Dawn FM: (another) review of one of The Weekend's albums

Dawn FM: A Leap Into The Unknown

By Kian Chan, Thomas Cheung and Katherine Law | Illustration by Isabelle Zee | Layout by Ningjing Huang

Death, an inevitable part of life. Side by side these two words seem like oil and water with an unwillingness to coexist, yet they are speckled so intimately throughout each other. Truth is, they are the only two things that we are guaranteed to experience. What happens before, in between, or afterlife and death cannot be promised.

Dawn FM is the fifth studio album released by Abel Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weeknd. The album is conceptual, a purgatorial meditation that manifests the feeling of love and lust, introducing the themes of reflection and acceptance. Just like the other works of Abel, Dawn FM is not only a musical masterpiece, but an experience. Written during the pandemic, the album is a reflection on Abel’s expedition into “th[e] scary, unknown territory” of the current world, trying to reach the new normal in a postpandemic society.

The glitz and glamour-filled After Hours ended with the death of the album’s persona. Dawn FM is a continuation of that journey, taking place in the uncharted territory of “after death”. This journey takes place in a “purgatory state”, guided by a Twilight Zone-like radio host as the listeners, along with Abel’s “transition to the other side.”

Just like a venture into the “befores”, “in-betweens”, and “afters” of life and death, Dawn FM is an odyssey Into The Unknown. Fulfilling real-life Abel’s wishes of being a cinephile, he had the chance to express his feelings not only through music but also in the form of filmography. A snapshot of his works includes the “Take My Breath” music video, a disco-themed act that encapsulates the feelings of temptation and asphyxiation, followed by the religious, demonic, and symbolic music video for “Sacrifice.” The narratives carry on in the Amazon Prime live performance “The Weeknd x DAWN FM Experience,” as Abel sings live while dressed up as the persona of his older self. Finally, Abel launched more music videos for “Gasoline” and “Out of Time,” pushing forth the visual aspect of his narrative, further capturing the darkness of purgatory. He is recognized for his bloodfilled and gory imagery from his previous After Hours era, now taking a step forward with this creativity in Dawn FM, merging music and film to create his ultimate narrative.

The aesthetics of the album cover is distinct and unique. Casting a dark background around the foreground of Abel, portrayed as old with gray hair and deep wrinkles, another callback to one of the themes of acceptance, as age is something that cannot be defied. In his previous album “After Hours” Abel was identified as the victim, bandaged up, outpouring with blood. Similarly, in Dawn FM, the narrative focuses on an older version of Abel, victimized by a younger version of himself in the story, acting as a reflection of his mistakes.

This can be seen in the music video for “Gasoline”, where old Abel is being physically assaulted by his younger self at a dance club. The young Abel is still stuck in the cycle of love, partying, and drugs, while the old Abel is currently seeking light in the purgatory state. This points towards the theme of acceptance, a theme explored in the lyricism and symbolism of his music. While the younger version of Abel is struggling in his enclosed reality of partying, the older Abel has learned to accept and forgive, as he is forced to power through the pain, moving towards acceptance, as age represents wisdom, forgiveness, and growth in his character. The co-existence of the two characters symbolizes that the younger version of Abel is the physical presence while the older Abel is the soul, since he has always been trying to work towards self-improvement, but it is only down to a matter of self-consciousness and time before he makes this change. The radio announcer, Jim Carrey explains that this transition is a meditative change, suggesting that “you gotta unwind your mind, train your soul to align, and dance 'til you find that divine boogaloo” (Phantom Regret By Jim).

Another theme of growth is explored in his next music video. Abel features Korean model HoYeon Jung and Jim Carrey in the music video for “Out Of Time.” The scene is a direct result of the previous events in “Gasoline,” depicting the loneliness and misery of young Abel. While he searches to cure his loneliness by hosting karaoke sessions with HoYeon, old Abel catches up and brings himself back into his “old Abel” state, suggesting that the whole scene was a simulation of memories. Although many fans still lack a clear explanation of

the story, many speculate that the video narrates old Abel in his purgatory journey, reflecting on all the regretful moments of his life. Jim ends the scene by putting a mask on Abel, making a callback to Jim's 1994 film “The Mask.” Old Abel has no choice but to conform to the mask, symbolizing his acceptance to move on from this memory that will grow with his age.

