The Weeknd’s new album, “Dawn FM,” dropped on Jan. 7, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of the first times you’ve heard about its release.
For such a massive name in the music industry and pop culture, there was no rollout, no singles dropped and barely any notice.
I listened to this album while driving back to campus after winter break. It was early evening, and the sun was setting quickly. Soon enough, my drive became a long, dark highway, which turned out to be the perfect setting. As I listened to the album, its sudden release made sense.
“Dawn FM” is a concept album designed as a late-night radio broadcast on some random frequency, something you’d just happen to come across. Each song is full of dark, mysterious synths and echoey vocals. The broadcast includes radio interviews in “A Tale By Quincy,” strange advertisements in “Every Angel is Terrifying” and a smooth talking, deep voiced master of ceremonies (MC), played by Jim Carrey.
The expansive and complex production, paired with the deep 80s synths, made it easy to become engulfed into the world of the album. Aided by the flawless transitions between most of the songs, everything felt cohesive and connected, making you want to stay and listen to the album in its entirety.
What really stood out on this album were the interludes “A Tale By Quincy” and “Every Angel is Terrifying.” These songs bring an element of world-building to the album, something I didn’t even realize it could benefit from.
“A Tale By Quincy” sees producer Quincy Jones discussing how his motherless childhood affected his inability to properly love women as an adult.
“Every Angel is Terrifying” is a crazy radio ad for a fictional product called Afterlife, which fits perfectly with the creepy radio broadcast narrative.
The final track, “Phantom Regret by Jim,” makes for an incredible ending to the album. Carrey, our mysterious MC, reads a poem that self-reflects on the story of “Dawn FM.” As most of the lyrics on the album are about the loss of love and the regret that comes with it, the poem reflects that life isn’t about regret or holding grudges and urges the listener, as well as The Weeknd’s character, to let go. The song ends with a beautiful line: “You gotta be Heaven to see Heaven.”
Listening to the album on that late night drive, everything seemed perfect. However, upon a second listening in my room, I found myself less engaged. Most of the latter half of the album, with songs like “Is There Someone Else?” and “Starry Eyes,” felt boring and hollow. It still sounded like a late night radio broadcast as intended, but that became a disadvantage in my eyes.
While the album has an intriguing concept and some really engaging songs, I believe it suffers unless the listening atmosphere is just right. Despite this, “Dawn FM” makes for a mysterious, introspective listening experience that can take an ordinary person into an extraordinary world of sound.
FAVORITE TRACKS: GASOLINE, TAKE MY BREATH, SACRIFICE, EVERY ANGEL IS TERRIFYING, PHANTOM REGRET BY JIM LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE?, DON’T BREAK MY HEART
