I just love the contradictory themes that he’s grappling with. Nihilism and hopelessness vs. love and hope. Selfishness vs. selflessness. Regret vs. forgiveness. Death and afterlife vs. rebirth. Chaos vs. peace. The after hours vs. the dawn.
The fact of the matter is, Abel has something for everyone and your father will find something. Many will say you guys haven’t even gotten to “the good stuff” of Abel’s work but that’s the crazy thing, this is the best of many artists. The rest of this journey will be a treat
A lot of people didn't catch that The Weeknd on this album was experiencing an Ego Death(how do I make you love me music video). After Hours and Dawn FM are visual concept albums the Music videos help connect the storylines.
the weeknd concept is his listener, he give you open concept and concept idea and give you the freedom to make your own story and he is only artist have world building and listen kissland and Trilogy or BBTM
one thing i’d like to point out about Out of Time is that the backbone of the song is a sample of Tomoko Aran’s song Midnight Pretenders, a japanese city pop song from the 80s. Outside of city pop being a massive genre in the internet and in places such as Korea (they’re having a city pop rebirth as of late with artists like YUKIKA and arguably Doughnut by TWICE), this may have been its first big break in the American side of mainstream audiences I could be completely wrong about this take but i find it really cool he used a city pop sample in general lol
I can only assume what your dad was trying to say is how unorthodox The Weeknd is. Dawn FM was a great album and I’m so glad you guys reacted to it. It’s one of my favorite albums!
I will say that most people get this album wrong, it’s not just an 80s album. It’s 80s with a modern twist and that’s where people kind of get it wrong in my opinion.
Y’all should listen to House of Balloons. I think your dad may not appreciate the dark themes so much, but the style is certainly unique and original - he may not find it as 80s-derivative as AH/DFM.
Gasoline gave me immediate David Bowie vibes but I don't know if I've ever even heard A David Bowie track before lol. Lots of different inspiration throughout.
After Mr Morale, this is my most listened to album of the year. That being said, I will have to do proper deep dives of The Forever Story and Melt My Eyez.
His purgatory is him in a car (from After Hours) on an endless highway, and the radio is on, playing this station that is a collection of songs that are his life, and it repeats until he finally gets the message of accepting and letting go of regret. Regret is what is keeping him there. The light at the end of this endless road is the sun (dawn), but also the "light." Multiple meanings to it. Also, there is another cover of the road going into a head. Jim even says "You have to be heaven to see heaven" so he's going into himself. It could be a radio station and The Weeknd is just singing song that sound very much like other artists because that's what a station has. Then again, it could be The Weeknd is borrowing too much, and I just have a bias for The Weeknd lol
@@mightymike8130 lol I understand. Well, I believe most music can still be enjoyed on the surface level. This album is still a fun dance playlist with catchy hooks. I think that's one thing that makes certain artists "'great" in any genre, being able to tell a story and have music that you could just bob your head to if you choose to just ignore the messaging. it's like those hit pop singles that are catchy but have a dark story behind them ("Waterfalls" by TLC, "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People, "Fernando" by ABBA)
I do go on, maybe it's also a message from his older self to his present self. A warning to himself maybe?? I'll stop now. Great honest reaction guys. Love your channel
I recommend the Quality Motion Music extended version of Dont Break My Heart on RU-vid. It fully realizes the song's potential imo. It's amazing. Great reaction video! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PazQ3mXQfwg.html
Something really gorgeous about this project I rarely see people talk about is the final track ends with the birds and perfectly loops into the birds we hear in the beginning of the first track. So I interpret that as Abel is trying to transition on but he’s too full of regret and grief that he’s stuck in a loop, unable to move on to the next stage.
@@putyouon makes for an extra haunting listen cause after Jim’s poem you feel so hopeful just to realize we didn’t make it and we’re back at the beginning haha if Black Mirror was an album this is it
I think dad will continue to try to pin him down to one particular thing because mostly everyone else is only in their own lane and Abel is the interstate, going and coming, from satellite view...meaning he can do it all. There's a reason Abel is an artist that can hop on a track with damn near anyone and he makes the track his own.
