The Weeknd continues to blur reality and fiction with his new short film After Hours, a promo for his upcoming album that builds on the singer’s increasingly meta visuals.
After Hours picks up in the immediate moments after the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in January, with Abel Tesfaye exiting the stage and wandering backstage before he embarks on a disorienting walk through Los Angeles.
As the video progresses, the Weeknd’s mental state gradually declines, culminating in a scene in a subway station where the singer’s body is taken over by unseen forces. After Hours concludes with a grim scene that insinuates that the Weeknd murders a young couple in an elevator.
The five-minute visual was directed by Anton Tammi, who also helmed the Weeknd’s videos for “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights.” After Hours the album arrives March 20th.
The Weeknd previously staged a fourth wall-shattering performance on The Late Show in December as the singer sang his then-new single “Heartless” while navigating the halls of the Ed Sullivan Theater before finally arriving onstage for the song’s closing.
With the Weeknd booked for Saturday Night Live this weekend, it’s safe to expect another nontraditional late-night performance from Tesfaye.
