If you feel like hanging with us for a couple hours every week, catch us on our stream "OurThoughts LIVE" that we do every Thursday @ 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST where we discuss all things music, news, coughWeekndcough, and pop culture! We'll leave a playlist with allllll of our past livestreams right here: czcams.com/play/PLXzM6oJxrnowo93ZYF-QeHC1cI9v8vnDT.html Let us know in the comments below any theories/bits you liked + if we missed anything! Also be sure to leave a like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 1:25 - "Dawn FM" 7:34 - "How Do I Make You Love Me?" 10:16 - "Take My Breath" 12:40 - "Sacrifice" 20:00 - "Out Of Time" 24:36 - "Here We Go...Again" 31:46 - "Best Friends" 37:18 - "Is There Someone Else?" 41:21 - "Starry Eyes"
My theory on the album cover is that Abel just can't seem to forgive and forget all his regrets. So he's been stuck in the purgatory state for so long that he eventually grows old cuz it's impossible for him to let go of his past.
Man ended Trilogy with a song named Till Dawn, he knew he gonna grow out of the darkness some day so there's no point dissing him for growing. Man has been through enough let's keep it to enjoying his music rather than asking him to keep traumatising himself. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This once again opened up my eyes to the reality of this album just like the last. To this day, Less than Zero feels like you lost a championship game, broke up with a gf, did bad on a test, got fired, whatever it may be. This whole album really captures everything Abel has gone through in his past albums and realized the shit he has done and dealt with. Phantom Regret and Less than Zero still leaves that door open of, with Abel make it to the “after life,” or will he fall back into hell or “Las Vegas” and return to the pain of the After hours.
I think ya'll missed quite a lot on "sacrifice". A lot of Weeknd's work revolves around selling his soul, killing his old self, to continue his success in the music industry. Here we see Abel being "sacrificed" with members of the occult around him. There comes a point where the red robed member(which symbolizes sacrifice) comes forward and we see flashes of corruption and rot. Abel is shortly forced to perform for the group whilst chained to the microphone stand through metal gauntlets, and we see some representation of his soul leaving his body. He's quite literally sacrificing his soul to the music industry and when he pulls his hands out the gauntlets he's just as corrupted as them. This echoes the visions of him selling his soul to Satan in the trilogy of "Can't feel my face", "Tell your friends", and "The Hills" where he can't escape the deal he makes with Satan and this same symbolism permeates many high end stars in the music industry joining the occult for fortune and fame.
So to people who missed the old Abel, so you guys missed when he was in his lowest? I’m confused 😅 I love the new Abel because he is fighting to fix himself and rebuilding himself the best way he can while still battling his inner demons. It isn’t easy, yet he still gives his best. And one day, I believe he will find his dream girl, someone to have children to raise.
Lol I don’t think it’s so much that we love him at his lowest, it’s just that that is a much more emotional and vulnerable place that we can all relate to.
I can’t appreciate how much you guys do bro!!!! The after hours video gave me so much knowledge and inspiration, and now we have a full length film documentary basically!! Our thoughts for the win!! 💯🐐
Wow… that breakdown was amazing. The way you guys broke down Phantom Regret By Jim at the end was such an eye opener… and the amount of detail you guys went to is phenomenal in every single track. This video needs to blow up. 10/10. you guys have definitely taken my breath.
Idk if anyone will see or reply to this but am I the only one who feels they relate to after hours and dawn fm so much. Mine and Abels stories seem to be much different, but when turned into in art form, they seem identical. So many lyrics and images describe how I feel but I just never know how to explain it? I always wanted to do something creative with these thoughts and feelings but could never piece everything together and Abel just did it all so perfectly Idek if there’s a point in trying to do anything about my personal story cause I feel like my vision was captured. The music is amazing but it’s a mix of joy and absolute sadness when I hear it
we're right there with ya! one of the biggest reason we make videos like this is because he does such a great job of turning the images in our heads into music and lyrics. One of the rare artists that are top tier in both style and substance
Hi. Saw your comment as part of a reply from a question I had asked. Geez, I felt like we must have met. I am sure I am older than you but from the beginnings of Trilogy I felt so many parallels in Abel's life and my own. I also wish I would have had his ability to express it through music. The man is certainly a genius. Everything from the way he words his lyrics, the way he weaves his story, the music and by working with outstanding producers and writers he has become an outstanding producers and phenomenal performer. I was out on the streets pretty much by 16 and complete break by 17. Lots of hard times. If you watch his very first shows you can see clearly a star coming into his own. He had stage presence from minute one. He is one of the most charismatic people that I have seen. If you watch his interview with Zane Lowe one of the few he has ever done, you find a quiet thoughtful man with a vision for his future. He has also been lucky enough to have such loyal and talented friends. I love his reaction when Zane asks about his hair. His real laugh. Professionally he's iconic and unparalleled. His personal life however a different story. Yes, there is a certain amount of karma involved and his lyrics reflect that, but damn I don't know how he is still standing much less writing and performing. I don't know how he gets through each day as no matter what he does he gets verbally abused from every angle. He must have the inner constitution of an ox. Every word on Dawn fm hits me hard. I actually feel I am less than zero now. Mine is a total disaster. He should find some relief on tour and the applause he hasn't heard for some time. I hope he finds someone who will actually love and care for him not someone to use to make a boyfriend jealous and score a free world tour just to dump him. I think the model, I just don't want to use names, was just too young to be ready for a serious relationship. I too find comfort in shared experiences in his songs. Didn't mean for this to be so long. Your comment rang true to me. Best wishes.
