"Hardest to Love"
Song by the Weeknd
from the album After Hours
ReleasedMarch 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)
Studio
  • MXM (Los Angeles, California)
  • House Mouse Studios, MXM (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre
Length3:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Max Martin
  • Oscar Holter
  • The Weeknd

"Hardest to Love" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd from his fourth studio album After Hours (2020).[3] The Weeknd wrote and produced the song alongside Max Martin and Oscar Holter.

Background and composition

While addressing the inspiration behind his compositions with Variety, the Weeknd shared, "This one I did originally with [co-writer/co-producer] Oscar [Holter], and then Max [Martin] finished it with me. I wrote this song very fast and it was the last song on the record that I finished. When I made this song I was nervous because I felt like I went overboard with the ambition — I’m ambitious, but I thought maybe this is too much. It wasn’t until 'Blinding Lights' [became one of the biggest hits of Weeknd’s career] that I knew, a) I could finish this album and b) I could put this song on it. And sometimes it just comes down to the melody. This was the fastest melody that I ever made — I went into a room for 20 minutes and wrote the entire song, and then Max produced it".[4] The song was first previewed in a teaser video posted to the Weeknd's Twitter account on March 19, 2020.[5]

"Hardest to Love" features the Weeknd reminiscing on his past behaviors in a relationship, blaming himself for its demise.[6] The song refers to some softer points in the U.K. hardcore continuum dating back to the late '90s via drum-'n'-bass while modernizing it with finesse.[7]

Critical reception

"Hardest to Love" received universal acclaim. "On the standout ‘Hardest to Love,’ Tesfaye delivers one of the most affecting vocal performances of his career over a glitchy pop soundscape. The song's catchiness belies its melancholy, a sophisticated combination that's a testament to Tesfaye's depiction of a relationship that results in a confusing morass of emotions that we seldom process them in a linear fashion: anger, sadness, gratitude, elation, loneliness. Tesfaye navigates these conflicting emotions in a way that captures the experience of being lost in that swirl," noted Slant Magazine columnist Seth Wilson.[8] Yahoo Entertainment writer Larry Fitzmaurice exclaimed, "The Weeknd delivers After Hours' most shocking deviation from that gloom and doom aesthetic with the sky-climbing ‘Hardest to Love,’ a featherweight slice of drum 'n' bass that resembles a lost track from Björk's classic Homogenic".[9] Rolling Stone journalist praised the song, "On ‘Hardest to Love,’ a fleet, pretty Max Martin co-write with a Nineties-evoking drum ‘n’ bass feel, he's the cold-hearted ex stamping out love's final embers, adding a quintessentially Weeknd-ish kicker: "It’s hard to let me go," at once self-cancelling and self-absorbed".[10]

Vice editor Ashwin Rodrigues said, "On ‘Hardest to Love,’ The Weeknd admits his shortcomings as a romantic partner on top of electric, water droplet synths and a constant, low vibrating drum n bass beat. The track features a hard-to-shake chorus and production that would really put the sound system of a brand new, electric German SUV to the test".[11] Tom Breihan of Stereogum analyzed, " ‘Hardest To Love’ adapts glimmering Max Martin melodies to fit the rushing pulse of car-commercial drum-‘n’-bass. The record seamlessly combines elite-aesthete sound clouds with big-money pop music. His voice is magnificent. Tesfaye's only gaining greater control of his instrument; he floats airily over these fantastically rich soundscapes that he's commissioned".[12] ‘Hardest to Love’ is a taut and disciplined assemblage ready for mass consumption. The piece is built on a stuttering drum beat and major-key melody and is positively uplifting," asserted The Wall Street Journal writer Mark Richardson.[13]

"‘Hardest to Love’ pays homage to liquid drum ‘N’ bass, building a sense of irony as the upbeat instrumental belies a heartfelt confession of wrong-doing. An angelic choir can be heard, creating a sense of hope, greatly showcasing how effective the production throughout this album is," observed Clash Magazine reviewer Ramy Abou-Setta.[14] GQ Magazine writer Max Cea added, "It’s dark and moody, and comes from the perspective of a lonely narrator capturing the way a lot of people are feeling as they pace their living rooms and feverishly refresh the news".[15]

Commercial performance

Following the release of its parent album, "Hardest to Love" debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 dated April 4, 2020.[16] On the Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart, the song reached its peak of number seven.[17] In the singer's native country of Canada, "Hardest to Love" reached number 36 on the Canadian Hot 100.[18]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Genius.[19]

  • The Weeknd – songwriting, vocals, production, programming, keyboards, bass, guitar, drums
  • Max Martin – songwriting, production, programming, keyboards, bass, guitar, drums
  • Oscar Holter – songwriting, production, programming, keyboards, bass, guitar, drums
  • Shin Kamiyama – engineering
  • Cory Bice – engineering assistant
  • Jeremy Lertola – engineering assistant
  • Sean Klein – engineering assistant
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • John Hanes – engineering for mixing
  • Dave Kutch – mastering
  • Kevin Peterson – mastering

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[20] 36
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[21] 40
Denmark (Tracklisten)[22] 38
Estonia (Eesti Tipp-40)[23] 21
France (SNEP)[24] 52
Greece (IFPI)[25] 37
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[26] 22
Italy (FIMI)[27] 49
Lithuania (AGATA)[28] 28
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[29] 2
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[30] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 39
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[32] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 25
US Rolling Stone Top 100[34] 6

Release history

Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
Various March 20, 2020 [35]

References

  1. ↑ "The Weeknd Goes Track-by-Track (Almost) on 'After Hours'". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ Abou-Setta, Ramy. "The Weeknd - After Hours". Clash. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ "After Hours The Weeknd". Genius.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Weeknd Goes Track-by-Track (Almost) on 'After Hours'". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  5. ↑ "ALBUM DROPS TONIGHT". twitter.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Weeknd Hardest to Love Lyrics". Genius.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kellman, Andy (March 20, 2020). "After Hours Allmusic Review". Allmusic. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Review: The Weeknd's After Hours Is a Triumphant Depiction of Heartbreak". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  9. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry. "After Hours is the Weeknd's most consistent work to date". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  10. ↑ Dolan, Jon. "The Weeknd Is Alone Again, Naturally, on 'After Hours'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Rodrigues, Ashwin. "The 11 Songs We Couldn't Get Enough of This Month". Vice. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  12. ↑ Breihan, Tom. "Premature Evaluation: The Weeknd After Hours". Stereogum. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ Richardson, Mark. "'After Hours' by the Weeknd Review: Record of a Multifaceted Personality". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Abou-Setta, Ramy. "The Weeknd - After Hours". Clash. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Cea, Max. "The Weeknd, After Hours: The Best Song Is…". GQ. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ Zellener, Xander (March 30, 2020). "Every Song From The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Is on the Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Rolling Stone Top 100 (Marcy 20, 2020 - March 17, 2020)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ "The Weeknd Chart History". Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  19. ↑ "The Weeknd Hardest to Love Lyrics". Genius.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  20. ↑ "The Weeknd Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  21. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202013 into search. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ "The Weeknd – Hardest to Love". Tracklisten. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ Nestor, Siim (March 31, 2020). "Eesti Tipp-40 Muusikas: Selle nädala kangelased on The Weeknd ja AG". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 13, 2020)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  25. ↑ "IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart (International) Week 12 2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  27. ↑ "The Weeknd – Hardest to Love". Top Digital Download. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  28. ↑ "2020 13-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  29. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 30, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  30. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202013 into search. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  31. ↑ "The Weeknd – Hardest to Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  33. ↑ "The Weeknd Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Listen to the Weeknd's New Album After Hours". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
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