The Weeknd recently released his new album, After Hours, on March 20. A week later, 5 Seconds of Summer released their album, Calm. Since, like most people, I’m confined to quarantine life, it seemed like a productive use of my time to combat boredom and anxiety by listening to over an hours’ worth of music. And why just feature one artist when we could talk about both? Below, I’ve listed my top five favorite songs from each album.
The Weeknd
1. “In Your Eyes” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3QiD99jPAg): There’s a saxophone! That’s pretty much the only thing I’m looking for to distinguish this song as the best on the album.
2. “After Hours” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxYgXmZ9xh8): This six-minute song is worth the listen, I promise. (“The Hills” meets “Call Out My Name.”)
3. “Alone Again” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8r4zJC1i70): The first song on the album, it opens so nicely, with a uniquely Weeknd sound, melancholy, but in the club.
4. “Too Late” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-xaK0LWTZ4): This song seems like a mixture of My Dear Melancholy and Starboy eras.
5. “Heartless” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbb-_YU2S4c): One of the singles, it encapsulates the vibe of this album: modern retro.
5 Seconds of Summer
6. “Red Desert” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkCPkr9Gvm0): A great opener to the album, this track effectively introduces listeners to 5sos’s new sound, especially because it’s a bit of a shift from Youngblood.
7. “Best Years” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj5sfhAT0zI): I love when they slow things down, and singer Luke Hemmings’ vocals can really take center stage.
8. “Lover of Mine” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baw33nwf5tE): These guys excel at making songs somewhere in between sad and upbeat.
9. “Not in the Same Way” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vGnBMOvRTM): It’s reminiscent of “Why Don’t You Love Me” from Youngblood, but with an admittedly happier vibe.
10. “Teeth” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na0PhKq7rf4): More in tune with their previous work, the rock elements really stand out in this song.