The Weeknd has ascended to new heights. If you’ve been following him since the trilogy days, you’ll know that this album is 12 years in the making. He’s always shot for the stars and aimed for the moon, however on Dawn FM he goes harder than ever. He’s brought together the best aspects of his career and presented them to us through the concept of a dystopian radio station. And the scariest thing about Dawn FM is that he sounds like he’s just getting started.

Dawn FM & Gasoline

The album begins with the short but sweet opener ‘Dawn FM’. From the second the synths kick in on this song, I knew I was in for a journey. However the journey doesn’t truly begin until Gasoline. The first time I heard his voice on this song, I was scared. He truly sounds like a robot. But by the time the chorus comes in and the melodies of his begin to shine through, I soon realised that what he was doing was incredible. The contrast of the colourful and bright production and his robotic voice is great. And given the context of the album, Gasoline truly sets the tone as any expectations of the classic Weeknd sound are immediately shattered. A perfect opening song.

How Do I Make You Love Me

This song truly blew me away. The transition and build up from the first verse into the chorus is truly sensational. Abel sounds like a crying robot in the chorus, repeatedly wailing “how do I make you love me”. The production on this song is immaculate, but with Swedish House Mafia and Max Martin collaborating on this song, what else did I expect? Recurring Abel themes of failed love appear in this song but in the most futuristic fashion. This is another incredible song.

Take My Breath

This isn’t a song, it’s an experience. It took my breath, no pun intended. I was amazed by this song when I heard it as a single, but he managed to make it longer and improve it? The opening minute or so sounds like I’m driving full speed through Tokyo in like 2055. When he finally begins singing, the call and response with himself is scintillating. When the chorus hits, once again I’m blown away. At this point in the album I’m realising just how much Abel has improved in making his songs catchy as his career has progressed. Take My Breath is just perfectly sequenced, and even though it’s over 5 minutes I wish it was longer.

Sacrifice

Tell me this isn’t one of the funkiest songs you’ve heard in the past year. It sounds like if Thriller was released but whilst MJ was in purgatory. There’s honestly not much to say about this song other than that it’s perfect.

A Tale By Quincy & Out of Time

Quincy Jones gives us a heart-wrenching story about his mother. This is another moment of contrast in this album as this story is told over the most tranquil instrumental which would have you believing that he’s telling you an inspiring, motivating story. This then transitions beautifully into Out of Time, which again sounds as if the 1980s have me the 2080s. The Japanese city-pop sample is incredible and makes another thing about the Weeknd’s career clear: he encapsulates so many different kinds of music. To go from funk to city-pop in the space of two songs is a feat I haven’t seen many artists match.

Here We Go Again

The only word that can be used to describe this word is luscious. Abel sounds like an angel and he’s backed by a dystopian choir. The lyrics on this song are toxic as hell: “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”.

The Tyler the Creator feature fits perfectly too for 2 reasons – 1) he sounds great 2) him and Abel are both at a point in their careers where they can just flex, so them collaborating makes so much sense. Overall, this song sounds like a dream.

Best Friends, Is There Someone Else and Starry Eyes

When I first heard Best Friends, I was unimpressed. I thought the beat was too simplistic and that the song didn’t have much to it. However, when I listened to the lyrics, I was sold. To all the people who say where is the old Weeknd, this song shows you that he never truly left, he just disguised himself under different sounds. And then the transition into Is There Someone Else? Seamless. The synths make me feel as though I’m walking through a snow storm with a lightsaber. To this day this is still my favourite song on the album. Abel is singing his heart out, the production screams of Daft Punk, but with an edgier vibe that is no doubt a consequence of Max Martin’s production. And the way this song links with Best Friends and Starry Eyes that follows makes it a real standout point for the album.

Starry Eyes does just sound like a continuation of Is There Someone Else, however it does provide some respite and gives us listeners a chance to process what we’ve just heard. I feel as though this 3 song sequence was very intentional and thus, these songs cannot be viewed separately. At this point in the album, I’m thinking that if Abel sticks the landing then we have an incredible album.

Every Angel is Terrifying

I see this interlude as a reminder of where we are with this album: listening to a radio station whilst stuck in traffic on your way to Heaven. It may seem like filler but I still think its significant as it keeps us in the realm of Dawn FM.

