ON THE COVER:
AFTER MATH

ON THE COVER

XO/Republic’s The Weeknd scores a blockbuster #1 on our latest chart with After Hours. This commercial and creative triumph comes at a crucial juncture, with the biz holding its breath amid the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the image of this inventive superstar on our cover offers a bracing portrait of the entire music community at this moment: bloodied but unbowed. Naturally, The Weeknd will be keeping us at maximum social distance.

AFTER MATH

Republic chieftain Monte Lipman is cheering a spectacular bow by The Weeknd, as he and his team once again show what a great record can mean—and do—in the most challenging times. We wish Monte, his staff and his mishpuchah the very best as they, like the rest of world, attempt to weather this storm. If only he didn’t have to FaceTime with us.