Dream Halloween Scream Team? Freddy Krueger, Pennywise, The Weeknd
Alright, horror fans, you're up. Put together your dream scream team. I bet you didn't think to include The Weeknd, did you? Well, if his latest venture that sees the After Hours album comes to like horror style in collaboration with Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights has anything to do with it, he'll soon make the cut.
I must admit, I'm no connoisseur of the horror genre. I've dipped into a few, and it certainly has its golden moments. The Birds? Get Out? The original Poltergist? The Conjuring and Insidious series'? The Blaire Witch Project? I'm all for 'em – willingly putting yourself into real-life situations that replicate the feelings of those movies? Not so much.
In the UK, a staple of Halloween (which is no way near the spectacle it is in the US) is Thorpe Park's Fright Nights, which includes its iconic Saw horror maze. It's an interesting brand of adrenaline to seek, and while I'm not backing it all the way, it certainly has some unique experiences, especially in the States.
The latest to crop up and peak interests is The Weeknd's After Hours Nightmare, which brings a fear-infused experience of his latest studio album to Universal Studios Florida's Halloween Horror Nights.
Since The Trilogy, The Weeknd's music has remained dark to its core. Sure, it's very much pop-infused nowadays, but the late-night smoky feeling has remained. After Hours dialed this feeling up, especially in its music videos such as that of "Blinding Lights," which saw Abel dip his head into the horror genre with haunting, borderline disturbing visuals.
Browsing the event's page on the Universal Studios site highlights the promise of haunted houses, scare zones, and The Weeknd "as he stalks your squad through the surreal nightmare of his After Hours music. A slasher carving a smile at an otherworldly rave."
Welp. Although this gives little away, if my past scare zone experiences are anything to go by, it'll be a chilling one. For those looking to have their pants scared off, tickets are available to buy online now.
