The Weeknd honoured the memory of one of his OG supporters, Lance, by dedicating his brand new album, After Hours, to the late fan. The artist's highly anticipated album—his first in four years—arrived at midnight on Friday, much to the thrill of his massive fanbase. However, After Hours' release is twinged with sadness, as one of The Weeknd's most diehard fans tragically passed away before he was able to hear it. Lance, who ran the "XO Podcast" and the Twitter account @TheXOPodcast2, died only a few days before After Hours dropped. Lance was a longtime supporter of The Weeknd's and one of his most dedicated fans. The Weeknd learned of the devastating news on Thursday afternoon, after Lance's girlfriend tweeted an emotional message regarding his passing, in which she thanked the artist for everything he'd done for Lance.
"He always talked about how Abel saved him from so many dark places," she wrote. "Lance had a genuine respect for Abel it literally breaks my heart he passed away the same week After Hours is coming out.” Upon learning of Lance's passing, The Weeknd decided to dedicate After Hours to him.
"RIP LANCE aka XOPODCAST," he tweeted. "You were one of the true original backbones of my XO fan base. Can’t believe i’m finding out about this today. I’m dedicating After Hours to you, my friend." Another XO artist, Belly, also paid tribute to Lance.
"RIP Lance," he tweeted. "Always showed love and went hard for this xo shit. you will be missed #xopodcastforever." RIP Lance. We're sending our love to his friends and family during this difficult time.