I am now learning more about The Weeknd and am impressed of how much of his songs and albums do portray his life experience and come from such a deep real place of suffering. I can’t help believing that Abel suffers from Complex PTSD (as many of us btw). I see a lot of root causes for trauma (and hope too). I hope he has some kind of professional help in the realm of therapy, apart from channeling his suffering thru the music and partly overcoming these bad experiences. He would need to grieve all those bad experiences and bring understanding and compassion to himself, and embrace his regrets and “sins” as responses to trauma. Hope he can heal some of the traumas and find some peace inside him, even if we “suffer” from less of his deep songs. The success will not be enough to fill his empty spaces, nor will the search for relationships because they will come from a traumatic place just the same. I do admire, though, the creativity and how the music surfaced and he achieved so much in the middle of nowhere and coming from absolutely nothing, no support in his life. His path of life and resilience is really amazing. In the meantime, we enjoy the result of his creativity. He is one of a kind.
ALBUM REVIEW: DAWN FM by THE WEEKND. Storytelling in music holds an esteemed position of being the sacred craft that introduces the audience to a somber, less glamorous side of the artist that is almost never seen in public. It is so treasured because not only is it a more relatable image for the ones who listen; it is also a strangely pleasant reminder that after and above all else, the artist is also just a human being. When taking this into account, it dawns upon us that The Weeknd’s craft is not about following trends in terms of making music according to an arbitrary feeling or a lighthearted jibe in the studio. His entire catalogue is him going through a musical metamorphosis that closely chronicles his life, the good and bad decisions he’s made and how far he’s come because of those said decisions, as well as the people he’s been with through it all. Let’s take for instance: Beauty Behind The Madness. That album represents his ascension to the stratosphere, whereas Starboy is this super cool bad boy persona taking his place as the self-centered light of the universe - he shines alone and he doesn’t want anyone hogging his light. In a sense, it was him getting comfortable in the overwhelming darkness that his stardom propelled him into, and he was simply adapting as a brilliant supernova that splashes colorfully against the impenetrable background of unrelenting blackness. My Dear Melancholy takes a complete 180 from the bad boy who didn’t care about anything and anyone and who did what he wanted, when he wanted. It is an emotionally anguishing reflection of what he’s lost on his way to the top - mostly the relationships he regretted ending, which set the table for After Hours: the self loathing, complete disregard for self through frightening levels of debauchery and hedonism detailed in this project are his ways of coping with the pain as he tumbles further downwards into a black hole of blinding despair to which he appears to have no escape. And then, after seeing the light beckoning upon the horizon, he’s not looking back. If there’s anything you should admit about The Weeknd, it’s that he’s owned every phase of his life that he’s lived. From the magnificent to the macabre, his ability to reinvent himself by opening alternate realities within the same dimension is a telling piece of evidence in favor of his multifaceted personality that he pours into every single element of his music, right down to the last note. DAWN FM, is only but a stage within that musical evolution. As a matter of fact, it symbolizes a graceful rebirth with the purest intentions. By reaching into the treasures of the past with his 80s electro new wave retro disco pop sound, he establishes a futuristic nostalgia of sorts that works as the latex synthesizing the past, present and future quite cohesively. It is a transcendental reality of arcade games and headbands and gym leotards and cassette players and VHS recordings and vinyl records and serene bicycle rides through blissful suburbia at high noon, merged with an ambitious, idealistic future of alien ships and flying cars and jetpacks and advanced time travel that is all so expertly packed into a gentle psychedelic masterpiece which is as healthy for the soul as it is pleasant to the ears. The album explores themes like emotional vulnerability, love, sincerity, remorse and forgiveness; that at the end of the day, Abel Tesfaye is only but a man, and more so, a hopeless romantic that has set his toxic masculinity aside and therefore finds no shame in being so emotionally exposed. Jim Carrey's patient narration throughout the album defines him as a voice of generous guidance. Some might even say, his role in the album is that of a celestial being leading those who seek his counsel for direction into the light, and that regret over the past is futile because there is a heavenly future awaiting those who relieve themselves of the burdens of the days gone by and are intent on starting as a new being. Regarding all the religious connotations laden in this album, I’d hardly think that its release on the 7th of January - which just so happens to be Christmas day on the Ethiopian Orthodox Calendar - is a lucky coincidence. From the engineering, production right through to the mastering, not once does the album deflate in its delivery; Quincy Jones’ poignant little tale does indeed set the heart at ease. Lil Wayne was at his laconic best on “I Heard You’re Married”, and Tyler, The Creator chipped in with some lyrical efficiency of his own. The transition from “Best Friends” into “Is There Someone Else” - which is arguably the best track on the album (with strong competition from “Out Of Time” and “Less Than Zero”, which is my personal favourite)- signals the sonorous climax to what is already poised to be, in my opinion, one of the albums of the year. It is worth mentioning that there is almost NO MENTION of hedonistic living in his lyrical content throughout the project, and upon pending rumours of The Weeknd’s desire to quit drugs and start a family, this is possibly his way of turning over a new leaf into a brand-new chapter of his life. RATING: 89%.
I LOVED this, I’ve been waiting for this analysis ever since the album dropped. You guys hit EVERY SINGLE BEAT LIKE DAMN. Shout out to the editor for putting this hour+ video together, the attention to detail you guys have is unreal. XOTWOD
The line in phantom regret - You got be Heaven to see Heaven, brings Tears to my Eyes😢😢🥺. You can interpret that line in any aspect of your life whether in ur relationship, your daily activities or your job 🎊🎊🎊👍
As I see it HDIMYLM is him literally asking a love HDIMYLM and then the transition into take my breath is him waiting in anticipation for her answer and she responds with TAKE MY BREATH and Abel makes reference “told me you’ll love me if I bring you to the light” and then he says “you offer yourself to me like sacrifice” and then TMB goes into sacrifice where he says he no longer wants to choke her for her to love him.
