Hello! Welcome back! 

I was looking forward to reviewing “Final Lullaby” by The Weeknd because I do love his songs, but I’m only familiar with his most well-known songs, such as “Save Your Tears,” “Blinding Lights,” “The Hills,” etc. 

“Final Lullaby” is a bonus track from The Weeknd’s very popular album, After Hours. This song begins with a soft synth sound that feels different from his other songs that have a more “radio” feel, even if the lyrics still convey a similarly sad meaning. The synth continues throughout the whole song creating a euphoric, sleepy feeling–it sounds like a lullaby.

The song is about a guy who is letting their partner go. Even though it would be easier to continue the toxic relationship, he decides he wants to let his partner leave forever for their own benefit. The narrator is putting his partner first even though he needs them and wants to keep them forever.  

This song was on the shorter side and had lines that were repeated throughout the whole song, but it still manages to convey a very sorrowful and specific feeling. One line that stuck out to me is “I hope you find peace, close your eyes as I put us to sleep.” This song is called a lullaby because the narrator is putting the relationship to sleep/ending it forever. He’s making this decision with a heavy heart but knows it’s for his partner’s best; he wants her to find peace.  

I personally think this song is really moving and is applicable to most people’s lives at some point. It’s much easier to stay in a relationship, whether it’s romantic or platonic, then leave something you are familiar with, which leads people to stay in something that is unhealthy and toxic. Even if you leave a relationship once, you often keep the door open and allow the person to come back into your life. It’s one of the most difficult things to cut someone off for good, whether it’s for your benefit or theirs benefit.

A new semester means a new rating system! Rather than using a 1-10 scale, I’m going to say whether it’s going to be added to my playlist or not.  

The moment of truth…this song is going to be added to the playlist! I love very sad or emotional break up songs, so this song fits that exact title. Also, in this song, The Weeknd has a voice that holds a lot of emotion that translates very well through his lyrics and music. This song will definitely be on repeat for the next couple of days.

Work Cited: 

The Weeknd – Final Lullaby. genius.com, genius.com/The-weeknd-final-lullaby-lyrics. Accessed 21 Jan. 2023. 

Images: 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/07/entertainment/avatar-weeknd-song/index.html 

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/4/5/the-weeknd-after-hours-album-article/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_Hours_%28The_Weeknd_album%29