You may know The Weeknd from his popular 2016 song "Starboy". Or you may recognize his wild hairstyle, present in the earlier days of his budding career when he worked with female artist Ariana Grande.

"After Hours", The Weeknd's sixth album was released March 20th 2020. This album contains songs paying a tribute to The Weeknd's past significant others as well as dealing with the pressure fame and mental health can manifest. He candidly speaks of his past with substance abuse and partying. On its own, the songs don't truly reveal the issues impacting him as well as other artists within the industry. However, the short film "After Hours" contains snippets of his new album and a score of his song "After Hours", is able to confront this effectively.

The five minute film first shows The Weeknd's with an injured face and bandages on a talk show. After walking off the stage, he continues to grin a toothy smile. As he slowly becomes alone, his smile fades and his face becomes melancholy. This in itself shows that he feels as though he needs to wear a mask for the public eye. As he walks outside, he reaches for his nose bandage and then continues to wander empty streets. He finds his way into the subway platform as the music and time start to slow down. The next shots show his terrified and lost face as he walks warily down the subway platform.

About three minutes into the short, there is a bright red light above the weekend. Almost suddenly, he begins to hallucinate and then be dragged down the platform. This represents his struggle with addiction and being tempted by things that drag him down. Addiction of any form is powerful and is likely to affect those in the star industry. Artists like Lil Peep and Juice Wrld have recently died of an overdose, however they are two of many who have struggled with substance abuse. This has been the inspiration for many popular songs such as Amy Winehouse's "Rehab", but not many artists are willing to be transparent about their issues. It is rare that the media sees art that is not afraid to be terrifying and powerful. "After Hours' ' is an intense auditory and visual experience that shows The Weeknd's emotions in an artistic manner. His songs resonate with many young adults struggling with the same issues. He is a voice for many individuals feeling the isolating impacts of mental health.

Not many artists have been able to express the darkest parts of fame in the unique way The Weeknd has. This pays tribute to other artists who were unable to be saved from their issues and also brings awareness to the recurring problem. This is The Weeknd's way of showing the way he in particular is pressured and beaten by his current lifestyle, fueled by fame and fortune. As a highly successful artist, many people see him as more of a puppet and robot than a person. Many don't realize the impact of clash between mental health and a highly demanding career. As a fan myself, I hope The Weeknd stays healthy, happy and keeps making outstanding music!