One of the most anticipated albums of 2022 is Dawn FM by The Weeknd. Fortunately for us, it just came out this past Friday, January 7, 2022. In Abel Tesfaye’s fifth studio album he encapsulates a whole new realm of 80’s and retro style sounds, like synths and even a sample from Michael Jackson’s Thriller in one of the sixteen tracks. Over the last twelve years he has evolved. The theme of the album is a radio station called 103.5 Dawn FM. He also includes working with guests who are some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. These include names like Quincy Jones, Tyler The Creator, Jim Carrey, and Lil Wayne.
The day of the album drop he announced a livestream of the album on Amazon Music. He also released the track list as follows:
- Dawn FM
- Gasoline
- How Do I Make You Love Me?
- Take My Breath
- Sacrifice
- A Tale By Quincy
- Out of Time
- Here We Go… Again (feat. Tyler The Creator)
- Best Friends
- Is There Someone Else?
- Starry Eyes
- Every Angel is Terrifying
- Don’t Break My Heart
- I Heard You’re Married (feat. Lil Wayne)
- Less Than Zero
- Phantom Regret by Jim
After a successful year in 2020, it’s no surprise that he came out as confident and bold with this album as he did. Dawn FM was beautifully produced, sung, and written. He is probably the top artist of this generation who has been able to bring this 80s style music back successfully. These sounds were first explored at the start of his career in the Trilogy mixtapes back in 2012. However, in this album, 80’s R&B sounds were in the stunning tracks like “Less Than Zero” which I believe is an underestimated track that will be a hit soon.
In the track “Tale By Quincy,” Quincy Jones refers to his childhood seeing his mom deal with her mental illness and then having to deal with a bad stepmom. He then connects this childhood trauma and how it has affected his ability to have relationships. This was a relevant interlude to add to the album because The Weeknd wanted to emphasize how he relates to Quincy Jones in this aspect.
The reason for Dawn FM’s cover portrayal of an older Abel Tesfaye is because it shows how his past has caught up with him and wizened. Throughout the album, creepy and toxic relationships also convert the grey and cold Abel we see on the album cover.
Rumor has it that this was his close out album. It is believed that he will use this break to really move on from the name “The Weeknd” to just Abel. If this is true, Dawn FM was a fantastic way to end The Weeknd’s journey and I think time away from the industry may finally give him a sense of peace and the ability to focus on himself.
Nonetheless, he is one of the most iconic artists of our generation. His album is available on all music platforms, and I highly encourage you to give it a listen.