Anyone who knows Hailey Kearns knows that she loves the Weeknd. From her favorite album After Hours to Dawn FM, Hailey undoubtedly has the best music recommendations for anything the Weeknd. As the end of January approached, she expressed increasing excitement for Hurry Up Tomorrow, the alt-R&B singer’s last project under his persona, I curiously tagged along for the ride.
I was not disappointed. Although I listened sporadically to the Weeknd before, this album completely changed my listening habits. For the entire month of February, I had Hurry Up Tomorrow on repeat. From my headphones to my car speakers, I blasted the album, listening to hours of him consistently. I began to understand Hailey’s love for the Weeknd, with his captivating lyrics to smooth vocals, I was enchanted by the vast imagery and sound, which overwhelmed my ears with satisfaction. My favorite song, “Cry for Me,” was constantly playing. The bass and vocal effects felt addicting and I could not stop listening to this track. My favorite part, the climax of the song, occurs at 3:00, and it did not disappoint. I ended up influencing my sister into liking the song as well! Hailey and I kept on listening, even blasting it in her car as we traveled to one of our last high school soccer games. It has become a popular topic of conversation during study halls and I can now say that I have been converted to a hardcore Weeknd fan by Hailey. After all, Hailey got me hooked.