The Weeknd, Dawn FM

By Leo Hewitt-Provost

01/07/2022

When fans are still trying to digest ‘After Hours’- which by the way came out in 2020- The Weeknd just casually tweeted a few days into 2022 that Dawn FM was releasing on the 7th of January. 

And whilst there was not a lot of publicity and promotion for the album coming out, Abel fans were finally ready to listen it. The track list was not officially released until the album came out, but features were revealed, and eager fans hyped Dawn FM immediately.

It is composed of 16 tracks with a 52-minute runtime, and it features Tyler the Creator, Lil Wayne and both Quincy Jones and Jim Carrey with the storytelling.

Jim Carrey narrated the whole project, making it seem like a radio station to listen to, whether on your way to work or at home, it will take a few weeks for people to wrap their head around every song and the way they are all structured.

Songs like I Heard You’re Married, Less than Zero, Out of Time are very catchy on the very first listen, something that certain songs maybe lack, but which will definitely prove many people- including myself- wrong after getting used to listening to them. Songs like best friends and gasoline are included amongst others.

It is interesting to notice the very heavy use of electronic and synth-wave music early on in the album, which slowly fades away as the album is progressing, with The Weeknd displaying the pain and despair in his voice as he tells a story.

The transitions accompany the various melodies in flawless ways, some of Abel’s verses complement his choruses and furthermore fuels his storytelling.

On Out of Time and later on in the project, The Weeknd sort of switches between electro and disco like music to more variety within his songs, talking about past relationships, his many insecurities and recurring skepticism with women, relying less on the instrumental by using his voice as an instrument, something he has always been able to do beautifully. Is there someone else? And Starry Eyes are perfect examples.

As a whole, Dawn FM is beautifully constructed and feels like one big song which you never want to end. Quincy Jones speaking on his past and romantic life whilst Jim Carrey is the narrator is everything that makes this craft a masterpiece.