Album review: dawn fm

The Weeknd  (Abel Tesfaye) presents his 5th album, DAWN FM, a retro-Pop album with narrator Jim Carey as interim DJ to walk you through the transitions of tracks. The 16 song tracklist  grapples with idea of the afterlife as listeners are trapped in purgatory narrated by Jim Carey who guides the listener towards the light as Abel Tesfaye performs songs about introspection. The dark themes prominent in the entirety of The Weeknd’s catalog are offset by the euphoric bursts of 80s R&B and disco sounds. 

Tesfaye meshes the feelings of the end of the life with being on the dancefloor at a party making the album both erratic and intoxicating. When focusing on the lyrics at hand, listeners are pulled into their own form of self-relection with statements such as “Now that all future plans have been postponed, and it’s time to look back on the things you thought you owned, do you remember them well?” While common themes throughout the entirety of Weeknd’s catalog including addiction, toxic relationships, and self-depreciations continue on this album it is balanced by the introspection. Realities collide as the album discusses suffering and being saved, feelings of being in love and indifferent, and in the afterlife as well as being reborn. Standout tracks includes “Gasoline,” “How Do I Make You Love Me,” and  “Less Than Zero.” The melodic tracks are something you could imagine being played across the world such as your car, proms, or even over the loud speaker as you wander through a department store. The catchy beats almost make you forget the personal reflection listeners are thrust into.