Concept

“Did you know you’re experiencing a new trilogy?” Abel stated in a Twitter post, alluding to the possibility of the albums “After Hours” and “Dawn FM” being the first two installments of his ultimate “trilogy.” While “After Hours” is a reflection of the toxic and death aspect of his relationship, “Dawn FM” is the post phase, acting as the transition between death and the “exotic, bizarre and beautiful world of ‘After Life’” (Every Angel is Terrifying). Unable to carry on with the dark and melancholic emotions of his previous album “After Hours,” Abel uses “Dawn FM” as a way to escape from all of this pain. The concept of the imaginary radio station “103.5 Dawn FM” encapsulates the feeling of a purgatory state, as the listener would feel as if they are listening to a radio station in traffic gridlock, waiting to “reach the light at the end of the tunnel” while having a radio host that guides this transition between life and death. Featuring Canadian actor Jim Carrey as the radio announcer, he guides the listeners through the experience, promoting the narrative aspect of the album as a whole.

The album, which incorporates many seamless transitions from one song to the next makes this album a perfect storyline that tells the story of his journey to find and accept himself for who they are through the hardships and phases of purgatory.

Tracklist:

Breakdown of “Dawn FM” The experience opens with the track “Dawn FM,” the album's title. The ethereal harmonies and euphoric synthesizers give the listeners a sense of a new beginning as if they are transcending into a new reality. The track is a direct result of his previous album “After Hours,” creating a juxtaposition between the flashy Los Angeles

and Los Vegas’ theme to the dark purgatory state. The transition from the end of the night to the rise of the dawn is reflected through the opening sounds of bird-chirping sounds, as Abel questions, “After the light, is it dark? Is it dark all alone?” (Dawn FM) The track ends with the voice of Jim Carrey as the radio announcer, comforting the listeners: “We’ll be there to hold your hand and guide you through this painless transition,” also acting as a guidance that the current Abel is giving to his younger self, setting Dawn FM acceptance as one of the Gasoline themes for the rest of the

How Do I Make You Love Me? album. Take My Breath Sacrifice Abel revisits his toxic and A Tale by Quincy sinful character in the Out of Time following track “Gasoline,” Here We Go… Again (feat. Tyler the set in a futuristic and Creator) groovy electropop genre. Best Friends His vocals are modulated Is There Someone Else? to a lower register, Starry Eyes alluding to the narrator

Every Angel is Terrifying being an older version Don’t Break My Heart of Abel reflecting on his

I Heard You’re Married (feat. Lil current state of being Wayne) lost and lonely, recalling Less Than Zero a toxic relationship in his

Phantom Regret by Jim past. Understanding that he always uses his lovers as the crutch to his drug addiction only serves to degrade his attitude towards the meaning of life. “Just wrap my body in these sheets, and pour out the gasolinе,” he states, “it don’t mean much to me,” reflecting his lost faith in life, even in the current purgatory journey towards the afterlife. Attempting to search for a meaning in life, he suggests how “in this game called life, we are not free” (Gasoline), leading to Abel reflecting on the flaws of his relationship in “How Do I Make You Love Me?” The propelling

synthesizers throughout the track create an 80s dance-pop mood, having Abel questioning how his relationships could last longer. This thought is then interrupted as Abel fantasizes about a new lover in “Take My Breath.”