Don’t Break My Heart

If you’ve ever wanted to know what clubbing in Germany will sound like in 30 years time, listen to this song. It’s quite understated compared to earlier songs on this album, but it still sounds sensational. The lil bridge section before the final chorus when he puts on his generic European accent is funny though. Overall, it’s a good song.

I Heard You’re Married

This is the song that stops Dawn FM from being a 10/10. It’s not that it’s a bad song, I just don’t understand why its here. Lil Wayne gives one of his worst features in a minute. At first I thought it was cute when he tried to harmonise with the Weeknd in the last leg of the song, but now I just think it’s awful. Two out of tune robots trying to sing to one another. God forbid. It’s not a terrible song, but it does stick out like a sore thumb in the tracklist.

Less Than Zero

No way is the Weeknd doing chamber pop meets synth pop. I couldn’t believe my ears the first time I heard it. This song is truly beautiful, and gives us another moment of contrast on the album as the instrumental is incredibly happy, and yet the Weeknd is singing about his former romantic interest perceiving him as “less than zero”. If this is a taste of what’s to come on his future projects, then I can’t wait. He is truly transcending so many pop genres right now in a way that hasn’t been seen in a while.

Phantom Regret by Jim

To have Jim Carrey narrate the outro of your album is crazy. He ties up the concept of the album so well and has me feeling as though I’m slowly approaching the glistening white gates of heaven. This solidifies the fact that Dawn FM is not just an album, its a radio station!!

Overall

Dawn FM is incredible for many reasons. Firstly, it’s the amalgamation of everything The Weeknd has done so far in his career. You can hear the trilogy in this, but you can also hear starboy in this. Secondly, he manages to create a sound that sounds both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. Finally, he’s executed a concept almost perfectly. He got tired of people saying he’s making radio tunes so decided to make his own radio station. All this results in Dawn FM sounding like both the climax of the last 12 years or so of his career, and the beginning of a new chapter. The Dawn has begun for real

What is a “risk”? There is definitely a difference between doing something risky and taking a risk. We do risky things all the time and feel relatively safe. Taking a risk, however, involves removing yourself from that comfort zone in order to reach a desired goal.

There seems to be more at stake with taking a risk, as usually it involves aiming for something that we really want. Because of that, the fear of failing is magnified as we don’t want to fumble the opportunity to do something you’ve been aspiring to do. It’s a scary feeling.

Whenever I’ve taken a risk, I always ask myself “did I die?”. If the answer is no (which hopefully it always is!) then it was a risk worth thinking. One of the most freeing quotes I’ve heard is that life begins outside of your comfort zone. But what that quote doesn’t mention is that the more you step out of your comfort zone, the bigger it gets. Your best experiences are on the other side of fear.

When you read this, think of one thing you’ve been putting off because of fear and just do it. Even if it’s something as simple as sending an email. I promise you’ll be fine regardless of the outcome, and you’ll grow as a person because of it. It’s easy to get bound by the shackles that are our thoughts, but those shackles are made of paper not steel. So take them off, have faith in yourself and fear will be a thing of the past! Future you will love you for it.

To me, positivity is more than just a mindset or a feeling. It is a way of life. A shelter for one's spirit. A warmth that radiates inside of someone. It is what you make it. I see so many guides and posts with titles like ‘7 ways to be more positive’ when there’s no one way to be ‘more positive’. Even the phrase ‘more positive’ is damaging because I feel like positivity is always within you.

Positivity means more than smiling all the time or always feeling happy. It’s a belief. A belief that the universe is always with you. A belief in yourself; that no matter what you’re going through, you’re going to make it through it. A belief that, even if things don’t go your way in the immediate future, it’s all part of a wider plan that takes you on a path that you could have never envisioned. If you have that belief, I promise you nothing can stop you.

Positivity is finding comfort in the things that you love. It could be the smallest thing. The sunshine or your favourite song or an inside joke with yourself. This comfort is so important. It’s a resting place for your body, mind, and soul. It’s a small space or ‘pocket’ in the universe that you have created for yourself that nobody can take from you no matter what. When you’re in this space, everything feels so peaceful and tranquil.

To end this, there is positivity in everything. Life, especially in the past year, has been the toughest test. It takes us to the darkest places where it can get as though there is no end. But there is always, always light at the end of the tunnel. That light is always within you, and no matter how hard it is to feel it, you will always find it. All the weapons you need are inside of you. Never stop searching until you find them!