The Weeknd/ Dawn FM

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

The Weeknd/ Dawn FM

Genre: Alternative RnB/ electro-pop 

Label: Republic Records/ Universal 

Rating: *****

After winning three Grammys for his earlier efforts, Canadian singer-producer Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd was snubbed by the awards committee last year for his album After Hours. His song 'Blinding Lights', however, was crowned in November as the all-time number one on the Billboard singles charts.

The Weeknd aura only grew after the Grammy rejection, and by being 'spotted' with Angelina Jolie, he was in the news for both his music and otherwise. Fans greeted last year's single 'Take My Breath' with delight. A dance number having multiple influences like Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, French disco, funk and 1990s electro-pop, the song has the main line repeated as a build-up, before the words "I saw the fire in your eyes" come in like a bolt out of nowhere.

With its dance-till-you-drop vibe, 'Take My Breath' is one of the highlights of the fifth Weeknd album Dawn FM, whose release was suddenly announced last week. And while the foot-stomping mood is prevalent on the first few tracks, the album moves into spheres as diverse as balladry, melancholy and philosophical.

It's a concept album, and a smartly constructed one. Presented in the form of a radio show hosted by none other then 'jockey' Jim Carrey, it's divided into three parts - commercial 'free yourself' music, easy listening and songs on the 'after life', the last section advertised like a radio commercial. 

The iconic Quincy Jones comes in on a voice-over on 'A Tale By Quincy', talking about the ill-effects of a dysfunctional family. To add to that, there's some first rate production helmed by The Weeknd, Oneohtrix Point Never (OPN) and Max Martin, assisted by 12 other heavies including Swedish House Mafia and Calvin Harris.

Dawn FM opens with a 'radio announcement', where Carrey says, "You've been in the dark for way too long, it's time to walk into the light, and accept your fate with open arms". Beginning the dance section is the rhythmic 'Gasoline', which talks of relationships with a partner. The Weeknd's falsetto is brilliant on this.

The funk-pop beauty 'How Do I Make You Love Me' segues effortlessly into 'Take My Breath', which moves into the uptempo, groove-driven 'Sacrifice', featuring a sample of the Alicia Myers hit 'I Want To Thank You'. The video of this track, directed by Caliqa, was released on January 8, and has a typical 1980s flashing-lights disco look.

Though The Weeknd has often been categorised as alternative RnB, the term contemporary electro-pop would also suit his music. The synth and drum machines form the backbone of the sound, and one of the highlights is the song- to-song transition.

The titles, by themselves are self-explanatory and add up to a story, examples being 'Here We Go.. Again' (featuring rapper Tyler, The Creator), 'Best Friends', 'Is There Someone Else', 'Don't Break My Heart' and 'I Heard You're Married' (feat. Lil Wayne). These songs lead to 'Less Than Zero', where The Weeknd sings about the way a former partner perceives him now, as a 'zero'. The speculation, of course, is which songs are meant for his ex-Selena Gomes, and which are about Ariana Grande, with whom was linked to, and Ms Jolie.

In keeping with the album's narrative, the final piece comes in the form of a recitation by Carrey, who talks about looking back on life. "Heaven's for those who let go of regret, and you have to wait here when you're not all there yet", he says, before philosophically concluding, "You've got to be heaven to see heaven, may peace be with you".

Though there's a plethora of stand-out tracks, the best way to listen to Dawn FM is from start to finish, without a break. It's 51 minutes of seamless brilliance, the kind one can play incessantly on loop. And though this album will be eligible only for next year's Grammys, it will be interesting to know its fate on that hallowed platform.