Being the only single of the album, the track encapsulates the retro feeling of a disco party, reiterating one of the themes from “After Hours,” infidelity. Accompanied with filtered vocals and the sinister synthesizers, the track evokes a feeling of darkness, further sinking Abel into the demonic and purgatorial state. The term “take my breath” refers to the ecstatic and thrilling feelings Abel feels with this mysterious woman, though figuratively meaning to end one’s life by taking their breath away. Abel states, “take my breath away, nobody does it better, babe, bring me close to heaven” (Take My Breath). This leads to a dilemma of whether he should sacrifice his freedom for his new lover in “Sacrifice.” The pulsing and gritty guitar rift is similar to Michael Jackson's infectious beat from "Beat It," sustaining the disco vibe from his previous track, further descending the listeners into the darkness of purgatory. However, Abel is trying to push his new lover away from him, acting as a huge contrast to his character in “After Hours.” He now can accept the reality of being alone, attempting to move on, and does not want to be fully committed to loving. He explains how “I sacrificed, your love for more of the night” (Sacrifice), as Abel would give up on love and devote more towards the fun and fame of his life, with “the night” also being a metaphor for his career. The following track “A Tale By Quincy” is a monologue by producer Quincy Jones, reflecting on his agitated childhood influenced by the absence of his mother. He explains that his upbringing has left a scar on his emotions, causing him to break off relationships with women who got too close to him, as it was “vindictive and partially based on fear” (A Tale By Quincy). This story draws a parallel to Abel’s childhood as his father left his family after a breakup, influencing his toxic behavior to neglect and lie to his lovers, causing him to destroy his relationships. Abel’s traumatic childhood is also a key to all the darkness of his songs, using music to express the pain and melancholic emotions that have shaped who he is. After seeking some advice and sharing a different perspective from Quincy, the next track is a realization that Abel’s distant and cold behavior is the cause of his disrupted relationships, begging his past lover for a second chance. The R&B opulent pop song “Out of Time” is a sincere and truth-hearted track that acts as the antithesis of “Sacrifice,” sampling the soft and romantic ballad from Tomoko Aran’s “Midnight Pretenders,” a recurring theme amongst many of Abel’s songs. Understanding that Abel is the one who abandons his progressing relationship with lovers, he explains: “You begged me with your drowning eyes to stay,” though Abel never fully commits, and later after rethinking and understanding what he truly wants, he is now regretful and is “too late to make you mine, out of time.” The track ends with a short interlude from radio host Jim Carrey, comforting and encouraging Abel to not give up on hope as he is approaching the afterlife, stating that he will be “healed, forgiven, and refreshed, free from all trauma, pain, guilt, and shame,” and that Abel “may even forget your own name” (Out of Time), hinting towards the death of “The Weeknd’s” persona after this trilogy.

However, just as Abel is working towards self-improvement, he fails to hold on to his emotions in “Here We Go... Again.” Featuring American rapper Tyler, the Creator, the track reflects how Abel finds himself in a new relationship. “Told myself that I'd never fall, but here we go again,” says Abel, landing on the same love cycle as before. The track begins with Abel bragging about all the success and fame his career has brought him, with events such as the Superbowl performance being significant to his life. The second half of the song explains the bitterness of his love life, as his fear and hesitation to start relationships are caused by his past, symbolized in the ellipses of the track's title. This time Abel is aware of his behavior, warning the girl about the commitment of their relationship. Tyler supports the idea of how “forever is too long to me” (Here We Go… Again), as Abel is not seeking a long-lasting relationship with this new lover. This is justified in the next track “Best Friends,” with Abel warning this girl to keep their relationship at a more surface level. The gritty and punchy rhythm suggests an ironic twist of character, as Abel is usually the one who croons about the relationship but is now pushing it away. Due to his past experiences, he is well aware that he will "get

clumsy and tear it apart" (Best Friends), not wanting them to catch feelings for one another. However, while Abel is trying to protect their relationship as friends, he begins to grow doubts about his lover, questioning in the following track “Is There Someone Else?” While Abel is improving to be a better person, he does not want to be deceived and hurt by this woman. Abel can see another man with this woman as he "know[s] that look" through her eyes, knowing Abel used to be the one who always lies. He explains, “I don't want to be a prisoner to who I used to be,” also making a callback to the song "Prisoner" from his third album “Starboy.” His old lifestyle involved the fights against the various love and drug decisions that shaped his life, now coming back to haunt him in this relationship. Due to his experience, he does not want to re-experience his past, understanding that he does not “deservе someone loyal” (Is There Someone Else?), attempting to keep this relationship at a more friendship level in the previous track. However, the hidden unloyal truths from this woman have left him truly heartbroken and alone.

