The Weeknd proves that a market for music exists even during a pandemic
Written by Site Hub on April 3, 2020
By Sunday, March 29, The Weeknd’s new 14-track album, “After Hours,” passed several milestones since its release on March 20: It had over 100 million streams the first day of its release and over one billion within a week. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, which has made it his fourth top album. It also had the biggest week debut of 2020 for any album, second-biggest sales week and the Weeknd’s biggest week-to-date.
Yet, “After Hours” nearly didn’t happen. The Weeknd had planned to release the album in March, but he had to debate like so many other music artists whether to move the date to another month because of the pandemic. Executives at his record label tried to convince him to change it because of the risk of coronavirus disruptions halting marketing efforts, but he chose to go through with the release as planned. As he explained in an afternoon interview with TMZ:
“When I started making this album, I never imagined it would be released as we face a worldwide pandemic. I always felt that music helped me in hard times and I hope that this body of work can do the same for others…It’s been amazing to see the real heroes shine in our world right now, the healthcare workers, the grocery store clerks and staff, delivery people, first responders – everyone putting their lives on the line to help others. This album is for them and any small joy or relief it can bring.”
