Alone Again

The Weeknd kicks off his After Hours album by describing a personality disorder he is struggling with. The track hints the star's problem is connected with his fame and identity. Take off my disguise I'm living someone else's life Suppressing who I was inside Miserable and lonely, Abel pays for a prostitute. He wants her more for the company than the sex. So I throw two thousand ones in the sky Together we're alone The Weeknd has also resorted to taking hard drugs, and has concerns he has overdosed. Check my pulse for a second time I took too much, I don't wanna die He begs his lover to come and save his life and remind him of whom he is. Abel fears being on his own, as he's likely to overdose again. I don't know if I can be alone again I don't know if I can sleep alone again

The Weeknd wrote and produced the track with his go-to collaborators Illangelo and DaHeala. Also credited is Frank Dukes, who has worked with the likes of Drake ("0 to 100/ The Catch Up"), Camila Cabello ("Havana") and Post Malone ("Wow" and "Circles").

During this song and the next After Hours track, "Too Late," there's so much echo on The Weeknd's voice, it's difficult to understand what he's saying. Variety asked him if he is intentionally obscuring the lyrics. The Weeknd replied that he can't really explain some of the things he does - "it's just emotional." He added that on this song he doesn't want to listener to hear what he's saying; it's more about "the beat, the melody, the feeling, the sonics." Tesfaye continued that on After Hours' fourth track, "Scared To Live," and the next few songs, he does want the listener to hear what he's saying because he's telling a story.