internet lately, being “brat” has grown to encapsulate the “cool girls” who smoke cigarettes, fit in with the fashion trends, and carry a lifestyle of nonstop partying and excess.

The opening track “360” and closing track “365” not only sound nearly identical but also share a similar desire to create a perpetual cycle of partying where the goal is to be a “3-6-5 party girl” who meets in the bathroom with other brats to snort cocaine and drink at the club all night long.

That’s a snapshot of the album: a blur of overconsumption and harmful decisions. And much like the parties that Charli describes, the songs grow much darker.

In tracks such as “Sympathy is a knife” and “I might say something stupid” Charli’s lyrics reveal her depressive state and suicidal ideation. She asks herself, “Why I wanna buy a gun?/Why I wanna shoot myself?” She also murmurs, “I go cold, I go so cold, ‘cause I don’t know if I belong here anymore.” In the same song, she claims, “I’d say there was a God if they could stop this.”

In “Apple,” Charli returns to the topic of mental health by appropriating an apple core as a symbol of generational trauma passed down through her family. She sings, “I think the apple’s rotten right to the core/From all the things passed down/From all the apples coming before.”

“Mean Girls” addresses the stereotypes associated with internet-savvy girls, who comprise a core portion of Charli’s audience. She glamorizes descriptions of such girls, describing them as, “Hedonistic with the gravel, drawl and dead eyes/Anorexic, and you heard she likes when people say it.”

Across the album, several songs feature a smattering of profanity, references to sexual activity, and drugs and alcohol within a party setting at a club or at home. Five of the album’s songs contain an explicit warning, and several of the singles contain suggestive cover art featuring revealing clothing from Charli XCX and other featured artists.

ALBUM SUMMARY

Put simply, Charli claims that it’s cool to be brat now. In previous generations, receiving this sort of label was frowned upon and seen as something to avoid. But these days, it’s considered a sign of approval and an aspirational label worth achieving.

Language is constantly evolving in our culture. But some things never change. The lasting, negative effects of a nonstop party lifestyle will eventually catch up to you. This is something Charli XCX shows glimpses of understanding.

Yet just when it seems like she’s turning a corner, she slips back into old habits in the corners of nameless clubs trying to numb out the pain and hurt of life.

Despite her honesty about relatable topics throughout the album, Charli XCX’s reliance on severe profanity and references to suicide, drugs, and alcohol mute her positive messages. Careful listeners would be wise to do the same and avoid this latest release altogether.

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And while that’s a sweet sentiment, the track is filled with sexual innuendo that’s not so subtle. And that innuendo (and more) extends all the way to the music video, in typical Miley Cyrus fashion. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Cyrus credits her newfound happiness to a lover who is meeting her emotional needs (“Livin’ in an April shower/You’re pourin’ down, baby, drown me out”). One that she believes could be the father of her children (“You could be the one/Have the honor of my babies”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

However, it’s clear that her needs are not just emotional. They’re more physical than anything (“I feel you everywhere/Your face is all in my hair/Covered up in your sweat/It turns me on that you care/Your love, it flows just like a river”). 

TRACK SUMMARY

When I say Miley Cyrus you say … well, you might not know what to say. But you might know what to expect when it comes to what she puts out on YouTube. 

Miley begins her visual seduction with a black-and-white video, dancing on a stage in a tight, short black dress. She spends the rest of her time singing about this lover as shirtless men dance and writhe around her as she occasionally gropes their bodies. 

This is obviously a visual representation of what “river” could mean–and is best left in the land of innuendo.

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Although this track is short, it’s no less of an earworm. It’s filled with funky bass and synth, reminiscent of something from the Bee Gees or Michael Jackson. It finds the trio singing about the women in their lives–their wives–who have filled their lives with love and given them purpose. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

This song takes flight by declaring that each special woman in the life of each singer is “the one, the sun, the light of day” who gives this man “the wings” he needs to “fly away.” 

The love from this woman is tangible (“I feel it”) and helps to bring meaning and purpose to this man (“No, my life, it never had a meanin’/You gave me a reason, you got me believin’”). She always has been the best fit for him (“It was you from the very start”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

This track doesn’t have any content concerns. But if you want to watch the video along with it, just know that it features four women getting ready for the day (after what appears to be a night of drinking) in bikini tops, crop tops, a corset and short shorts. 

TRACK SUMMARY

The Jonas Brothers’ last album was released back in 2019, and we haven’t heard much from them since. Until now.

