Happy New Year to all of you and welcome to 2022. A few days into the year, we were surprised by Toronto native, The Weeknd who surprised his fans by releasing his fifth studio album, DAWN FM on the first Friday of January. Fans patiently waited for the release of the project as the musician has teased the album, since dropping his last album, After Hours and on social media.
Led by the album’s first single, “Take My Breath”, I was intrigued to see the direction that The Weeknd was going to take for this album and my initial predictions were surpassed. The XO crooner has created an aesthetic for listeners to envision the theme of the project. The artist has stated it is a continuation of the storyline from the After Hours concept in which the listener is now in a “purgatory state” serving as the transition to the other side by the means of this ominous radio station narrated by none other than prolific actor, Jim Carrey. With the tone set, The Weeknd takes listener’s to a feel good journey throughout the album bringing 70’s and 80’s vibe to his signature sound discussing heartbreak, personal relationships and more. Collaborations on the album come at a minimum as guests Tyler, the Creator, Lil’ Wayne & Quincy Jones strategically fit the visual The Weeknd put together.
Many will fret at the departure of the singer’s traditional R&B sound from his mixtape & debut album days but the content remains top tier. Ever since Trilogy with his track, D.D., Abel has drawn comparisons to Michael Jackson as shown in the cover song of Dirty Diana. This can be seen throughout DAWN FM on tracks “Sacrifice”, “Out of Time” & “Starry Eyes”. I’m sure that this will be only an era and he will return to the sound that brought him his superstardom, however, I’m pleased to see The Weeknd continue to push his artistry in order to become one of the best musicians of today. You can listen to DAWN FM on all music streaming services.
Reggie Johnson is a poet reigning from Cincinnati, Ohio. Starting at the age of nine, Reggie has been writing poetry through their love of music and life experiences. He has 9 books now available on Amazon. You can follow him on Twitter @r_d_johnson and on IG @rdjohnsonwrites.