DAWN FM

the dawn of a new day, everything changed and nothing was ever the same again. dawn fm is the weeknd’s fifth studio album and it is his most mature work of art. i would say that after hours is his most evolved work and dawn fm is his most mature work because in dawn fm, he has grown far more as a man and an artist than ever before musically. and i say that after hours is his most evolved work because sonically, he has evolved so much since we first met him back in 2011 with house of balloons, thursday and echoes of silence. interestingly enough, house of balloons will celebrate its 11 year birthday on march 21st and just like that, a decade of artistry has passed before our eyes. so it’s only fitting that abel would evolve and grow as a man and artist but it makes me cringe when people talk about how horrible his music is now-a-days, because for one, it’s not horrible. in 5 albums, he hasn’t missed once and his music has always been really fucking amazing. and two, why are we as listeners so pressed with forcing our favorite artists to stay stuck in one box? why can’t we let our faves grow and we grow with them as they experiment and explore new parts of themselves spiritually and creatively? 

when we look back on the weekend’s debut in 2011, it’s very apparent that he was in a dark space both musically and emotionally. his music had a darker tone and subject matter, it was more nihilistic and drug fueled and at 19 i think those are normal feelings and experiences but as we age and grow older, we have got to let go of the excess baggage at some point. we can’t stay stuck in cycles that serve us no purpose and i think its amazing that the weeknd has grown over these past 11 years into an artist that i am so glad to have evolved with! it’s wonderful to see him as a more sophisticated grown man, who is self aware and making music that reflects his new lifestyle.

this is not to say that dawn fm doesn’t have dark moments or the aesthetic of the visuals don’t juxtapose the greater theme of the album, we are just taking a moment to acknowledge the growth and evolution of the weeknd. there are plenty moments on dawn fm that remind me of that feeling i got when i first discovered his music all those years ago and THAT is what i think is the most amazing part of this album. he not only grew but he still kept true to his roots and created a more well-rounded sound and lyrical experience that ties together both the light and dark aspects of himself and his experiences and lifestyle.

dawn fm is a collection of memories and ideals from the mind of abel tesfaye. its an inside look into the thought loops we fixate on from love, heartbreak, nihilism, fear, death, loneliness and self-awareness. its an exploration on how these thoughts and experiences influence and impact our day to day lives and how we interact and connect with each other especially on a romantic level. this album is absolutely amazing in my eyes and i admire the weekend for creating and executing such a wonderful concept. also… for featuring the iconic musical icon quincy jones and his story and for having the cinematic icon none other than jim carrey narrating it.

i can’t lie, when i first seen the cover art for dawn fm i was taken aback and honestly kind of annoyed because what the fuck?! LMAO… seeing this aged out version of the weekend after hearing and seeing such amazing typography in the promos and roll-outs really threw me for a loop and i was so close to not listening to it lol. but i took a deep breath, i smoked my joint and i put my headphones on. i pushed play and let the opening track ride. 

“you are now listening to 103.5 dawn fm. you’ve been in the dark for way too long. its time to walk into the light and accept your fate with open arms. scared? don’t worry. we’ll be there to hold your hand and guide you through this painless transition. but what’s the rush? just relax and enjoy another hour of commercial free music on 103.5 DAWN FM.”

and in that moment the concept of the album clicked for me and as i continued listening to the melodies, lyrics, production, the advertisements, jim carrey’s narration… the vision became clearer and i understood exactly what the weeknd was saying with this album. granted, the album cover is genius but it’s still a bit of an eye sore for me… however, it works in foreshadowing the story he is telling with dawn fm.

dawn fm is an album like many other albums and works of art that explores the hero’s journey. its about that lonely road we must take in life when its time to really live and when its time to really die. dawn fm is a radio station that plays on the highway to heaven and hell. its what souls listen to while they are en route to “the light”. the light in this case can be a literal or figurative death but it can also symbolize, new awareness, new perspective, new and fresh ideas and illumination. and i think THAT is what the weeknd is saying with this album. throughout every song, there is a hyper self awareness and the weeknd is telling us his stories. detailing his every strengths and weaknesses, letting the listener know that he has been through some shit and “i have done my dirt but i’m growing, i’m trying and i’m doing my best. i’m realizing that after all of this shit i been through all that matters is love. i want to love someone who won’t break my heart or make me change. someone who doesn’t enable or enforce my old lifestyle and habits. someone who will let me in and let me love them and give them everything.” this album is about a man who isn’t afraid to be vulnerable and what other time can we be fully vulnerable than on judgement day? if dawn fm is the journey to the light and “judgement” the weeknd’s storytelling on this album is absolutely affirming this. 

dawn fm is such a nostalgic album to me. the sounds on this album take me back to the late 70s and early 80s with the grooves, drum patterns and use of synths throughout. but the other reason this album takes me back is because of the radio show concept that ties the entire project together and takes it to a whole new meta level of storytelling and cinema. this album is HIGHLY cinematic and it’s no coincidence that the weeknd would have jim carrey narrating the album and being the host for dawn fm radio. that in itself reminds me of childhood and those long road trips we’d take with the fam all over southern california, listening to 102.7 KISS FM, 94.7 THE WAVE, 93.5 FM and HOT 92 JAMZ on 92.3FM with art laboe. art laboe is a radio LEGEND and smooth talker. his shows would come on after 6/7PM and he ruled the late night radio playing nothing but classic soul and oldies that to this day, i love. 92.3 FM was the radio station that everyone could vibe out to. the kids, the elders, the sinners and the saints because everybody loved art laboe and he was certain to play some marvin gaye, luther vandross, a little anita (will definitely set this party off right) some quincy jones, michael jackson, minnie riperton, aretha franklin, teddy pendergrass, curtis mayfield, al green, donna summer, and everyone in between.

so when i hear jim carrey narrating this album and letting us know we have got “30 minutes of easy listening.” i can’t help but be transported to the backseat of my family’s sedan, looking out the window of the 5 freeway as we’re headed back home. watching the scenery pass me by. intuitively listening to every lyric of every song and in my mind, daydreaming the perfect music video. i’m a memory hoarder and i really do love to reminisce and tap into dimensions of nostalgia because i think so fondly of my life and i know how fleeting the past and memories are… so sometime i like to hold onto them and revisit them every so often just as a reminder of how far i have come.

it makes me sad to see that radio has become what it has and i love the weeknd for creating an album that bridges the gap between streaming and radio. the launch and evolution of streaming services has pierced a hole through the heart of radio and nowadays, we don’t need the radio to find new music. we depend on algorithms to tell us what we think we might like and playlist curators to put us on to new music. quiet as its kept, playlist curators are the new radio hosts and granted, there is a vast difference between the two but when you look at what radio did for music lovers back in the day and what playlisting does today, the outcome is exactly the same. the radio used to be our pinnacle for what is HOT and what songs we NEED to know. but as radio became more and more watered down, that credibility faded out and people started seeking new technology and people to fill that void.

so when we listen to dawn fm and we get that familiar feeling, its because it takes you back to a time when everything was just a bit more simple. less contrived or at least it was made to appear that way. it was the time before the digital age took over and when we could go to concerts and everyone would be engaged, exchanging energy and connecting with the the artists in such a spiritual way. and these days it just isn’t the same. i do hope that one day we will get back to that somehow and go back to giving ourselves fully to the present moment. 

until next time,

xx