The Weeknd Shares Oneohtrix Point Never, Chromatics, Lil Uzi Vert, The Blaze Remixes
On Friday, the Weeknd released the long-awaited album After Hours. It’s a sharp, glamorous collection of late-night pop music, and if you can get beyond all the ways that it feels at odds with the current moment, it’s pretty great. Today, the Weeknd has dropped the album’s Deluxe edition, which features five new tracks, all of which are switched-around versions of songs that appeared on the original album. All of them also show just how smart and tasteful the Weeknd is. The remixes here come from artists working in similarly bleak and absorbing sounds.
It’s not exactly a surprise that the Weeknd would include a remix from Oneohtrix Point Never on the album’s new edition. Abel Tesfaye made his acting debut in Uncut Gems a few months back, playing the 2013 version of himself. Daniel Lopatin, otherwise known as Oneohtrix Point Never, scored that film. When the Weeknd debuted his song “Scared To Live” on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, Oneohtrix Point Never was his entire backing band. And Lopatin also contributed production and songwriting to a handful of the tracks from After Hours. On the deluxe edition, Lopatin has reworked “Save Your Tears,” one of the Max Martin collaborations from the album. Where the original “Save Your Tears” is bright, bouncy ’80s-style synthpop, Lopatin has used his synth wizardry to turn it into something tense and constrictive. Here’s that remix:
A few of the tracks on After Hours also seemed to take stylistic cues from the dark, hypnotic synthpop of Chromatics, so it’s cool to see that Chromatics mastermind Johnny Jewel has reworked the early single “Blinding Lights,” slowing down its beat and leaning hard on its existential dread. This version also features vocals from Chromatics singer Ruth Radelet, who adds her voice to the chorus and who gets a voicemail cameo. Here’s that remix:
There’s also a remix of “Heartless,” the single that went straight to #1 late last year. The “Vapor Wave Remix,” done by regular Weeknd collaborator DaHeala, pitches the song down and makes it way more ominous. It’s got a quick half-sung verse from past Weeknd collaborator and tourmate Lil Uzi Vert whose breakout hit “XO Tour Llif3″ was named for his time on the road with Abel Tesfaye. Right now, the Weeknd and Lil Uzi Vert might be the two biggest currently-active pop stars out there, or at least the only two who have new albums out right now, so it’s cool to hear them together again. Here it is:
UPDATE (4/3): The Weeknd has also shared a non-vapor wave version of the Lil Uzi Vert remix.
The final remix comes from the Blaze, the Paris duo who make emotive and meditative house music and who direct their own consistently-incredible music videos. They’ve reworked “After Hours,” turning it into late-night dance music:
The other new track on the deluxe edition is the live version of “Scared To Live” that the Weeknd did with Oneohtrix Point Never on SNL. The deluxe edition of After Hours is out now on XO/Republic.