These brothers, who have come a long way since the days of Camp Rock, seem to be switching up their style for their upcoming album. There’s no telling what it might hold, but if it’s as lyrically clean as this song is, parents will have far less to worry about than some of the other choices flying around.

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If you’ve ever heard the 35-year-old rapper’s music, you know that he has a distinct style, one that includes rap, trap, hip-hop and R&B. But this time around, Drake leans heavily on pop and electronica vibes, as well as a message that focuses on self-reliance in the midst of emotional vulnerability. 

POSITIVE CONTENT

Drake acknowledges that he has been working hard to be emotionally vulnerable, while also hiding his true emotions and thoughts from those with whom he doesn’t feel comfortable (Finding myself/Showing myself/Guardin’ myself while I’m all on display”). 

But he says that no matter how much he tries to be vulnerable, there is someone in his life, seemingly a woman, who doesn’t understand how hard he is trying and takes his efforts for granted. It seems she doesn’t feel for him the way he feels for her (“I’m still holdin’ my breath for the day that you will/See that the effort I make is too real/…I see us fadin’ away/You don’t feel nothing”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

Because of a lack of emotional reciprocity, Drake feels that it’s easier to remain distant and depend only on himself: “You don’t feel nothing/…Just like I expected, falling back on me.” 

SUMMARY

The message of emotional vulnerability versus emotional distance is nothing new for Drake. A plethora of his former works wrestle with wanting to be vulnerable with women, but feeling that he can’t. And when he tries, it backfires. Therefore, he often finds it easier to just steer clear of any form of vulnerability.

This is a problem for the singer for many reasons, and one that Drake suggests was brought on (at least in part) by trusting people who shouldn’t be trusted. But it seems that Drake knows this. And in his nearly 10-minute music video for the track, he says as much. 

The video features him saying he’s “in love,” and later, at his wedding ceremony, marrying a slew of women. He’s making grim fun of himself, in essence, saying that he’s been in love so many times, given himself up so many times, that he may not understand what love and commitment really mean. 

And while you could deduce that from the song, if you dug far enough, you should know that the video isn’t really that emotionally intimate itself. But, unfortunately, it does feature women in cleavage-baring dresses, twerking while the word “p-ssy” is heard in the background. 

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POSITIVE CONTENT

It’s fair to start with the obvious: This song is extremely catchy. And perhaps that’s because you can feel the introspection that’s happening as Harry processes what seems to be a breakup (“Holdin’ me back/gravity’s holdin’ me back/…Seems you cannot be replaced/And I’m the one who will stay”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

But that breakup, and the thoughts and processing that go along with it, the song gets vulnerable and depressing really quickly. Harry has someone tell him that he’s “no good alone” and wonders “what kind of pills” he’s on, as it seems he’s been alone and impossible to reach. And that’s because he has no desire to “talk about the way that it was” and would prefer to just move on. 

That really seems to be the heart of this song, paired with a reference to drug abuse. But if you watch the video, there are a few other issues you should know. 

Per Styles’ style (see what I did there), the track’s video is both ethereal and sexual and features Harry just out of reach with a lover the entire time. Harry sports painted red nails, a sparkling red jumpsuit and, at one point, takes off his clothes and is left in red boxers as other men crawl around in their underwear and women do the same, wearing their bras and underwear. 

Although this scene isn’t the longest of the video, it does hold to the same sexual theme that Styles has produced lately. 

TRACK SUMMARY

Harry said on Twitter that this song “is about metamorphosis, embracing change and former self, perspective shift and all that kind of stuff.” There is truth to this, yes, but it’s also vulnerable and it highlights Harry’s sexuality, along with a potential drug problem. 

The post As It Was appeared first on Plugged In.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Charli tells an ex-lover that although she used to be enamored by him, she is no longer willing to stay in a relationship that has been centered on control: “You used to know me, now you don’t/You used to hypnotize me, did it so easy/I’m finally free from your control.” And although it took her some time to realize that this person wasn’t going to change (“Had to change my life ‘cause I knew you’d stay the same”), she finally understands that she’s better off alone (“I’m like a flower blooming/Since I left you behind”). 

CONTENT CONCERNS

Most breakup songs hint at the dysfunction within the former relationship, and this is no different. But instead of just calling out the ex’s flaws, Charli takes it a step further, saying that each person saw “evil” in the other: “You say I’m turning evil/…Thought your venom was divine/Knew you were turning evil.” 

Although the song doesn’t explicitly say that Charli and this person were sexually intimate, there are some lyrics that hint at intimacy: “I don’t need a kiss goodbye”/… “You had me round your finger/You had me on the floor”).  