Out of all the possible CZcams reviews on Dawn FM, yours is the ONE I looked forward to! I’m strapped in to watch this thing, appreciate all y’all do 😎
Standing ovation for this video. You guys did an amazing job. Most of my curiosity since listening to this album has been satisfied. And considering the amount of effort The Weeknd put into this record, and really all of his work, for you guys to do the same amount speaks volumes about him and you both. Thank you.
Much appreciated :) We also have some follow-up videos that you might be interested in checking out that we’ll leave below: Dawn FM Experience explained (how The Weeknd created a Sonic universe): czcams.com/video/j1-HvKMQzzI/video.html Music video dissection: czcams.com/video/AWptqIwKHN0/video.html If you have any other questions you’d like us to answer, we do a livestream on CZcams every Thursday @ 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!
Bro your production and effort.guys please never stop this keep going and I swear with my life your gonna make it. You’ve literally made art with this. thank you
Yoooo, I watched your breakdown of After Hours and could not remember your channel name. So when I finally listened to Dawn FM, I knew that you would have done a deep dive on it. And HERE. WE. ARE! Good work guys, keep up the great content.
After Hours recalls to House of Balloons with throwback production and the OG Abel people loved, Dawn FM feels like Thursday as it is polarizing and experimental, and now I'm looking forward to After Life since EOS is my favorite of the trilogy.
This is exactly the video breakdown I needed for dawn fm because I'm obsessed with the album and my friends just don't care. So thank you so much for allowing me to fangirl over this with y'all and for y'alls wonderful insight 🔥
I wish I would have seen this video back when u guys made it. I've spent hours of explaining this album to people when I could have just shared this video, bc imo it is SO accurate! Great job and thank you! 🙏🏼
Seems like Abel's new love is Simi instead of Julie guys.You can check Sal's ig story on New Year's Eve he posted a photo of Abel and Simi then deleted . Recently they went to a party together and Abel posted to ig story which showed Simi was with him dancing.
Great editing! Especially considering the fact that with this album we only have 3 music videos from Abel’s and they are done in this peculiar fashion with flashing lights and dark tones. In after Hours era music videos were in a way more cinematic and easier to understand so it must have been easier to create a visual narration using them
I was listening to phantom regret one time late at night and really just thinking and it made me realize this is the album to die to. The final experience. It really feels like you’re in the dawn. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
So Ariana just "collab'ed" with The Weeknd with a new remix of an older song, "Die For You" 😯 I don't know if you can technically call it a "collab" because she basically added her voice track to an already existing song--they never sang it together or in the same studio.
Its 5am my time again... Another great break down fellas. I like the album already but after this breakdown i listen to it very different just like with after hours. Can’t wait until the last album for this trilogy
Absolutely phenomenal breakdown, really loved that y'all used a clip from Desus & Mero, they're my favorite comedians so it made this that much better. Album was beautiful to listen to and look back on to see how it fits in to his whole discography
Omg thank u guys for putting my name ❤️ Also thank you again for this AMAZING video this deserves millions of views and likes! God can't express how good this video is!!! You guys are the BEST
Love you guys breakdown from the after hours album. When the album first dropped I was anticipating your review. Glad the algorithm brought me back for dawn fm.
When this album came out I was skeptical. I haven’t been the biggest fan of the weekend but I’ve never had anything against him whatsoever. I listened to songs he made with Kendrick Lamar ofc but that was it. I gave part of the album a listen then never went back to it. I started listening to it a couple nights ago and wow, I love it now I noticed I just didnt have the right ear for it when it came out or headspace. Now I find myself relating to it heavily and loving the sounds truly a great album that I cannot wait to live with and dissect more. Thanks Abel.
This video is so in depth, I know it took so much time and research. Huge props to these guys. Very impressed with their work and overall is AWESOME! 🔥🔥👏🏽👏🏽
Thank you guys so much for these videos. You guys have been able to clearly articulate and put into words the exact emotions and feelings that i’ve felt while listening to Abels music. I’ll never forget during your analysis of after hours when you were covering faith, i was brought to tears. Keep up the great work!
I love this deep dive! Definitely going to be on repeat for the dawn era. And the buzzfeed unsolved template fits perfectly lol. Amazing job! Will this be on streaming platforms as well though? Like the After hours review was on Spotify?
As far as How Can I Make You Want me is concerned, I think, like Professional, this is Abel (in this case the older Abel on the album cover) speaking to his younger self. He talks about going back in time and unpackin thoughts-a phrase used in Phantom Regret (so sit back and unpack).His relationship with his father as far as what he has revealed, mirrors the relationship that Quincy Jones references with his mother and stepmother, consequently the “ forget ‘bout what your daddy said” and “all the thing you tolerated made you cold inside”. In Out of Time, he says I’ve been so cold to the ones who loved me and I look back now and realize. In my opinion this song sets up the arc for the rest of the album. Do you think this theory holds up?
I think this album can be about one person except Here We Go...Again (where he mentions Bella, Angelina and Selena) and Don't Break My Heart 2nd verse.
For me I feel like less than zero was also to be interpreted as a sort of suicide anthem. It’s an old fashioned Abel double entendre, where the feeling he can’t keep out of his bed are the dark thoughts at night. The self hatred and guilt that creeps in whenever all the lights cut out and he’s alone at night. And I feel like his darkest truth could just be how gloomy he may be in relationships, how insecure and manipulative he’s been said to be. When he says he’s rather be free I think he’s talking about ending it, about not having the chance to be a nuisance to anyone else in future relationships
I absolutely love The Weeknd, I discovered him in 2015 and quickly became a huge fan listening to trilogy and have been here for the ride and as soon as an album drops, I’m there. I love that he is so versatile as an artist, incorporating different styles of music. I’m all about the growth and it sucks to even hear my friends say they wish he’d make something like trilogy, but what they don’t realize is that a man is changing and even though the tracks don’t have the dark brooding ambience, the lyrics are what make it “trilogy-esque.” Like I would love to hear something like Kiss Land again, I loved everything about that album with Tears in the Rain and the titular track being my favorite songs on it, but I’m ok with that not happening, because I’m here for whatever he throws our way. His Coachella 2022 is posted on CZcams now, and I got tickets to see him at Gillette in July and I can’t be more excited like I’ve never fainted before but there’s a first time for everything.