This emotion leads to a reflection of his dream girl in “Starry Eyes,” as being “starry-eyed” refers to someone who is overly optimistic, in this case being Abel who has been desiring a lover for so long. With the lack of instrumentation compared to the first half of the album, Abel is passionate and true-hearted in this track, hoping to start a new relationship. He explains, “Let me be there, let me be there for your heart” (Starry Eyes). Abel's previous experiences with relationships have helped him improve, believing that he is now capable of loving and caring for a woman. The notions of love, hate, and the idea of duality are explored in the following track “Every Angel Is Terrifying.” Featuring a spoken monologue by Abel, he recites a paragraph from Rilke Duino’s First Elegy, suggesting that all things have juxtaposing sides and that his lover's beauty can be “terrifying.” The following is a two-minute-long interlude, taken in the place of a radio advertisement, introducing the context of the afterlife through science fiction. The interlude hints at the third album of the trilogy being named “After Life,” where the listeners will have the judgment to put Abel in heaven or hell.

The narrative shifts back to Abel’s love rollercoaster, featuring Oneohtrix Point Never on the beat for “Don’t Break My Heart.” He describes how this lover has made him feel “crucified,” “paralyzed,” and “mesmerized,” all terms that callback to tracks in his previous albums. The dark, shallow electric beat carries the song's tone, with Abel telling this woman: “Don't you break my heart, I don't know if I can take it anymore.” Abel appears to be very sensitive and almost suicidal when he experiences heartbreaks, suggesting that he “almost died” (Don't Break My Heart) in a previous breakup. However, the truth is finally unveiled in the next track “I Heard You’re Married.” Featuring Lil Wayne, the two artists share their feelings about being in a relationship with someone already taken. Realizing that his lover has been concealing this truth, the suspicion from “Is There Someone Else” is finally confirmed, giving Abel a reason to end his relationship with this girl. He ends the track with a chant: “I can't be with you, you're too deceiving, girl” (I Heard You're Married). As a result, Abel is alone again, expressing this feeling in “Less Than Zero.” With an acoustic guitar in the instrumentation, the track is a soft and slow groove that unpacks Abel's sincerity and pain. Whether it is “less than zero” on the temperature scale or in any weighing system, Abel implies that his heart is always cold, and does not deserve any significance for the man he is. He alludes to his “darkest truth of all,” hinting at his infidelity in previous relationships. Understanding that his past will forever shape his future and that many women have “tried your best with me” (Less Than Zero), Abel is again trapped in this perpetual cycle of pain, guilt, and shame.

The whole experience and journey conclude in the final track “Phantom Regret By Jim,” a monologue in the style of a poem that acts as a lesson for Abel, once again narrated by radio host Jim Carrey. As Dawn FM reflects the state of purgatory, Jim relates many of Abel's experiences to the listeners. “Were you high or just stoned?” Jim questions whether a person has enjoyed the peaks and climaxes of their life, or if it was only illusions cast by fantasies such as drugs, drawing a parallel to Abel's career. Jim explains

that “Heaven's for those who let go of regret,” suggesting that his interpretation of “Heaven” is not a place, but is a state of mindset for those who forgive and forget, something that Abel has never accomplished. Jim concludes the monologue, stating that “you gotta be Heaven to see Heaven” (Phantom Regret By Jim), implying that Dawn FM, this state of purgatory, is for those who still hold back to their past, while "Heaven" is for those who have learned to move on, finding true inner peace. While Abel’s previous works have touched on a whirlwind of emotions from extreme ecstasy to heartbreak, Dawn FM is also a meditative state for individuals to heal and move on. It is a more sophisticated reflection of Abel’s life, one that listeners can relate to and learn from. Having displayed his vulnerable side, an intense cycle of pain and loss influenced by his lack of a father figure, and failed relationships, Abel can reflect on this grief and look forward, and encourage As the album draws to a close, so does the state of purgatory. Both the listeners and Abel are cleansed by their reflection and acceptance of life, and they near “the light at the end of the tunnel.” Even though it is unknown what lies beyond this point, Abel walks away from the scars of his past and into this new chapter of his life, taking a leap of faith into the unknown.