TRACK SUMMARY

While there isn’t an official music video for this song, there is an “official visualizer,” which just includes a woman (seemingly Charli) in a thong bathing suit, that viewers watch from behind. And while the visualizer might seem out of place for the song, it ties into Charli’s overall theme for her entire album (which shows her sporting provocative outfits on the front of the album).

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This track combines the original pop single with an electronica sound while still asking listeners an important question: Can we acknowledge that we’re all different while still having grace and love for one another? 

POSITIVE CONTENT

In short, their answer is yes. At least, their hope is yes. This song really focuses on how people may be different (“I don’t know what it’s like to be you/You don’t know what it’s like to be me”) but we still have many of the same shared experiences (What if we’re all the same in different kinds of ways?”).

We’ve all felt pain and have suffered heartbreak (“we both know what it’s like to be hurt”), but the end goal is to “see each other’s hearts” by “the grace of God.” 

CONTENT CONCERNS

None. 

SUMMARY

Singer Luke Smalbone said of this track that the goal was to process how people can truly relate to one another, even through their differences. 

He asked “What does it mean to relate to people who grew up a little bit different from you? What does it mean to relate to people who have different thoughts than you? Is it possible to actually have empathy and compassion for people that you may not agree with?”. 

And, again, the answer is yes. In such polarized times, this song is a beautiful example of stopping to think before we speak, to open our ears and close our mouths and to reach for empathy before we settle for division.

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The message here is a positive one. But some lyrics include phrases that need a bit of explanation to help us understand the band’s message of encouragement for those learning to step out and discover their purpose.

Positive Content

Lead singer Tyler Joseph begins by telling someone, “When I get home/You better not be there.” Now, usually when you hear those words, you would assume that someone is getting kicked out of the house.

That’s sort of what’s happening here, but not in a negative sense. Instead, Joseph is encouraging this person to take a risk and to embrace his calling, even if it feels scary.

But even the way he offers that encouragement sounds a bit odd: “Shed your modesty/And the only thing you leave behind/Is your own skin on the floor.” Again, those instructions might not immediately sound super redemptive. Ordinarily, shedding one’s modesty isn’t a positive thing. But in this case, he’s not encouraging this person to be immodest or inappropriate, but rather to let go of the fears holding him back.

That’s exactly the interpretation Joseph gave in an interview with BBC Radio 1. Joseph said that this track really began as a map to guide his younger brother through his creative process:  “Lyrically, it kinda turned out to talk about being an older brother and how the only thing tougher than trying to figure out what your own purpose is, is watching someone whom you love try to figure out their purpose.”

According to Joseph, the only way we’re ever going to learn about our own potential is if we’re willing to be brave (“Don’t you shy away”), to avoid creative ruts (“Don’t circle the track”) and to dive headfirst into the unknown (“Manifest a ceiling/… Searchin’ for that feelin’/Just like an ‘I love you’”).

Content Concerns

None, as long as the potential misunderstandings of some lyrics are interpreted as intended.

Track Summary

Just as we’ve seen in the past with this band, Twenty One Pilots has once again delivered an encouraging message … that takes a bit of work to understand fully.

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A pop-infused, Lady Gaga inspired sound, this track flirts with lyrics that talk about being uncovered, both physically and emotionally.

Exposed or Unexposed?

Max starts with a clear picture of being wrapped “in designer sheets” while talking about a lover. She makes it known that her past is murky at best (“Ask me why they used to say that trouble was my name/I’ve been playin’ a fool since I stepped into the game”) even as she alludes to her sexual prowess (“Tell me I’m like heaven, take the good Lord’s name in vain”).

But for all of her past mistakes, the singer’s clear that exhibiting weakness by falling in love isn’t something she prefers (“But when I play my cards, keep ’em close to my chest/Never fall in love, everybody loses the bet”). Unless, of course, the person she is with is worth her vulnerability (“If I let you leave the light on and I drop my guard/Promise that you’ll see me for my truth and not my scars”).

But apparently,he is worth it. Max says, “You can take off all my clothes/And never see me naked/See me for real.” That’s because she defines true “nakedness” as baring her heart and soul, as well as her body.

What Kind of Naked Are We Talking About?

In the video for “Naked,” Max sports a flesh-colored bra and underwear, followed by multiple other risqué and revealing outfits outfits. She also rolls around on the floor, and the camera focuses on up-close shots of her cleavage and rear … all while she’s singing, supposedly, about being emotionally vulnerable.

After watching the video, I think it’s clear that one of these messages comes across a lot stronger than the other one.

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