Red Terror: The Dark Continuation of Open Hearts
Red Terror picks up the narrative right where Open Hearts left off, delivering a chilling stop-motion visual for the title track of Abel Tesfaye’s highly anticipated album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. This album marks the final chapter in the trilogy that began with After Hours and Dawn FM.
A Haunting Visual Journey
In the disturbing and surreal video, a young figure undergoes a terrifying transformation, plunging into an alternate, nightmarish dimension reminiscent of the Upside Down from Stranger Things.
The visual storytelling mirrors the lyrics’ perspective, seemingly portraying a parent speaking to a child. However, the title Red Terror carries a deeper, more historical significance—a reference to Ethiopia’s Red Terror, a period of brutal political repression in the 1970s, during which thousands were killed.
Tesfaye himself has Ethiopian roots, having been born in Canada and raised by his mother and grandmother after his parents immigrated from Ethiopia in the 1980s.
Directed by Eddie Alcazar
At the end of the video, it is revealed that Red Terror was brought to life by Eddie Alcazar, the visionary director behind the 2023 Sundance sci-fi thriller Divinity—a film co-produced by Steven Soderbergh.
Alcazar also directed Tesfaye’s jaw-dropping performance of Open Hearts on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. This was no ordinary live performance—the last two minutes transformed into a cinematic spectacle, effectively setting the stage for Red Terror.
Though Open Hearts and Red Terror are not officially labeled as part one and part two, their interwoven narratives make them inseparable, and watching them back-to-back offers a richer, more immersive experience.
Hurry Up Tomorrow: A Star-Studded Finale
Tesfaye’s latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, boasts 22 tracks, featuring high-profile collaborations. Among them:
“Timeless” with Playboi Carti, which soared to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
“São Paulo” featuring Anitta
With Hurry Up Tomorrow, Abel Tesfaye closes an era, delivering a cinematic and sonically ambitious finale to his trilogy—one that cements his legacy as a storyteller, innovator, and boundary-pushing artist.