Some thoughts on "Here we go again". When you said that this is the first song where he talks about every relationship he had ever, that got me thinking. I'm imagining this scenario where our main character The Weeknd is sitting there in purgatory, waiting, listening to music and reflecting on his life. And as the narrator said soon you'll forget, and I'm just seeing him thinking well "here's my story, but I'm starting to forget.. I had that girl, I had that situation, but was it with Bella, was it with Selena, was that even real.. the important part was that I had the experience and had some love in my life". And all the memories are mashing up in one big story that happened a very long time ago.
What an EXCELLENT VIDEO GUYS, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC ❤👐🤩, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD, Abel saw your previous AFTER HOURS ANALYSIS and I'm sure he'll see this, what a GREAT CZcams CHANNEL AND PODCAST
@@fleursousvotre just updated our description :) and it’s our honor to have you here! Thank you for hooking all of us up with cool beats that are so in line with what The Weeknd does
the weeknd has a song titled “superhero” in an unreleased EP called the noise. I think that’s the reference and also with the song “Rescue You” it all ties in.
If you feel like hanging with us for a couple hours every week, catch us on our stream "OurThoughts LIVE" that we do every Thursday @ 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST where we discuss all things music, news, coughWeekndcough, and pop culture!
We'll leave a playlist with allllll of our past livestreams right here: czcams.com/play/PLXzM6oJxrnowo93ZYF-QeHC1cI9v8vnDT.html
Let us know in the comments below any theories/bits you liked + if we missed anything! Also be sure to leave a like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video!
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:25 - "Dawn FM"
7:34 - "How Do I Make You Love Me?"
10:16 - "Take My Breath"
12:40 - "Sacrifice"
20:00 - "Out Of Time"
24:36 - "Here We Go...Again"
31:46 - "Best Friends"
37:18 - "Is There Someone Else?"
41:21 - "Starry Eyes"
What's the song that plays in the background starting at 14:49?
@@fuckingblackgod czcams.com/video/xFlG7S_Hf28/video.html
but we slowed down the tempo ourselves
@@OurThoughtsPodcast what’s the song that’s playing in the background at 45:50?
@@davidorellana252 background songs are in description but the one you’re asking about is this one: czcams.com/video/s6BOyxR1wM8/video.html
My theory on the album cover is that Abel just can't seem to forgive and forget all his regrets. So he's been stuck in the purgatory state for so long that he eventually grows old cuz it's impossible for him to let go of his past.
And honestly, it’s killing him.
@@gringa23 he needs to find the bible...that's the only thing that completely heals
@@lighthousemaccabee8133 a book?
@@jxhntae it's more than a book i kno u kno...Lucifer
@@lighthousemaccabee8133 No he needs to find the Quran
Man ended Trilogy with a song named Till Dawn, he knew he gonna grow out of the darkness some day so there's no point dissing him for growing. Man has been through enough let's keep it to enjoying his music rather than asking him to keep traumatising himself. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wow. Just wow
I agree as well
This once again opened up my eyes to the reality of this album just like the last. To this day, Less than Zero feels like you lost a championship game, broke up with a gf, did bad on a test, got fired, whatever it may be. This whole album really captures everything Abel has gone through in his past albums and realized the shit he has done and dealt with. Phantom Regret and Less than Zero still leaves that door open of, with Abel make it to the “after life,” or will he fall back into hell or “Las Vegas” and return to the pain of the After hours.
My deep desire is for heaven or Las Vegas. I'm still loving this era and I'll be there to listen to either way
Less than zero is my favourite song especially for the layers of vocals… shit stings
Hopefully Not Las Vegas!! Mombasa/Vegas🤬
less than zero is the song you play to get back down to earth and be humbled.
Less than zero sounds like it could be about not being able to beat an addiction 🙏🏽📿 imo
I think ya'll missed quite a lot on "sacrifice". A lot of Weeknd's work revolves around selling his soul, killing his old self, to continue his success in the music industry. Here we see Abel being "sacrificed" with members of the occult around him. There comes a point where the red robed member(which symbolizes sacrifice) comes forward and we see flashes of corruption and rot. Abel is shortly forced to perform for the group whilst chained to the microphone stand through metal gauntlets, and we see some representation of his soul leaving his body. He's quite literally sacrificing his soul to the music industry and when he pulls his hands out the gauntlets he's just as corrupted as them. This echoes the visions of him selling his soul to Satan in the trilogy of "Can't feel my face", "Tell your friends", and "The Hills" where he can't escape the deal he makes with Satan and this same symbolism permeates many high end stars in the music industry joining the occult for fortune and fame.
You got a point there though ✔️🤔
Anyways XOTWOD👩🏾🦯
Exactly!
Dawn u are right
@@dinmajoy05 lmaooo
💯💯💯💯💯 ON IT. IT'S HEARTBREAKING 😭
So to people who missed the old Abel, so you guys missed when he was in his lowest? I’m confused 😅 I love the new Abel because he is fighting to fix himself and rebuilding himself the best way he can while still battling his inner demons. It isn’t easy, yet he still gives his best. And one day, I believe he will find his dream girl, someone to have children to raise.
