After Hours

Album: After Hours (2020)
Charted: 20 20
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, a torn up Weeknd addresses a former lover. He tells his ex he still misses her and regrets their relationship ending. The singer apologizes for his past wrong doings, which left the girl with a broken heart, and admits that it's his fault their romance didn't work out. The Weeknd pleads for another chance, promising to treat her better this time, as he now realizes "my heart belongs to you."
  • The Weeknd starts off the haunting track by detailing his nightmares that stem from his desperate heartbreak

    Thought I almost died in my dream again
    Fightin' for my life, I couldn't breathe again


    The singer has touched on themes of mortality several times previously, including on his Starboy tracks "Six Feet Under" and "Die For You."
  • The Weeknd wrote the song with:

    Frequent collaborator Belly. The Canadian rapper's previous writing credits include "Earned It," "The Hills" and "Blinding Lights."

    Canadian producer Illangelo. A long-term collaborator of The Weeknd, Illangelo helmed the entirety of The Weeknd's 2011 trilogy of mixtapes, several of his Beauty Behind The Madness tracks and After Hours' co-lead single "Heartless."

    Canadian producer DaHeala, whose other collaborations with The Weeknd include "Earned It," "Starboy," and "Blinding Lights."

    Bay Boy R&B singer-songwriter Mario Winans, who is best known for his 2004 single "I Don't Wanna Know."

    The Weeknd, Illangelo and DaHeala produced the track with additional production by Mario Winans.
  • Asked by Variety about the tune's title, The Weeknd explained the song "is absolutely my thoughts at 4 a.m., alone, after everything is done."

    He added that he named the record after this song as the tracks are "all emotions and thoughts and feelings that I had late at night."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.