The Weeknd. Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for dcp.
The Weeknd's new album Dawn FM comes two years after the Toronto pop artist reached new heights of megastardom. His 2020 project After Hours contained the single "Blinding Lights," a song which smashed the record for most time on the Billboard Hot 100 and was recently named the top No. 1 hit of all time by the publication. The following year, The Weeknd took the song and his influential catalog to the Super Bowl for the event's most memorable half-time show in years.
There was a bit of conversation even after the show debating whether or not The Weeknd was the kind of household name reserved for Super Bowl halftime shows. But The Weeknd's career arc has been about reinvention, both within itself and as his influence steadily grew from his beginnings in the Canadian underground and far beyond. You can look at the project's cover art depicting a decrepit Tesfaye, miles away from the lecherous insouciance he's shown on the covers of his other projects. Or, you can take his word for it: “It’s the album I’ve always wanted to make,” Tesfaye said of Dawn FM in a 2021 GQ profile published just before sharing its lead single "Take My Breath."
Dawn FM features Jim Carrey, Quincy Jones, Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, and Oneohtrix Point Never. Stream it below.
