If you’re a longtime follower of The Weeknd, his latest album, “After Hours,” probably made your jaw hit the floor. If you haven’t seen the music videos, go watch them RIGHT NOW. I mean it! It’s honest, sexy, dark, and quite… well… disturbing. Even the album cover- Abel with his bloody grin- is enough to give you chills. And all just in time for Halloween. Prepare to get spooked!
The album and music videos take you through a storyline set in Vegas. And of course, there’s plenty of sex, drugs, and parties involved. I suggest you watch the videos and listen to the album to get the full story. But today, I intend to dig deep into the meaning of one particular song, “Too Late.”
The Weeknd – Too Late Music Video
What’s the Meaning of “Too Late” Song Lyrics?
“Too Late” is a gut-wrenching glimpse of a love that didn’t survive. Abel’s lyrics convey a sense of emotional and sexual longing for his lost lover. The character in this song must now wander lifeless in a world of shallow encounters.
Abel Gets Personal
It’s a little shocking to see a musician like Abel suddenly being so direct in his lyrics and music video. Indeed, there’s always been a degree of honesty in Abel’s lyrics. However, that honesty has always been accompanied by defensiveness. His latest album gives off a vibe of “this is me, take it or leave it.” In other words, more of an acceptance of personal flaws.
Who’s Soul is Too Late to Save?
As we’ve seen, Abel tends to be a bit elusive when the cameras come around. Plus, he never seems to get too personal with the details surrounding his life.
On the other hand, “Too Late” gives a raw realization of the damage caused by the song’s character-
“I let you down, I led you on
I never thought I’d be here without you”
and the consequences that he’s left to face-
“It’s way too late to save our souls, baby (Oh, oh, yeah)
It’s way too late, we’re on our own (Baby, on my own)
I made mistakes, I did you wrong, baby (Oh, oh, yeah)”
And he goes on to describe the electrifying lust he feels, longing for his past lover-
“And, ooh, I tell myself I should get over you
I said ooh, I know I’d rather be all over you
I’m trying, trying, but I, I just want your body
Riding slow on top of me, girl, on top of me
I want you, babe, ooh-ooh”
Ouch! Can you feel the pain? If this isn’t enough to make you feel like you’ve personally had your heart carved out from inside your chest, give the music video a watch. Once you get past the strangeness of it all, you’ll understand exactly how the video ties in with the lyrics.
Love and Death
As we covered before, the lyrics of “Too Late” describe a tumultuous relationship that ended in a split up. The music video goes further to put a morbid visual to the words.
In case you haven’t checked out the video yet, I’ll give you a brief summary:
It starts by showing two women, fresh out of plastic surgery, driving down a highway. Next thing you know, they come across a cut off head in the middle of the road. As they stop and pull out, you as the viewer might think they’d scream or cry at sight. But instead, they’re delighted to see it’s the head of Abel from The Weeknd! So, they pick up the head, and off they go with it.
What the…?
This is where things really get weird. The women bring the head home and are seen in the pool with it, kissing and rubbing all over it. The head is even cuddled up with them for a cozy movie night! They’re completely infatuated with it.
The two decide to give the head a body at this point. Brace yourself for the gore- next, they decapitate a male stripper and attach Abel’s head to the stripper’s body.
Seriously though, what the…?
It’s all good though, don’t worry. The women have a reason for this! They only needed the full-body so that they could perform a ménage à trois! (I was only joking. You should definitely be worried!) And this is how the video ends. Like I said, disturbing.
Reading Between the Bloody Lines
Maybe you’re wondering what the gruesome acts in this video have to do with the lyrics of the song. It might seem completely random at first glance. But it’s not.
Let me explain
Abel, with his head cut off, is a representation of a person who feels dead inside. Hear me out- some of us know the hollow and numbing feeling that’s the effect of losing a person you love. Metaphorically, the cut-off head represents a lifeless, detached character. It gets carried from place to place, without any say or thoughts in the matter.
I don’t think there’s a more extreme case of being “Too Late” than being dead!
As Abel’s head gets passed around by two plastic surgery clad women, it’s obvious the ladies couldn’t care less about the pop star’s well-being. Or even why his head is detached from his body in the first place. They’re just in it for a good time. A very perverse good time, to say the least!
“I can’t trust (I can’t trust) where I live (Where I live) anymore
(Anymore, anymore, anymore)
Sources say that we’re done, how would they know?
We’re in Hell, it’s disguised as a paradise with flashing lights
I just wanna believe there’s so much more (Hey, hey, hey)”
It sounds to me like a dramatized representation of the shallow encounters such a pop star might experience day to day. Catch my drift? We now have this depressed person, fresh out of a breakup, going lifelessly through meaningless hookups.
Endnotes
Since Abel keeps pretty tight-lipped about his personal life, we aren’t quite sure if “Too Late” represents his own experiences with heartache. Although it’s rumored with probable reasoning that Abel is referring to Bela Hadid throughout the “After Hours” album. You be the judge.
It is also worth noting that if you want to see how and why Abel’s character loses his head, watch the “In Your Eyes” video. I didn’t want to spoil it all for you!
The Weeknd – In Your Eyes Music Video
Like I said before though, ‘its the season. Get in the Halloween mood by grabbing some popcorn (and your favorite human head) and make like the plastic ladies do. Have yourself a horror movie night! Watch these short films in order, to get your fix of dark, twisted, and sensual entertainment. See what interpretation you can find in it.
But when things get messed up, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
