REVIEW: THE WEEKND - DAWN FM

4/5

Ladies and Gentlemen.

The Weeknd is the King of Halloween. Jack Nicholson's Joker. Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor. Marlon Brando's Don Corleone. Dressing up like this GQ cover star stylishly always does, Abel is The Godfather of the cinematic costume department. And now fresh off the holidays and into the lull of New Year he picks us up out of our raw reverie like he did with those red light suited 'Blinding Lights', 'After Hours'. Right when we went into quarantine in the dawn of 2020 following the coronavirus planet pandemic, locking us all down like Tesfaye in the studio. All the way to the Surperbowl halftime shows of Surperbowl halftime shows, save Prince bringing out the doves and purple rain. But it album artwork appears like these years haven't been too kind to him (they haven't to any of us). Alas don't worry, that's just the incredible anti Oil of Olay ageing make-up of the iconic cover of his new classic album out of nowhere, 'Dawn FM'. Tune in and let comedy movie star legend and good friend, 'Ace Ventura' himself Jim Carrey be your presenter and guide through these airwaves as Abel carries on like he is always able to. Even when we can't. He's there for us. To nurse our heartbreak over the 808's akin to Kanye releasing definitive albums like 'Donda' when he wants. Word to his fellow countryman and the one who put him on, 'Certified Lover Boy' Drake. Which Toronto star is bigger? We couldn't tell you right now, but read all about the man with the voice and the sound so thrilling he can change the game like when a man called Michael walked on the moon. He even has 'A Tale From Quincy' (who has many about love and life in 'Will' Smith's memoirs) for this thriller album of movie making music. Now how's that for some giant steps? Add a Carter and Tyler creation, some Swedish House Mafia and Calvin Harris stepping in for the broke up Daft Punk and a soundbite from Josh Safdie of those 'Good Time' filmmaking siblings and the man who stole Adam Sandler's on-screen girl, playing a parody of himself and boasts about doing it in real life to someone else on wax really gives us another uncut gem that even 'Da Kid' Kevin Garnett would be proud of. Anything is possible. 

Podium placed in pole position of the game. After giving us the biggest album of the worst year (not so for studio time music) in 2020. The Weeknd avoids Adele unlike Rich Paul to start the year off right out the gates with a contender for this one waving from the other side. The 'Take My Breath' like Berlin single was debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last summer in Japan with NBC like it was their new theme and hitting gold it still sounds like a personal best, world record breaker. A pop pulp classic through the halls of a 'Blade Runner 2049' set like video, all the way to the 80's artwork. "I saw the fire in your eyes/I saw the fire when I looked into your eyes/You tell me things you wanna try/I know temptation is the devil in disguise/You risk it all to feel alive, oh yeah/You're offering yourself to me like you sacrifice/You said you did this all the time/Tell me you love me if I bring you to the light", the 'Can't Feel My Face' singer harmonises just when we thought the decapitated head dancing around his own music videos couldn't take ours off anymore with Abel's lyrical cain. But it's a new day, let alone a New Year and he's here with a new psychedelic sound of existentialism for us to hear. One that pricking your ears up, sets fire on the outstanding opening of 'Gasoline', as explosive as an Outkast dream from 'Stankonia'. Stank him later. Smelly much. 'How Do I Make You Love Me' he asks in song on a beautiful ballad of the new age like Tank covering Bonnie Raitt, adding, "And all the things you tolerated/Made you cold inside/But I can light you up again/Like embers of a fire." The fires stay lit on this suprise calendar turn album like a 'Magic' Nas Christmas on the Swedish House 'Sacrifice' of Mafia that for The Weeknd will be as big of a gesture as this song of the same name was for Elton John. Another pure vocal powerhouse of vivid songwriting. The second stellar single of this famous fifth album is disco-funk all the way to the spotlights, as the ball falls like Dick Clark. Rockin 'Out Of Time' to 'Here We Go...Again' with Tyler, the Creator whose 'Call Me If You Get Lost' was arguably the most acclaimed rap album of last year, even with Yeezy and Drizzy going at it before they made friends, made friends, never ever break friends. As the backpack raps, "Although this love is strong to me/Some things can change, go wrong with me/We don't know how it's gonna be/Forever is too long to me/We don't need the government involved because we like to touch/We don't need no damn religion telling us that we in love." Although we know what the real focus will be. The lyrics seemingly dissing ex Bella Hadid's new beau and at the same time hinting at a relationship with the 'Eternals' Angelina Jolie, talking about that actors leading lady. "Your girlfriend's tryna pair you with somebody more famous/But instead you ended up with someone so basic, faceless/Someone to take your pictures and frame it/And my new girl, she a movie star/My new girl, she a movie star/I loved her right, make her scream like Neve Campbell." Hell of a cutting reference from Wes Craven's classic slasher flick. Oh, and, sorry Brad!

Once upon a time in The Weeknd's Hollywood he wants you to imagine that the listener is dead. Does that make Carrey's disc jockey God like 'Bruce Almighty'? But this state of purgatory is one we want to remain in...as it's pure musical bliss from kiss land. In the leather jacket Matrix of the revolutionary Weeknd's resurrection, reloaded like another Saturday night at the movies, who cares what picture you see?! He is the one. This new wave of the motherf#####g 'Starboy's' synth-pop continues with 'Best Friends' on the big beat that "would never burn you/could never hurt you". No matter how bright the light shining over everything he's shouldering on this album cover is. It's an existential matter of life and death in this existence as he asks 'Is There Someone Else' like modern loves fateful question. All before going Ziggy for the Stardust like Bowie all with 'Starry Eyes', meeting love in his dreams and singing, "And now you’re my reality/And I wanna feel you close/But you’re defeated baby/Broken hurtin’ sufferin’/From a shattered soul" lyrics tastier than a licorice pizza for this life on Mars, word to Haim, Baby. 'Every Angel Is Terrifying', from whatever angle. And as this one spreads his wings like people posing for city graffiti on brick walls for their IG's, no one has come this close to the sexual and spiritual since The Artist formerly known. So symbolic and f#####g fantastic. Coming away with 'Don't Break My Heart' odes that vow to end it all for a make or break love that, "I see you drowning in the purple lights/Diamonds shinin' bright/I see every ice on you/You snatch my soul, I'm crucified/I feel paralyzed/I'm so mesmerized by you." It would be a lot to take for a first date, Bumble beware. But The Weeknd lives for the realest love like we do the two days of his name, 9-5. 'I Heard You Were Married' with Weezy F. Baby Lil'Wayne brining that "condo in Toronto" T-Pain slow flow back (I 'Can't Believe It'). Making the affair official with exclusive lines like, "Make me your obvious/If I ain't your husband, I can't be your hybrid/I heard you're married/I bet he treats you like Virgin Mary/You like it dirty and I'm Dirty Harry." DAMN! All before the closing dance number of 'Less Than Zero' takes the floor to 100, or a Spinal Tap 11 like the roof was on fire with all the disco ball blinding neon lights. The perfect swan song as Carrey's psychedelic radio host takes you to the other side of the tunnel of love like Springsteen's 'Brilliant Disguise' in a bolo-tie with this 'Phantom Regret' down this phantom thread for the phantom of the opera who is not dead. He was just stuck in traffic. Its just a transition on this transistor. Because in the headphones on, melancholia of a midnight hour escapism from depression, the night is always darkest before the dawn. But if people still sleep on the awakening talent of The Weeknd that is still with you after Saturday night, come Sunday morning...F.M. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Playlist Picks: 'Gasoline', 'Here We Go...Again (Feat. Tyler, the Creator)', 'Take My Breath'.