Personally, this album struck me and hit me when I needed it. It was the start of a self healing process for me. Helped also, massively, by Kendrick's 'Therapy' album. Your Dad is right. Art/Music can reach out and connect with people. Often through our own fractural lens. And that what's great about true art, it hits in different ways, at different times
Exactly right! I found Abel in 09 at the time of my life that I needed this kind of artistry and verbiage myself. He's grown into a different man and artist now but the core of his music is that darkness that we all can appreciate.
I think your dad is too focused on the inspirations rather than the accomplishment of making 80's centric songs sound good in the 2020's. So many people have tried to imitate the 80's and it always sounds stale, cheap, or generic. It's almost a testament to the success of the Weeknd's intentions for this album that your dad was so caught up with it sounding like the past that he didn't realize that was the point.
I would love for him to hear the difference between this trilogy 😂 but Ik trilogy is a long piece of work to react to so u can let him do one mixtape at a time
I love this album. One of my favorites from 2022 and that’s crazy because how early in the year it was and how many amazing albums came out that year. It has still not left rotation. Hopefully we get afterlife or whatever it ends up being called in 2023
I think with Out of Time for it to really click ya kinda need to be familiar with the sounds of City Pop. Which is why gen z seems to gravitate towards it a lot more than older generations as even though a lot of us don't know we're exposed to it. It's put in so many memes and tik toks and endings of RU-vid videos. So we've grown an attachment to the sound n.n
Dawn FM is a bridge album between After Hours and the third album he will release soon. That’s why it’s a trilogy. And that’s why Dawn fm has the same sound and is meant to be played in its entirety as 1 big song or “trip” because remember in the song after hours he is about to die and sees the light.
I loved that he not only did the album release party in full costume but he always has a character for every album. All the videos connect as well when watched in order of their release.
Another thing to reflect on is that this album is a radio station, at the 'end of his life', in the waiting room before going to heaven/hell. I transition. There's no one sound. And in a way, the influences in the songs reflect a deeper long lived love for his influences. MJ for example. Don't forget, it is called Dawn FM. What soundtrack would be playing in the 'waiting room' for any of us. Music from our childhood maybe? Yeah, I hear a lot of MJ here, and nostalgia. I think that's the point. I dunno. That's the thing with art, it can be all things, or nothing all at once
I think it’s interesting that your dad isn’t really into his music because my dad is from the same generation as your dad and he absolutely loves Abel’s music.
I'm thinking the next one will be 90s inspired 100%. After hours was 70s inspired, Dawn FM was 80s inspired. If we're sticking with the pattern it's gotta be
I always thought the album cover is a nod Phantom Regret. The glow of the After Life is behind him, that distant light we barely see, but he's looking back on his life.
Also I believe your dad is looking for something more so of sound captivating production l, instead of escaping in the dark melancholic lyrics that hold truth in our lives, i think thats what abel does very well is his lyrics are very raw and vulnerable and therapeutic, but also is voice is insanely different than anyone we’ve ever heard, including that of michaels, but idk, thats just what i think also.
This album along with after hours are very deep and there are a lot of metaphors that are hard to understand unless you have listened to most of his discography. My take from it all is that he’s coming to terms with a god complex that he has with himself and is coming to terms with the fact he will never go to heaven aka “family kids”. He is teaching himself that he can be god and what’s between the womens legs is is own version of heaven that he can be the god of. That’s why In Faith he says I chose “Vegas if they offer heavens gate”Vegas being women drugs lust. And on trilogy he has a song called “Heaven or Las Vegas” confirming this.
On Dawn FM he is heading towards the light but I believe he will never get there because his life has been a constant loop of the same thing. That’s why Dawn FM can be played as a loop as 1 big song and that’s why he’s old on the album cover because he’s not going anywhere and he’s been stuck there forever. He is coming to terms with the fact he will never see the light and will always be less than zero. I believe his next album will not be him in heaven I believe his next album will be him back to where he started at after hours. He will come out of this trip he’s in.
Wathing this resction and aftwe hours back to back (on a sunday, im missing football lol) u REALLY need to let dad hear trilogy in order so he can learn The Weeknd after now knowing his creativity. Go back so he can know the person