Honestly according to you Why somebody think he put in some of his song his ex?
Lol I don’t think it’s so much that we love him at his lowest, it’s just that that is a much more emotional and vulnerable place that we can all relate to.
The fact that Less Than Zero hasn’t been played on the radio as much is criminal. It’s such an amazing song. Great video guys!
I can’t appreciate how much you guys do bro!!!! The after hours video gave me so much knowledge and inspiration, and now we have a full length film documentary basically!! Our thoughts for the win!! 💯🐐
💙💙💙
XOthots ♥️🔥
Originally my favorite song was gasoline. I have no idea why everyone I know was saying it was trash. Definitely one of the coolest songs on the album
The music video was genius and made me think about my path in life. I love this album def no skips
This album gives me Nostalgia, existential dread, excitement, and happy fear.
Wow… that breakdown was amazing. The way you guys broke down Phantom Regret By Jim at the end was such an eye opener… and the amount of detail you guys went to is phenomenal in every single track. This video needs to blow up.
10/10. you guys have definitely taken my breath.
Idk if anyone will see or reply to this but am I the only one who feels they relate to after hours and dawn fm so much. Mine and Abels stories seem to be much different, but when turned into in art form, they seem identical. So many lyrics and images describe how I feel but I just never know how to explain it? I always wanted to do something creative with these thoughts and feelings but could never piece everything together and Abel just did it all so perfectly Idek if there’s a point in trying to do anything about my personal story cause I feel like my vision was captured. The music is amazing but it’s a mix of joy and absolute sadness when I hear it
we're right there with ya! one of the biggest reason we make videos like this is because he does such a great job of turning the images in our heads into music and lyrics. One of the rare artists that are top tier in both style and substance
Hi. Saw your comment as part of a reply from a question I had asked.
Geez, I felt like we must have met. I am sure I am older than you but from the beginnings of Trilogy I felt so many parallels in Abel's life and my own. I also wish I would have had his ability to express it through music. The man is certainly a genius. Everything from the way he words his lyrics, the way he weaves his story, the music and by working with outstanding producers and writers he has become an outstanding producers and phenomenal performer.
I was out on the streets pretty much by 16 and complete break by 17. Lots of hard times. If you watch his very first shows you can see clearly a star coming into his own. He had stage presence from minute one. He is one of the most charismatic people that I have seen. If you watch his interview with Zane Lowe one of the few he has ever done, you find a quiet thoughtful man with a vision for his future. He has also been lucky enough to have such loyal and talented friends. I love his reaction when Zane asks about his hair. His real laugh.
Professionally he's iconic and unparalleled. His personal life however a different story. Yes, there is a certain amount of karma involved and his lyrics reflect that, but damn I don't know how he is still standing much less writing and performing. I don't know how he gets through each day as no matter what he does he gets verbally abused from every angle. He must have the inner constitution of an ox.
Every word on Dawn fm hits me hard. I actually feel I am less than zero now. Mine is a total disaster. He should find some relief on tour and the applause he hasn't heard for some time. I hope he finds someone who will actually love and care for him not someone to use to make a boyfriend jealous and score a free world tour just to dump him. I think the model, I just don't want to use names, was just too young to be ready for a serious relationship.
I too find comfort in shared experiences in his songs.
Didn't mean for this to be so long. Your comment rang true to me.
Best wishes.
I nearly cried during Less than Zero/Phantom Regret cause I knew it was the end. It’s like the Breakfast Club. Bittersweet.
One thing to think about - those tracks could also be the beginning of the end of The Weeknd as we know him.
I am now learning more about The Weeknd and am impressed of how much of his songs and albums do portray his life experience and come from such a deep real place of suffering.
I can’t help believing that Abel suffers from Complex PTSD (as many of us btw). I see a lot of root causes for trauma (and hope too). I hope he has some kind of professional help in the realm of therapy, apart from channeling his suffering thru the music and partly overcoming these bad experiences.
He would need to grieve all those bad experiences and bring understanding and compassion to himself, and embrace his regrets and “sins” as responses to trauma.
Hope he can heal some of the traumas and find some peace inside him, even if we “suffer” from less of his deep songs. The success will not be enough to fill his empty spaces, nor will the search for relationships because they will come from a traumatic place just the same.
I do admire, though, the creativity and how the music surfaced and he achieved so much in the middle of nowhere and coming from absolutely nothing, no support in his life. His path of life and resilience is really amazing. In the meantime, we enjoy the result of his creativity. He is one of a kind.
What a compassionate comment ❤️
this album is a masterpiece and you guys have done an excellent job at explaining it!
ALBUM REVIEW: DAWN FM by THE WEEKND.
Storytelling in music holds an esteemed position of being the sacred craft that introduces the audience to a somber, less glamorous side of the artist that is almost never seen in public. It is so treasured because not only is it a more relatable image for the ones who listen; it is also a strangely pleasant reminder that after and above all else, the artist is also just a human being.
When taking this into account, it dawns upon us that The Weeknd’s craft is not about following trends in terms of making music according to an arbitrary feeling or a lighthearted jibe in the studio. His entire catalogue is him going through a musical metamorphosis that closely chronicles his life, the good and bad decisions he’s made and how far he’s come because of those said decisions, as well as the people he’s been with through it all.
Let’s take for instance: Beauty Behind The Madness. That album represents his ascension to the stratosphere, whereas Starboy is this super cool bad boy persona taking his place as the self-centered light of the universe - he shines alone and he doesn’t want anyone hogging his light. In a sense, it was him getting comfortable in the overwhelming darkness that his stardom propelled him into, and he was simply adapting as a brilliant supernova that splashes colorfully against the impenetrable background of unrelenting blackness.
