Album Review: Dawn FM - The Weeknd

Two years have passed since the release of The Weeknd’s critically-acclaimed album After Hours. One of my favorite projects to release in 2020, After Hours was packed full of smash hits and refined the many sounds and aesthetics that Abel had explored up until that point. Since its release, The Weeknd has garnered more fanfare and popularity than ever, including his spectacular Super Bowl halftime show last year. Abel has started 2022 off quickly and confidently with the release of his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, which continues to display growth and evolution, but at times suffers to identify itself as cohesively and tangibly as After Hours did. While this project is still good, has a lot to offer, and will likely perform impressively, it feels somewhat like a creative step backward for one of my favorite pop artists in the industry.

This record’s title, tracklisting, and well-thought-out transitions quickly establish that it is a concept album, and this cinematic presentation is one of its biggest highlights. Abel has proven his commitment to the artistry and symbolism behind his albums, and that doesn’t change for Dawn FM. The project’s rollout was enticing, relatively fast, and led directly to higher anticipation upon its release, which came with an excellent Amazon Music live stream. The mysterious use of old-age makeup, the inclusion of Jim Carrey as a radio broadcaster and narrator, and production from Thriller legend Quincy Jones all had me very intrigued going into this album. The first leg of the project, especially tracks 1-4, did not disappoint in the slightest.

“Dawn FM” functions well as an opening track that establishes the album’s ethereal tone and contemplative themes, while also introducing Carrey’s narration without overstaying its welcome. “Gasoline” utilizes strange vocal pitches in its verses over an upbeat instrumental, but Abel’s usual vocal performance comes through to deliver a surprisingly morbid and nihilistic chorus that stands in contrast to the song’s overall sonic tone. “How Do I Make You Love Me?” is next, and starts one of the greatest runs in all of Abel’s discography. Production from Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia are certainly influential on tracks like this, with more of an electronic sound than ever before for Abel. I can easily see this song being a huge radio hit, right along with the following lead single “Take My Breath”.

The use of the extended version of “Take My Breath” was an incredible stroke of genius from The Weeknd. Having the listener already familiar with the track makes all anticipation grow so much more as the instrumental swells and as the synths cascade around Abel’s vocals. Sonically a direct successor to After Hours, “Take My Breath” is filthy in the best way and easily my favorite song on this project - maybe one of my favorites that The Weeknd has ever released. “Sacrifice” has already received strong positive feedback from fans, and was the first album track to release a music video. The song’s instrumental is memorable and addicting, and Abel delivers yet another strong vocal performance here.

“A Tale By Quincy” is a reflective refrain and interlude that lets Quincy Jones look back on his upbringing, which I believe ties into the aged makeup aesthetic on the project’s front cover. I’m still wrapping my mind around all of that, and certainly prefer the alternate art, but at least there is plenty to contemplate there. “Out of Time” slows things down for the first time on the project, and while it’s a nice listen, this track doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. The following “Here We Go… Again (feat. Tyler, The Creator)” was one of my most anticipated collaborations on this album, but unfortunately, its execution comes off as underbaked and incomplete in many ways. Thematically, I’m not sure what this song is going for. Tyler’s sound has become more malleable over the years, but it feels quite out of place on this particular track, as his verse is too short and not substantive enough to justify that length. “Best Friends” finds Abel essentially singing out friend-zoning someone he has developed a physical relationship with, which comes off as a bit laughable. The lyricism is weak here, too, solidifying the middle of this project as forgettable at best.

“Is There Someone Else?” reminds me sonically of Beauty Behind The Madness, which is definitely to the song’s benefit. At the same time, however, the song’s overall purpose in the tracklisting is lost on me. It does transition fantastically into “Starry Eyes”, which solidifies one of the project’s most common themes of entering into a new relationship despite fully understanding that it could leave you hurt again but doing so anyway. This poignancy is another high point in the tracklisting, but its momentum is slowed down by the weird “Every Angel Is Terrifying”, which comes off as an “Adult Swimification” of a track from Abel. The end of the track would come off as funny in any other context, but it halting the project’s momentum is more distracting than humorous.

Some of that lost momentum is regained on “Don’t Break My Heart”, a lowkey electropop track that likens new love to drugs and a feeling of paralyzation. “I Heard You’re Married (feat. Lil Wayne)” follows, and quickly cements its place at the bottom of my list of songs on this project. Weezy is an all-timer and hip-hop legend, but his aesthetic and contributions to projects are highly dependent on their tone and subject matter. Dawn FM is just not the right album for Lil Wayne to shine on, and yet again, this project’s features feel tacked on and unnecessary.

“Less Than Zero” is effectively the project’s final full track, and leaves the project’s narrative off on a low note despite the song’s generally upbeat sound. Abel is admitting that he has a long way to go in love and life, even though he has been through so much as the cover art suggests. “Phanton Regret by Jim” is the true closer to the project, and utilizes Jim Carrey’s abilities as well as any other time on this project. His poetic delivery brings home many of the themes very well, suggesting to the listener that the purgatory state that this album portrays can only be escaped internally, with the closing lines “You have got to be heaven to see heaven, may peace be with you” which is a positive note to end things on, through a song with many lines to reflect upon.

Dawn FM isn’t my favorite album that The Weeknd has released so far, but it’s certainly compelling and interesting enough to keep me coming back to listen more. Complicated artistry and themes like those explored here are meant to be enjoyed, contemplated, and discussed in-depth. While I prefer the aesthetics and sounds of After Hours, I respect Dawn FM’s ability to spark conversation and admit that at its best, it offers some of The Weeknd’s best moments. I think music fans are in for a treat in 2022, and I thank The Weeknd for kicking things off this year.

Favorite tracks: “Gasoline”, “How Do I Make You Love Me?”, “Take My Breath”, “Sacrifice”, “Out Of Time”, “Starry Eyes”, “Don’t Break My Heart”, “Less Than Zero”, “Phantom Regrets by Jim”

SCORE: 8/10