After Hours

Anton Tammi's damaged portrait of The Weeknd launched one of 2020's most cinematic album eras. The Finnish director-photographer captured the singer with his face bloodied and battered, mouth agape against a stark black background - a haunting image that would define the entire After Hours aesthetic.

The Tammi brothers handled all visual elements for the project. Anton Tammi shot the cover photograph and directed the accompanying music videos, while his brother Aleksi Tammi designed the album's typography and overall visual identity, including a custom font called Abel Roman created specifically for the project.

Anton Tammi had worked with The Weeknd since the Starboy tour, creating visual content for screens. When the artist began developing the concept of a character losing his mind in Vegas, he knew Tammi was the right person to execute the vision. The photographer's Instagram post confirmed he took the photo for the album cover.

The album's title directly references Martin Scorsese's 1985 cult classic After Hours. The Weeknd explained to Variety that the title captured emotions and thoughts from late-night hours - "after the club, after the fight and after a long day, it's like these are my thoughts from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m." The cover's aesthetic drew from numerous films including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Casino, Joker, and Uncut Gems.

The bloodied, broken-nosed appearance wasn't accidental. The Weeknd told Variety the look specifically referenced films like Chinatown with "the broken nose," while the overall red-suited character was inspired by Robert De Niro's look in Scorsese's Casino. The retouching work was handled by Joakim Rissveds, a Swedish artist who enhanced the dramatic lighting and shadows.

Released on March 20, 2020 by XO and Republic Records, the album's cover was revealed on February 18, 2020. The image became iconic within The Weeknd's visual narrative - a damaged character stumbling through one nightmarish evening, setting up the cinematic story told across multiple music videos directed by Anton Tammi.

The cover's impact extended beyond music into popular culture. The bloodied aesthetic influenced fashion collaborations, inspired Halloween attractions at Universal Studios, and established The Weeknd as a serious cinephile. The Tammi brothers' work created a cohesive visual world that elevated album artwork from simple photography to narrative filmmaking.