My Dear Melancholy takes a complete 180 from the bad boy who didn’t care about anything and anyone and who did what he wanted, when he wanted. It is an emotionally anguishing reflection of what he’s lost on his way to the top - mostly the relationships he regretted ending, which set the table for After Hours: the self loathing, complete disregard for self through frightening levels of debauchery and hedonism detailed in this project are his ways of coping with the pain as he tumbles further downwards into a black hole of blinding despair to which he appears to have no escape.
And then, after seeing the light beckoning upon the horizon, he’s not looking back. If there’s anything you should admit about The Weeknd, it’s that he’s owned every phase of his life that he’s lived. From the magnificent to the macabre, his ability to reinvent himself by opening alternate realities within the same dimension is a telling piece of evidence in favor of his multifaceted personality that he pours into every single element of his music, right down to the last note.
DAWN FM, is only but a stage within that musical evolution. As a matter of fact, it symbolizes a graceful rebirth with the purest intentions. By reaching into the treasures of the past with his 80s electro new wave retro disco pop sound, he establishes a futuristic nostalgia of sorts that works as the latex synthesizing the past, present and future quite cohesively. It is a transcendental reality of arcade games and headbands and gym leotards and cassette players and VHS recordings and vinyl records and serene bicycle rides through blissful suburbia at high noon, merged with an ambitious, idealistic future of alien ships and flying cars and jetpacks and advanced time travel that is all so expertly packed into a gentle psychedelic masterpiece which is as healthy for the soul as it is pleasant to the ears.
The album explores themes like emotional vulnerability, love, sincerity, remorse and forgiveness; that at the end of the day, Abel Tesfaye is only but a man, and more so, a hopeless romantic that has set his toxic masculinity aside and therefore finds no shame in being so emotionally exposed. Jim Carrey's patient narration throughout the album defines him as a voice of generous guidance. Some might even say, his role in the album is that of a celestial being leading those who seek his counsel for direction into the light, and that regret over the past is futile because there is a heavenly future awaiting those who relieve themselves of the burdens of the days gone by and are intent on starting as a new being.
Regarding all the religious connotations laden in this album, I’d hardly think that its release on the 7th of January - which just so happens to be Christmas day on the Ethiopian Orthodox Calendar - is a lucky coincidence.
From the engineering, production right through to the mastering, not once does the album deflate in its delivery; Quincy Jones’ poignant little tale does indeed set the heart at ease. Lil Wayne was at his laconic best on “I Heard You’re Married”, and Tyler, The Creator chipped in with some lyrical efficiency of his own. The transition from “Best Friends” into “Is There Someone Else” - which is arguably the best track on the album (with strong competition from “Out Of Time” and “Less Than Zero”, which is my personal favourite)- signals the sonorous climax to what is already poised to be, in my opinion, one of the albums of the year.
It is worth mentioning that there is almost NO MENTION of hedonistic living in his lyrical content throughout the project, and upon pending rumours of The Weeknd’s desire to quit drugs and start a family, this is possibly his way of turning over a new leaf into a brand-new chapter of his life.
RATING: 89%.
Yes. All of the yes. BTW question.... what would a pure 90% album look like to you? Because 89% is very specific.
Reading this comment to myself in Patrick Bateman's voice really enhanced it.
I agree with you , WORD TO WORD✋️
I think its cool how much The Weeknd has expanded with his music
For real dude jus keeps getting more and more artistic 🔥
I LOVED this, I’ve been waiting for this analysis ever since the album dropped. You guys hit EVERY SINGLE BEAT LIKE DAMN. Shout out to the editor for putting this hour+ video together, the attention to detail you guys have is unreal. XOTWOD
so satisfying 🥲🥲🥲
These breakdowns make listening to Abel so much better. You guys deserve your flowers for sure 🖤XOTWOD
The line in phantom regret - You got be Heaven to see Heaven, brings Tears to my Eyes😢😢🥺. You can interpret that line in any aspect of your life whether in ur relationship, your daily activities or your job 🎊🎊🎊👍
As I see it HDIMYLM is him literally asking a love HDIMYLM and then the transition into take my breath is him waiting in anticipation for her answer and she responds with TAKE MY BREATH and Abel makes reference “told me you’ll love me if I bring you to the light” and then he says “you offer yourself to me like sacrifice” and then TMB goes into sacrifice where he says he no longer wants to choke her for her to love him.
I wonder how Abel himself would react to this dissection. Probably a smirk
Out of all the possible CZcams reviews on Dawn FM, yours is the ONE I looked forward to! I’m strapped in to watch this thing, appreciate all y’all do 😎
YES YES YES. Wow I have been waiting for this for so long and it's finally here. You guys did freaking amazing in this one🔥
Standing ovation for this video. You guys did an amazing job. Most of my curiosity since listening to this album has been satisfied. And considering the amount of effort The Weeknd put into this record, and really all of his work, for you guys to do the same amount speaks volumes about him and you both. Thank you.
Much appreciated :) We also have some follow-up videos that you might be interested in checking out that we’ll leave below:
Dawn FM Experience explained (how The Weeknd created a Sonic universe): czcams.com/video/j1-HvKMQzzI/video.html
Music video dissection: czcams.com/video/AWptqIwKHN0/video.html
If you have any other questions you’d like us to answer, we do a livestream on CZcams every Thursday @ 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST!
I love how with all The Weeknd’s albums, there’s different interpretations of the meaning behind the albums and different themes
i really enjoyed this deep dive into dawn fm. this really made me think about how much of legend the weeknd really this!!!🌅
wow, 70k people heard my soundtrack now, it's insane, thank you guys so much for putting me on this 🖤
The credit belongs to you for making an absolute fucking banger💙
Bro your production and effort.guys please never stop this keep going and I swear with my life your gonna make it. You’ve literally made art with this.
thank you
BEST FRIEND ON REPEAT TRANSITIONS INTO ITSELF 😭 every song does actually.
