![]() The helium-pitched ad-libs and plucky electronic beats package an unconvincing fight for someone’s sole attention. The laser-beam synth chords and haunted moans deceive listeners into thinking he’s discussing the deceptive nature of angels before “Every Angel is Terrifying” quickly morphs into an absolutely absurd ‘80s movie commercial about the “After Life.” The Weeknd told reporters earlier this week it felt “nearly impossible” to record while recording lines like “Critics say After Life makes your current life look like a total comatose snooze fest” without erupting in laughter… and same goes for his fans listening to the recording. But it’s riddled with too many cliché phrases, like “I don’t know if I can take it anymore,” that the song’s atmospheric production overpowers its message. “Don’t Break My Heart” could easily find a home in a discotheque, much like the one The Weeknd claims he almost died in on this track, with its heart-thumping bassline and fluorescent energy. It is, however, fitting that The Weeknd fashions his latest project as such, given the history he made on terrestrial radio with “Blinding Lights” it’s a format he naturally commands in the real world and in his own. ![]() radio personality Big Boy) on his 2018 album FM! The title track sets up the journey ahead, with Garden of Eden-esque euphonic synths that fizzle out into a cheesy radio station outro, but it’s not a track you’ll have on repeat. ![]() The Weeknd recruits actor-turned-friend Carrey to control 103.5 Dawn FM and encourage listeners to sit back, relax and embrace their fate with his silver-tongued intro in a format reminiscent of Vince Staples’ radio station takeover (hosted by L.A. His vocal range also mixes with nutty ‘80s sing-along chants, like “I’m trying not to lose my faith!” (a reference to After Hours’ “Faith”), leading some fans to believe he sounds out of his element. The new wave-inspired song on Dawn FM unfortunately feels discordant, with The Weeknd growling in his lower register before his usual crooning about using his lover to save him from his drug problems swoops in, an attempt to ride its glitching synth groove that sounds out of this world. Dawn FM is The Weeknd’s dream sonic universe, where time is both slipping away but also can’t stop a ’90s baby from opening the floodgates of ’80s music.Ĭheck out Billboard’s ranking of all 16 songs on Dawn FM below. ![]() He’s brought in co-executive producers Max Martin and Oneohtrix Point Never, interspersed cheesy radio-DJ greetings from host Jim Carrey, and provided homages to the greats of that era like Prince and Michael Jackson. With the arrival of Dawn FM, The Weeknd continues traveling back in time to the post-disco era of dance-pop and boogie music. It’s a light his day-one fans can trace from the beginning of his musical journey, starting from the dark depths of his subterranean R&B with the Trilogy mixtapes a decade ago, to the pop-leaning sensibilities of 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, to the cinematic ‘80s synth-mania of After Hours in 2020. 1 “Blinding Lights” becoming the biggest song in the chart’s history last fall, The Weeknd sets his sights higher, and inches toward something brighter on the horizon. Dawn FM provides The Weeknd an ultra-polished, sexy dancefloor escape from his past melancholy - especially that brought on by lockdown - while allowing himself forgiveness for a past he cannot change.Įven with his record-shattering Billboard Hot 100 No. ![]() Meanwhile, he offers his own musings on the internal tug-of-war he’s dealt with - whether he’s become a better man or gone back to his hedonistic ways, and whether he believes life’s worth living or if he’s ready for his to run its course. ![]()
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