Dawn FM-The Weeknd Album Review:

 

Abel Tesfaye AKA The Weeknd is back with his first new album in two years his fifth overall in Dawn FM. This album has too much techno, hip-hip, EDM sound to it compared to his last album which was an R&B masterpiece. He decided to make it an artistic album that has a theme as it is a chilled-laid back FM station with a DJ talking(Jim Carrey hosting the station), some voice over work by Quincy Jones, ads, and his singing the jingles as well to really sell it. He gets big time stars like Jones and Carey talking on tracks narrating, rappers Lil Wayne and Tyler the Creator as well, but sometimes you do not need all the guest stars to make a great album. “After Hours” was such a good album that is hard to follow up great success with even more success, but give him credit for sixteen tracks which most artists do not do and having a theme he sticks to.

The album starts with his usual great singing before Carey takes over which doesn’t help in enjoying the song but the catchy jingle brings you back plus he ruins the song “Out of Time” by talking in the end. That song is classic Weeknd track with him realizing he still loves his ex but ran out of time to be with her and it is great 80’s funk/R&B style to his great vocals. “Every Angel is terrifying” has interesting music but like the Jones and Carey track it is wasted with a voice over this time an ad instead of lyrics. “Here we go again” is his classic music style which reminds of you his older tracks as it is about the caution to the dark side of love and how its consuming beauty makes it impossible to avoid but like a lot of the album a guest spot ruins the track. Like a previous tracks “I Heard you're married” gets ruined by a rapper coming onto the track. But the song is about him getting involved with a woman he finds out is taken and wants her to leave her man for him because he takes relationships seriously and doesn’t want to share.

  Tracks like “Gasoline”, How Do I make you make you love me" and “Take my Breath away” the backing music doesn’t always fit the track with either techno/EDM sound because it doesn’t bring out the best in his vocals as it can be simpler with vocals but as always he has a catchy chorus in it. He continues to writes about being alone and hoping he doesn’t die from overdose and again mentions the band REM/Losing my religion the song which is cool; the last minute is a waste as it leads into the lead single. “Take my Breath away” is great song but on the album it is an extended version that it seems way too over produced and long as it has intro plus an extended bridge added.

The quality songs with no issues are: “Best Friends”, “Is there something else?”, “Starry Eyes”, “Less than zero”, “Sacrifice” and “Don’t break my heart”. Some of these tracks deal with is ever growing maturity in relationships as he is doing for friends with benefits, but doesn’t want them falling for him as he isn’t healed/he knows he has been unfaithful and knows when people aren’t faithful everyone gets hurt. While others are always emotional with him dealing with the theme of the album of being cautious to love and his quest for the dream girl even if she has scars too/how his exes view him now as a zero but he knows he made mistakes that he regrets. Plus knowing his worth that he doesn’t need to sacrifice for others that maybe he is ok with being alone which is great growth from the last album. My personal favorite “Don’t break my Heart” is a very classic Weeknd style of emotional great vocals where he cannot take another heart break with a potential new girl which we all can relate to.

In the end let’s give him credit- it is hard to follow up a huge successful last album by coming back with a full length 16 track album which most artists don’t do anymore and sticking to a theme even if it is not really putting his musical talents on a full display.