Man i love that album so much dude and this breakdown opened my eyes to alot of things i didnt notice.
This has to be THE best Album analysis I have ever heard
Yoooo, I watched your breakdown of After Hours and could not remember your channel name. So when I finally listened to Dawn FM, I knew that you would have done a deep dive on it. And HERE. WE. ARE! Good work guys, keep up the great content.
That was genius how you guys put the kiss land phone line commercial on screen during every angel is terrifying
After Hours recalls to House of Balloons with throwback production and the OG Abel people loved, Dawn FM feels like Thursday as it is polarizing and experimental, and now I'm looking forward to After Life since EOS is my favorite of the trilogy.
Once again guys, you’ve nailed it. The After Hours breakdown, then this. Perfection. Thank you for this ❤️
I’m 1 minute 40 seconds in and I already want to share to the Reddit. Keep up the amazing work 😭 XOTWOD
This is exactly the video breakdown I needed for dawn fm because I'm obsessed with the album and my friends just don't care. So thank you so much for allowing me to fangirl over this with y'all and for y'alls wonderful insight 🔥
Ayeee happy to be an outlet for you🤞we got a breakdown on the Dawn FM experience dropping soon so stay tuned!
I love the idea of abel making a man on the moon type album taking us through heaven and hell, LA to Las Vegas at the same time .
This is an incredible breakdown. I thought I did a good assessment but ya’ll took it to a whole new level. Love it!!
we all had the same thoughts 1:09 after hours was so amazing and a beautiful chapter i didnt know what to expect for dawn fm
amazing analogy of a broken soul being reborn ✨✨✨✨✨a song right there …thank you guys for this
I wanna see The Weeknd end up in Heaven in the next album. He's been through so much, and obviously regrets his past transgressions.
Next album will be called after life, bc it's a trilogy. Hes gonna make his typical sinister tracks like the Hills and starboy,
I wish I would have seen this video back when u guys made it. I've spent hours of explaining this album to people when I could have just shared this video, bc imo it is SO accurate! Great job and thank you! 🙏🏼
How could y'all not mention Tomoko Aran's Midnight Pretenders for 'Out of time'!? The city pop influence is all over the album.
This was amazing. Thank you🤍
Can I just say that I love to have people that love this shit, and take it apart like I do!
Seems like Abel's new love is Simi instead of Julie guys.You can check Sal's ig story on New Year's Eve he posted a photo of Abel and Simi then deleted . Recently they went to a party together and Abel posted to ig story which showed Simi was with him dancing.
Who is Simi
simi?
wow , just an amazing break down...the way you link his past and present music is perfect. nostalgic to say the least
Great editing! Especially considering the fact that with this album we only have 3 music videos from Abel’s and they are done in this peculiar fashion with flashing lights and dark tones. In after Hours era music videos were in a way more cinematic and easier to understand so it must have been easier to create a visual narration using them
good thing Abel dropped the Out of Time MV right? That one needs reaction videos too
I was listening to phantom regret one time late at night and really just thinking and it made me realize this is the album to die to. The final experience. It really feels like you’re in the dawn. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
So Ariana just "collab'ed" with The Weeknd with a new remix of an older song, "Die For You" 😯 I don't know if you can technically call it a "collab" because she basically added her voice track to an already existing song--they never sang it together or in the same studio.
Really love how they put in so much effort in thier videos
Its 5am my time again... Another great break down fellas. I like the album already but after this breakdown i listen to it very different just like with after hours. Can’t wait until the last album for this trilogy
You guys are the best! Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos!
The song actually did *insert take my breath* that made me play that one moment 8 times
Brilliant editing. 👏🏾
Absolutely phenomenal breakdown, really loved that y'all used a clip from Desus & Mero, they're my favorite comedians so it made this that much better. Album was beautiful to listen to and look back on to see how it fits in to his whole discography
Less than zero is the best album closer for me. Hits so good. This video was so amazingly well done oh my goodness! ❤️
Finally someone understands
this video was seriously amazing and so well produced. i hope the algorithm blesses y'all in the future. much love.
Omg thank u guys for putting my name ❤️ Also thank you again for this AMAZING video this deserves millions of views and likes! God can't express how good this video is!!! You guys are the BEST
You (and the OG Tik Tok) inspired one of our favorite segments we’ve ever had to do, of course you deserve some credit! We appreciate you🙌
Thank you so much for this amazing video, i love how y'all dissected the weeknd and all his albums. XOTWOD.
Man... this was deep. Ibwoukd have never come up with this on my own
Love you guys breakdown from the after hours album. When the album first dropped I was anticipating your review. Glad the algorithm brought me back for dawn fm.
Sometimes you have to fall to get back up again….for the better or even for the best.❤️
The fact I had to listen to the album when you played just a few seconds of it really acknowledges what you said lol
1:05:51
*rubs my hands while listening to die for you remix *
i've been waiting for this video the moment this album came out! I love it!!
slowly but surely I'm becoming obsessed with this man and I enjoy that fact very much
You guys should do this stuff with other albums with storylines! Then you guys would get to 100k by this year
Wow I must listen to this album so much my phone suggested this video. This album is a classic!
When this album came out I was skeptical. I haven’t been the biggest fan of the weekend but I’ve never had anything against him whatsoever. I listened to songs he made with Kendrick Lamar ofc but that was it. I gave part of the album a listen then never went back to it. I started listening to it a couple nights ago and wow, I love it now I noticed I just didnt have the right ear for it when it came out or headspace. Now I find myself relating to it heavily and loving the sounds truly a great album that I cannot wait to live with and dissect more. Thanks Abel.
