@namishsethi7277

2 years ago

ALBUM REVIEW: DAWN FM by THE WEEKND. Storytelling in music holds an esteemed position of being the sacred craft that introduces the audience to a somber, less glamorous side of the artist that is almost never seen in public. It is so treasured because not only is it a more relatable image for the ones who listen; it is also a strangely pleasant reminder that after and above all else, the artist is also just a human being. When taking this into account, it dawns upon us that The Weeknd’s craft is not about following trends in terms of making music according to an arbitrary feeling or a lighthearted jibe in the studio. His entire catalogue is him going through a musical metamorphosis that closely chronicles his life, the good and bad decisions he’s made and how far he’s come because of those said decisions, as well as the people he’s been with through it all. Let’s take for instance: Beauty Behind The Madness. That album represents his ascension to the stratosphere, whereas Starboy is this super cool bad boy persona taking his place as the self-centered light of the universe — he shines alone and he doesn’t want anyone hogging his light. In a sense, it was him getting comfortable in the overwhelming darkness that his stardom propelled him into, and he was simply adapting as a brilliant supernova that splashes colorfully against the impenetrable background of unrelenting blackness. My Dear Melancholy takes a complete 180 from the bad boy who didn’t care about anything and anyone and who did what he wanted, when he wanted. It is an emotionally anguishing reflection of what he’s lost on his way to the top – mostly the relationships he regretted ending, which set the table for After Hours: the self loathing, complete disregard for self through frightening levels of debauchery and hedonism detailed in this project are his ways of coping with the pain as he tumbles further downwards into a black hole of blinding despair to which he appears to have no escape. And then, after seeing the light beckoning upon the horizon, he’s not looking back. If there’s anything you should admit about The Weeknd, it’s that he’s owned every phase of his life that he’s lived. From the magnificent to the macabre, his ability to reinvent himself by opening alternate realities within the same dimension is a telling piece of evidence in favor of his multifaceted personality that he pours into every single element of his music, right down to the last note. DAWN FM, is only but a stage within that musical evolution. As a matter of fact, it symbolizes a graceful rebirth with the purest intentions. By reaching into the treasures of the past with his 80s electro new wave retro disco pop sound, he establishes a futuristic nostalgia of sorts that works as the latex synthesizing the past, present and future quite cohesively. It is a transcendental reality of arcade games and headbands and gym leotards and cassette players and VHS recordings and vinyl records and serene bicycle rides through blissful suburbia at high noon, merged with an ambitious, idealistic future of alien ships and flying cars and jetpacks and advanced time travel that is all so expertly packed into a gentle psychedelic masterpiece which is as healthy for the soul as it is pleasant to the ears. The album explores themes like emotional vulnerability, love, sincerity, remorse and forgiveness; that at the end of the day, Abel Tesfaye is only but a man, and more so, a hopeless romantic that has set his toxic masculinity aside and therefore finds no shame in being so emotionally exposed. Jim Carrey's patient narration throughout the album defines him as a voice of generous guidance. Some might even say, his role in the album is that of a celestial being leading those who seek his counsel for direction into the light, and that regret over the past is futile because there is a heavenly future awaiting those who relieve themselves of the burdens of the days gone by and are intent on starting as a new being. Regarding all the religious connotations laden in this album, I’d hardly think that its release on the 7th of January – which just so happens to be Christmas day on the Ethiopian Orthodox Calendar – is a lucky coincidence. From the engineering, production right through to the mastering, not once does the album deflate in its delivery; Quincy Jones’ poignant little tale does indeed set the heart at ease. Lil Wayne was at his laconic best on “I Heard You’re Married”, and Tyler, The Creator chipped in with some lyrical efficiency of his own. The transition from “Best Friends” into “Is There Someone Else” – which is arguably the best track on the album (with strong competition from “Out Of Time” and “Less Than Zero”, which is my personal favourite)– signals the sonorous climax to what is already poised to be, in my opinion, one of the albums of the year. It is worth mentioning that there is almost NO MENTION of hedonistic living in his lyrical content throughout the project, and upon pending rumours of The Weeknd’s desire to quit drugs and start a family, this is possibly his way of turning over a new leaf into a brand-new chapter of his life. RATING: 89%.

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