Destination Jam: Top 5 'After Hours' songs by The Weeknd that should've earned the R&B star a Grammy nomination
We're just as shocked as fans worldwide – The Weeknd wasn't named as a nominee for the upcoming Grammy Awards. There are certain times where you can feel that something just isn't right, and this is one of those times. It is for that simple reason that we feel the universally popular, contemporary R&B singer needs his due rewards. Cue into today's Destination Jam playlist and you'll find five songs by The Weeknd that received more than enough attention but no Grammy nominations.
Check out our top five songs by The Weeknd from his latest album 'After Hours' below.
'Blinding Lights'
You knew it would sit atop this list. The track that would see the singer breaking records, 'Blinding Lights' has been on repeat by fans since its release. According to Stereogum, this quintessential 'After Hours' song set a new record for most weeks in the Top 10 of the most sought-after singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100. Adding this week’s chart spot, 'Blinding Lights' has now spent a total of 40 weeks within the Top 10 positioning, which includes 4 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1. Currently, the song is at No. 7. Bear in mind that The Hot 100 gathers all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data, and 'Blinding Lights' stayed in the Top 10 for 40 weeks which is not only incredible, but more than other Grammy nominees this year achieved. So, we're only left to repeat the above statement: Something just ain't right.
'Heartless'
Let's not forget The Weeknd smash 'Heartless'. This track took the crown at No. 1 in its second week on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 2019, becoming the singer's fourth US number-one single. Initially debuting at No. 14 on the Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart, the song then skyrocketed to No. 1 in its second week and marked The Weeknd's first number-one song on the chart. With a music video nearly hitting one billion views on Youtube and with praise from both critics and fans, it is a head-scratcher why this track also wasn't issued a Grammy nomination.
'In Your Eyes'
Move on to another BIllboard Hot 100 chart-impacter, 'In Your Eyes'. This song debuted at No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 dated April 4, 2020, and hit an extensive list of charts around the globe. According to an article dubbed 'Every Song From The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Is on the Hot 100', by Billboard, 'In Your Eyes' was the highest overall debut of the week on the chart and was the third highest-charting track from the album. Additionally, it peaked at No. 3 on the US Rolling Stone Top 100. 'In Your Eyes' has been certified platinum in Italy and Brazil while receiving several gold certifications in other countries.
'Snowchild'
Accolades or commercial performance aside, watching the music video for 'Snowchild' again is a reminder of how far The Weeknd has come and such a perspective gives the sense that he should receive more acclaim than what presently exists. That doesn't mean to say that the song itself wasn't a success (it certainly was), but the content of the music video makes you look back at his career and you're left wondering why the accumulation of all he's earned couldn't have at least been counted as something tangible enough for a Grammy nomination. The video incorporates animated versions of scenery from previous music videos of hits such as 'Starboy', 'Call Out My Name', 'Heartless' and more.
'Faith'
A track that didn't earn as much attention as it's 'After Hours' peers, 'Faith' enters our list as one of the more underrated tracks from the album. Albeit, it did receive praise from several critics as being a highlight from the LP.
GQ called the song one of The Weeknd's masterworks in the alternative R&B genre, applauding the writing, singing, and production of the track and giving praise for the song's outro which directly leads into 'Blinding Lights'. Rolling Stone also gave a positive review for the song, describing it as being magisterial and giving particular praise to The Weeknd's vocals and Metro Boomin's production. Meanwhile, just the audio upload for the song on YouTube has near-12-million views. A fan on YouTube aptly comments, "It's not a question of whether this deserves a grammy, the real question is does the grammy deserve this."
Read our review on 'After Hours' here.
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!