This video is so in depth, I know it took so much time and research. Huge props to these guys. Very impressed with their work and overall is AWESOME! 🔥🔥👏🏽👏🏽
I legit just finished listening to Dawn fm the whole way through. Then saw this. Perfect timing!
Thank you guys so much for these videos. You guys have been able to clearly articulate and put into words the exact emotions and feelings that i’ve felt while listening to Abels music. I’ll never forget during your analysis of after hours when you were covering faith, i was brought to tears. Keep up the great work!
i love the weekend because his lyrics always mean more than what they actually say
The "Weeknd" is the Weakened its literally in the name and story he is showing us all.
That "take my breath" transition tho
Yo I was waiting for this video to drop, u guys explained After hours so perfect. And now This!!!!!!! Let's gooooooooo.
I love this deep dive! Definitely going to be on repeat for the dawn era. And the buzzfeed unsolved template fits perfectly lol. Amazing job! Will this be on streaming platforms as well though? Like the After hours review was on Spotify?
You guys are the only ones that critiqued it right!! It's All about Angelina. I hope she's flattered. Great Album!👍😜Nanci
As far as How Can I Make You Want me is concerned, I think, like Professional, this is Abel (in this case the older Abel on the album cover) speaking to his younger self. He talks about going back in time and unpackin thoughts-a phrase used in Phantom Regret (so sit back and unpack).His relationship with his father as far as what he has revealed, mirrors the relationship that Quincy Jones references with his mother and stepmother, consequently the “ forget ‘bout what your daddy said” and “all the thing you tolerated made you cold inside”. In Out of Time, he says I’ve been so cold to the ones who loved me and I look back now and realize. In my opinion this song sets up the arc for the rest of the album. Do you think this theory holds up?
ohhh such a good point!
What about when he says I can see the real you girl you don’t have to hide
Damn, amazing breakdown. 👏 Truly, bravo guys. Love it.
I think this album can be about one person except Here We Go...Again (where he mentions Bella, Angelina and Selena) and Don't Break My Heart 2nd verse.
Who
@@malihamasood1050 ariana
Me encantas the weekend siempre te escucho y también te escuchamos en todo México the weekend
Now this is quality video!! Great job guys. This video gave me a complete insight into the album. Thank you!!
Y’all incredible, been waiting for you guys to drop this video for a minute now 👏🏽
👏👏👏👏 IM SURE YOU GUYS HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! THE WEEKND IS A TRUE ARTIST❤
For me I feel like less than zero was also to be interpreted as a sort of suicide anthem. It’s an old fashioned Abel double entendre, where the feeling he can’t keep out of his bed are the dark thoughts at night. The self hatred and guilt that creeps in whenever all the lights cut out and he’s alone at night. And I feel like his darkest truth could just be how gloomy he may be in relationships, how insecure and manipulative he’s been said to be. When he says he’s rather be free I think he’s talking about ending it, about not having the chance to be a nuisance to anyone else in future relationships
This video format is beautiful.
I absolutely love The Weeknd, I discovered him in 2015 and quickly became a huge fan listening to trilogy and have been here for the ride and as soon as an album drops, I’m there.
I love that he is so versatile as an artist, incorporating different styles of music. I’m all about the growth and it sucks to even hear my friends say they wish he’d make something like trilogy, but what they don’t realize is that a man is changing and even though the tracks don’t have the dark brooding ambience, the lyrics are what make it “trilogy-esque.” Like I would love to hear something like Kiss Land again, I loved everything about that album with Tears in the Rain and the titular track being my favorite songs on it, but I’m ok with that not happening, because I’m here for whatever he throws our way.
His Coachella 2022 is posted on CZcams now, and I got tickets to see him at Gillette in July and I can’t be more excited like I’ve never fainted before but there’s a first time for everything.
Some thoughts on "Here we go again". When you said that this is the first song where he talks about every relationship he had ever, that got me thinking.
I'm imagining this scenario where our main character The Weeknd is sitting there in purgatory, waiting, listening to music and reflecting on his life. And as the narrator said soon you'll forget, and I'm just seeing him thinking well "here's my story, but I'm starting to forget.. I had that girl, I had that situation, but was it with Bella, was it with Selena, was that even real.. the important part was that I had the experience and had some love in my life". And all the memories are mashing up in one big story that happened a very long time ago.
Eres el mejor artista the weekend nadie te alcanzará eres único ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Coming back to this after watching the live performance on prime video. What a great experience of an album
Yall welcome to the sesh for sure💨lmk if yall ever visit Arizona!! Much love brothas XO🤘
What an EXCELLENT VIDEO GUYS, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC ❤👐🤩, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD, Abel saw your previous AFTER HOURS ANALYSIS and I'm sure he'll see this, what a GREAT CZcams CHANNEL AND PODCAST
You guys would make a perfect duo guides who does the intro to the nether world.
Seriously, give me a nudge if both of you are ever become interested.
wow thanks for using my soundtrack for the introductiuon, was schocked to hear it lmao, could you please credit me in the description tho lol
Of course! And man that must’ve been so jarring lmao, but that beat was toooo good. We appreciate you checking our video out!🙌
@@OurThoughtsPodcast thanks, love your work, so honored to hear my soundtrack here 🖤
@@fleursousvotre just updated our description :) and it’s our honor to have you here! Thank you for hooking all of us up with cool beats that are so in line with what The Weeknd does
1:06:06
This aged w-...
*die for you remix has entered the chat.*
the weeknd has a song titled “superhero” in an unreleased EP called the noise. I think that’s the reference and also with the song “Rescue You” it all ties in.
until i bleed out was like the 3rd music video, the last one he dropped for that album was save your tears