Few contemporary artists excite me the way The Weeknd does. The R&B/Soul legend evokes the 80s with a synth-pop style that is exhilarating with a unique modern twist.
Of course, The Weeknd is no nostalgia act and continues to go from strength to strength with each subsequent album. While Dawn FM may be less of a coherent musical experience, for the flow is interrupted by the radio-style concept, this approach will undoubtedly appeal to those who are after more than The Weeknd’s usual groove-infused music, but it impacts fluidity across the album.
What isn’t impacted by this radio-inspired concept is the Dolby Atmos mix on Apple Music. The fullness of sound is mesmerising and offers a significant improvement to the soundstage offered via the lossless mix. In essence, you’ll get more with the Atmos mix but stereo-focused music lovers won’t be disappointed. As you may imagine, I prefer the Atmos mix but thankfully you can decide which version you prefer when listening to Dawn FM on Apple Music. That said, Dawn FM doesn’t push the boundaries of the surround technology, but the fullness of sound leaves no gaps in the soundstage and while its implementation is subtle, it’s quantifiably more immersive than the stereo mix. Unfortunately, if you’re interested in listening to the Alternate World version of Dawn FM, the expanded offering is only available in stereo; an omission that’s a shame for those of us who appreciate the Atmos mixes and also long for more music from The Weeknd.
Dawn FM is a fantastic opener and is sonically impressive. As the song builds you get an immediate sense that something great is coming, but Jim Carey’s disc jockey contribution initially came as a shock. Nevertheless, it grows on you the more you listen to the album and Carey’s inclusion ultimately becomes appreciated throughout. That 103.5 Dawn FM sign off slogan is, however, incredibly annoying. I’d argue that there is a greater song to be heard in Dawn FM and I do hope that in a future release we may get the full version of the song without the radio talk.
Gasoline transitions beautifully from Dawn FM and is the star of the show. There’s a David Bowie influence to be heard here but Gasoline is unmistakably unique to The Weeknd and will become a long-lasting hit, as Blinding Lights has. Without a doubt, it’s the best song on Dawn FM with a new wave pop styling that provides an uplifting rhythm that separates it from its gloomy lyrical story.
The music video is dystopian and a little despondent in places and while it’s gritty and evocative, ensuring I can’t look away, it captivates me in a similar manner as Beyoncé’s Lemonade did. While perhaps not as polished as Beyoncé’s approach, the live stream of 103.5 DAWN FM, originally broadcast on Amazon Music, is a wonderful visual accompaniment. If you’re after further complementary video content to Dawn FM, you could also check out The Dawn FM Experience on Amazon Prime Video.
How Do I Make You Love Me is rhythmic gold. The chorus is catchy and the beat will have the dance floor flexing. Perhaps my only argument against How Do I Make You Love Me is that I feel it is too short and that it could have been extended on the back end of the tune. Of course, it leaves you wanting more and sometimes that’s a better proposition. Besides, it does transition seamlessly into Take My Breath.
Take My Breath demands you turn the volume to 11, if you haven’t done so already; it’s that good! No wonder it was chosen as the lead single. The moodiness of Take My Breath will captivate the senses, as will the synth dance-pop styling, and while I put Gasoline on par with Blinding Lights, Take My Breath is another that fits that pairing with its disco-driving rhythm. The mix and overall vocal presentation will likely remind you of the Bee Gees and regardless of intent, as a fan of the 70s trio, I can only express how magnificent it is to hear a modernised interpretation of style that will once again permeate the zeitgeist.
The music video is one of the better modern visual accompaniments I’ve seen in a while with imagery that matches the music, tone, and dynamic of the song. As with many modern music videos, strobe lighting plays a role so if you’re affected by epilepsy, it would be advisable to stick to the music itself.
Sacrifice is musically gritty before becoming fully realised with a sound signature that reminds me of The Jacksons (think songs such as Torture, State Of Shock, and This Place Hotel (a.k.a. Heartbreak Hotel). Of course, Sacrifice is the song that is most similar in vocal presentation to Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall and Thriller era recordings as well. It’s a great song and if, like me, you’re thinking that you’ve heard this rhythm before it may be that you’ve heard Alicia Myers’ I Want To Thank You as it was sampled for Sacrifice; a wise decision if you ask me.
