like everyone else, i discovered end of the beginning and really wanted to love this album but unfortunately it just didn’t hit for me :/ as a steve harrington lover and a music lover i really tried to make it work and even saw him live! and though i must say he def puts his all into his music and his art, i just think it’s a matter of time and experience. his music just isn’t that catchy to me and he doesn’t do much vocally. most of his songs are “talk-y” and though im sure that’s appreciated to some degree by music listeners, it just doesn’t do it for me. all love to djo and hope he improves and progresses over the years 🤍🎱

a classic 2000s pop/rock album. to have that many hits on a debut album is nuts shoutout to jane lol

where do i start

from iconic hits like clique & mercy to correlated brands like balmain & giuseppe zanotti this project is a time capsule. i believe virgil designed the album cover as well which gives it more swag and cultural significance 🤍🦢🕯️🕊️

i’ll admit, like many OG weeknd fans, it’s hard to move on from trilogy and to refrain from comparing all his work to that era but, hurry up tomorrow, is such a masterpiece in so many ways.

after years of the world perceiving him as “cleaned up” and on track, the weeknd makes sure the listener knows where he truly stands. with the dark lyrics of tracks like “opening night”, “given up on me”, and even one of my favorites “enjoy the show” you can’t help but be concerned. he touches on drug withdrawals and constant instances of nearing death but this transparency and vulnerability throughout the album is what makes it so good. can’t forget my favorite upbeat songs on the album as well like são paulo, open hearts, and timeless.

overall faves:
são paulo
open hearts
opening night
enjoy the show
i can’t wait to get there
timeless
niagara falls 🤍
drive

also have to mention, i saw him live for this album and it was genuinely one of the best concerts ive been to

honestly probably one of his most slept on projects ever. i have to admit even i slept on justice for the longest time. though i can see the relevance in including the mlk snippets given everything that was happening in 2020, i’m just not sure how aligned it is with the album itself if that makes sense. for that reason i had to go with a 4.5 rating instead of a full 5 stars.

that being said, this album is beautiful from top to bottom. starting off strong with 2 much, an intimate and gentle love song, and ending with lonely - one of his most vulnerable songs ever imo, this album really gives listeners an “in” on his thoughts and emotions at the time.

my favorite tracks outside of the hits (ghost & peaches):
- 2 much
- deserve you
- off my face
- somebody
- lonely

i have to say, laroi is actually one of my favorite artists of the younger generation. i feel like he usually makes meaningful and catchy music.

in this album, he gets really vulnerable and honest talking about his breakup, what tore them apart, and how he’s been struggling to get over this girl. he bounces around from anger, sadness, loneliness, trying to forget her, but then missing her too. favorite track is RATHER BE and 5:21AM.

rating a 3.5 because i feel like some of the songs can get repetitive but might edit that down the line after more listens!

i’m not even a country fan but i sure am a dolly fan and this is such a good album 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

from the hit you’re the only one to sweet summer lovin which literally sounds like it could be the outro track to a beautiful movie ending this album is bliss 🤍