Description
The Weeknd – Dawn FM – Double Silver Vinyl Records
Limited Edition
Alternative Artwork
2LP translucent silver vinyl
Limited edition Target exclusive on two silver vinyl discs, housed in a gatefold sleeve.
“Dawn FM” is the fifth studio album by The Weeknd, released on January 7, 2022, through XO and Republic Records. It is a genre-blurring, cinematic concept album that immerses listeners in the experience of a fictional radio broadcast set in a metaphorical purgatory—a liminal space between life and death, pain and transcendence, dusk and dawn. Anchored in synth-heavy, 1980s-inspired soundscapes, Dawn FM is both a bold sonic shift and a deepening of the Weeknd’s artistic ambition.
The album was executive produced by The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) along with long-time collaborators Max Martin, Oneohtrix Point Never (Daniel Lopatin), and features appearances from Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, and even Jim Carrey as the surreal, philosophical radio DJ guiding listeners through the “broadcast.”
At its core, Dawn FM is a metaphysical journey. It opens with the titular track “Dawn FM,” which frames the album as a strange, ambient broadcast meant to accompany listeners through an existential transition. Jim Carrey’s narration sets the tone: “You are now listening to 103.5 Dawn FM…” It’s as if the album is a soundtrack for the afterlife or a spiritual reckoning, with Carrey playing a radio host offering comfort, reflection, and ultimately release.
Tesfaye uses this concept as a vessel for exploring themes of love, regret, aging, spiritual reckoning, and the search for redemption, wrapped in bright, retrofuturistic production that’s often in stark contrast to the darker emotional content of the lyrics.
Musically, Dawn FM dives deep into synthpop, new wave, electro-funk, and Italo-disco, evoking artists like Depeche Mode, Giorgio Moroder, Tears for Fears, and Prince, while filtering those influences through The Weeknd’s signature sense of melancholy and cinematic grandeur. It follows the 1980s synth stylings introduced in After Hours (2020), but leans even further into electronic textures and pop melodies.
Oneohtrix Point Never’s influence is notable throughout, adding layers of dreamy, digital haze and avant-pop strangeness, especially in transitional moments and ambient interludes.
Standout Tracks
“Gasoline” – A stark, synth-drenched track where Abel sings in a haunting, robotic tone about self-destruction and dissociation. The mood is dark, yet the beat pulses with nightclub energy.
“How Do I Make You Love Me?” – A dancefloor-ready jam that captures the 1980s pop aesthetic with bouncing synths and an infectious chorus.
“Take My Breath” – A centerpiece single, built around an explosive disco beat, cinematic flourishes, and Abel’s falsetto. It’s both seductive and suffocating, reflecting the dangerous highs of obsession.
“Out of Time” – One of the album’s most heartfelt moments, with soft, Michael Jackson-esque vocals and a gentle groove. It’s a sorrowful reflection on lost love and missed chances, followed by a spoken-word interlude by Jim Carrey that adds existential weight.
“Here We Go… Again” (feat. Tyler, the Creator) – A soul-tinged, introspective moment where The Weeknd contemplates fame and romantic disillusionment, with Tyler dropping a rare but vulnerable verse.
“Is There Someone Else?” and “Starry Eyes” – Showcasing Abel’s blend of vulnerability and paranoia, driven by layered harmonies and cinematic tension.
“Less Than Zero” – A shimmering, upbeat-sounding closer (at least before the outro), offering a glimpse of emotional clarity and self-awareness, even as the lyrics wrestle with being emotionally damaged and irredeemable.
Lyrically, Dawn FM is steeped in emotional contradiction. It pairs upbeat music with themes of isolation, guilt, addiction, emotional unavailability, and the consequences of ego and fame. It’s an album about confronting one’s inner demons—not in anguish, but in a kind of cathartic, bittersweet embrace.
The radio concept is more than a gimmick—it becomes a spiritual metaphor. The “light at the end of the tunnel” is literally the dawn, but also symbolic of letting go, facing mortality, and striving toward transformation. Jim Carrey’s final monologue in “Phantom Regret by Jim” acts as a closing meditation, advising listeners to release the burdens of ego, shame, and regret:
“Heaven’s for those who let go of regret… You gotta be heaven to see heaven.”
Dawn FM was met with critical acclaim, widely praised for its cohesion, ambition, and stylistic evolution. Many critics hailed it as one of The Weeknd’s most mature and adventurous projects. It was included in numerous Best Albums of 2022 lists, and while it was less commercially explosive than After Hours, it further solidified The Weeknd as one of the most innovative pop artists of his generation.
Though The Weeknd described it as part of a conceptual trilogy—with After Hours as part one and Dawn FM as part two—fans continue to speculate about the third installment, eagerly awaiting where his artistic vision will go next.
Dawn FM is more than an album—it’s an experience, a conceptual soundscape, and a journey through the twilight of the soul, presented in neon hues and lush sonic textures.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Dawn FM
Gasoline
How Do I Make You Love Me?
Take My Breath
Sacrifice
A Tale By Quincy
Out of Time
Here We Go…Again
Best Friends
Is There Someone Else
Starry Eyes
Every Angel Is Terrifying
Don’t Break My Heart
I Heard You’re Married
Less Than Zero
Phantom Regret By Jim