The music video adequately highlights the transitional life process alluded to throughout the concept album and its connection to the Take My Breath music video is overarching storytelling magic.
A Tale By Quincy isn’t a song, but a spoken reflection by the great Quincy Jones. While I applaud the inclusion and meaning behind it, it breaks up the album to a distracting extent. Yes, it signifies a changing of style for the second half of Dawn FM is mellower than the first half of the album, but I’d argue that it creates too much uncertainty in the listener’s mind.
Out Of Time is a lovely modern ballad. Jim Carey returns as the DJ towards the end of the song and while it isn’t detrimental, I would argue that it would have been so much better without the vocal DJ radio talk. Of course, it fits with the overall transitional feel of the concept album, but let’s just hope that an alternate version, featuring only the song, is eventually released for Out Of Time is worthy of such independence.
As you listen to that backbeat that The Weeknd’s song is built on, you may be unaware that it is another sample, this time from Tomoko Aran’s 1983 release Midnight Pretenders; a magnificent song in its own right!
Here We Go… Again (feat. Tyler, The Creator) is a solid song, but there is too much vocal processing applied for my liking.
Best Friends has a solid rhythm that connects perfectly with your soul and while the vocal approach is similar to that of Here We Go… Again, Best Friends sounds far more natural thereby allowing the listener to simply appreciate the song without questioning its production.
Is There Someone Else? segues fluidly from Best Friends but I’d suggest that it didn’t need to be seamless. My reason is that it creates a sonic shift towards the end of the Best Friends thereby making it frustrating to play on repeat or add to a playlist. That said, the more I listen to Dawn FM the more I have to acknowledge that this is an album that isn’t a collection of songs, but a collective single work of musical art; the very definition of a concept album.
Starry Eyes flows beautifully from Is There Someone Else? and is a sonic masterpiece. The mix is perfect, the mastering is superb, and The Weeknd is so present that you’ll feel as if he’s in the room with you.
Every Angel Is Terrifying had promise, but the spoken direction of the song simply doesn’t appeal to me. It also shifts, musically, too much in the middle of the song. It’s filler, lacking in substance.
Don’t Break My Heart is unassuming in style and while it may not push the boundaries, sometimes a solid tune is all that is needed for Don’t Break My Heart is a lovely song.
I Heard You’re Married (feat. Lil Wayne) has a great synth-pop hook and gets better upon each listen. I mention that because initially, I had felt the song was a little weak. Perhaps I was expecting more from a song featuring Lil Wayne, but when you take the time to listen to it repeatedly, the song unpacks itself and becomes a must-listen. That said, I can’t help but think that I Heard You’re Married would have been stronger without Lil Wayne’s contribution.
Less Than Zero is what I consider to be the closing song on Dawn FM as Phantom Regret By Jim closes out the faux radio programming aspect of the album. Less Than Zero is simply stunning although the ending is a little too abrupt and a fade-out would have been appreciated.
Phantom Regret By Jim is a solid poetical closer to this concept album. Some will love it but others will loath it as they’re left wanting more from The Weeknd. There is no doubt in my mind that this style of album will be contentious amongst fans but there is also no doubt that Dawn FM is an experiential moment in and of itself and Phantom Regret By Jim is part of that experience.
So, is Dawn FM The Weeknd’s greatest release thus far? Yes, and no. Gasoline is most certainly the memorable track as Blinding Lights was from After Hours, but as a cohesive album experience from start to finish, After Hours is much more fluid. While I acknowledge the concept album style, and appreciate it for what it is, it still creates a somewhat disjointed musical experience whereby up to A Tale By Quincy, I would have considered Dawn FM to be amongst the best albums of 2022. As it stands, it’s a notable mention, most certainly, but I would love to see an edition released that highlights the songs sans the faux radio programming.