The Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow postponed “out of respect and concern” for L.A. residents

The album is the concluding installment in a trilogy that Weeknd's been working on since 2020.

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  January 13, 2025 | 6:23pm
Music News The Weeknd
The Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow postponed “out of respect and concern” for L.A. residents

The Weeknd has postponed the release of his upcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and canceled a planned January 25 performance at the Rose Bowl due to the ongoing L.A. wildfires. The fires, which have caused far more damage than a delay to a couple of albums and award shows, have thus far killed 24 people, with dozens still missing, and forced the evacuation of nearly 100,000 residents as well as another 89,000 living under evacuation warnings, burning roughly 38,000 acres in total.

“Out of respect and concern for the people of Los Angeles County, I am canceling the Rose Bowl concert originally scheduled for January 25th,” The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, wrote on Instagram. “The city has always been a profound source of inspiration for me, and my thoughts are with everyone impacted during this difficult time.”

“In light of this, I have also decided to push the release of my album to January 31st. My focus remains on supporting the recovery of these communities and aiding its incredible people as they rebuild.”

Initially set for a January 24 release date, Hurry Up Tomorrow will drop a week later on January 31. The album is the third part in a trilogy of records that began with 2020’s After Hours and continued with 2022’s Dawn FM. Tesfaye will star in the album’s companion film, also called Hurry Up Tomorrow, starring himself, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan. Meanwhile, the Rose Bowl show sold out in one hour, so it’s safe to say that people in L.A. were excited to see The Weeknd, too. But the Rose Bowl has a new responsibility. Shortly after the fires, firefighters and emergency workers used the stadium as a makeshift camp for evacuees before relocating to the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, California, where thousands of victims and volunteers have congregated to retrieve and share supplies.

 
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