It’s been nearly two hella long years since The Weeknd (born Abel Tesfaye) released After Hours in March 2020, so good thing he’s back with his latest drop, Dawn FM. A concept album of sorts, featuring lofty ideas about the afterlife, bound up with current affairs as a result of a lockdown that has arrived to alert us that “we’ve been in the dark for way to long” and in turn “help us walk into the light and accept our fate with open arms.”
Playing as a sequel of sorts to it’s predecessor, Dawn FM is described as “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd.” Featuring an array of impressive guest starts and artists, including Jim Carrey, Quincy Jones, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne, Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia and more.
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Most, if not all of the 16 tracks on the album, are stocked with lush echoes of Michael Jackson, glistening synthesizers that demonstrate The Weeknd’s continued fondness for new wave, R&B, and of course his instincts for melody.
And now, after having listened to the project from start to finish, emerging from the “new sonic universe,” here are our thoughts.
While Dawn FM still features those not-so-subtle sprinkles of freak-nasty and depravity we’ve come to expect from The Weeknd, it arrives with a softer edge without renouncing his old predilections, illuminating a path to fulfillment and perhaps even happiness. It is kinder, gentler, lighter, and yes — it is in fact designed to help us emerge from the darkness into the light.
But, in case you need convincing — here are 5 reasons why.
One: Jim Carrey is the smooth talking radio DJ we never knew we needed. Serving as the DJ on 103.5 Dawn FM, is Jim Carrey — yes, actor Jim Carrey — who’s there to keep us company throughout our enchanting musical journey. Jim starts off by telling those listening that we’ve “been in the dark for way too long,” and that it’s “time to walk into the light, and accept your fate with open arms.” Throughout the album Carrey sporadically reappears with clever radio bumpers, as a comforting guide to make sure we remain on course.
By the time Carrey returns for the closing soliloquy, “Phantom Regret By Jim,” a Dr. Seuss-like rhyme that he himself wrote, the main message is proclaimed, “God knows life is chaos, but he made one thing true / You’ve gotta unwind your mind, train your soul to align and dance ‘til you find that divine boogaloo.”
Two: “Gasoline” is sure to light your heart, and dancing feet, on fire (like in a good way). Although not the first on the album, “Gasoline” is the first proper song. A sleek Depeche Mode-esque robo-funk jam that continues to celebrate the ’80s vibes and sets the album off on a dashing synth-pop rush.
Three: As the first half of his album draws to close with a track called “Here We Go… Again,” The Weeknd let’s us know that against his better judgment he’s once again fallen in love, and that his new girl is a “movie star” — which we’ll take as an unofficial confirmation to those Angelina Jolie rumors (just sayin’).
Before his confession of being boo’d up and making said unnamed movie-star “scream like Neve Campbell,” Abel vividly recounts his latest successes and rich people past times from the past year. Singing "Strike a pose with my kinfolk / Front page of the billboards / Suit and tie and cigar smokes / Macallan shots 'til it burn throats / We still celebratin' Super Bowl / Catalog lookin' legendary / Ring froze like it's February…" before bragging about earning “a quarter-bil’ on an off-year.” And all that comes before Tyler, The Creator even enters the track — so there’s that.
Four: Okay is it just us, or does a majority of this album make you want to dance? — Right! From the aforementioned “Gasoline” to “How Do I Make You Love Me?” And obviously, “Take My Breathe,” as well as “Sacrifice,” “Less Than Zero,“ and few in between. Perhaps The Weeknd’s most dominantly upbeat album to date, Dawn FM is an all-night dance party of an LP that is brilliantly written, produced and sung.
Which bring us to Five: THE VOCALS! The Weeknd sings more beautifully than he ever has on Dawn FM. Offering the captivating sound of an artist who knows he’s at the top of his game. From the mournful-ecstatic “Less Than Zero” and “Here We Go… Again,” where he lays his tender croon against a sonically sumptuous backdrop provided by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys to “How Do I Make You Love Me?” And “Take My Breath” in which he sings “bring me close to heaven, babe.” With each song, The Weeknd takes us to a brand new new wave nirvana.
Listen to The Weeknd’s entire new album Dawn FM now.
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