Week 7

14/01/22

The Weeknd - Dawn FM

I cannot express how excited I was to listen to this album. 'After Hours' was fantastic and as the second installment in this new 'trilogy', I was expecting no different from Dawn FM. It definitely delivered. This whole cinematic universe Abel is creating, alongside the music video, really does feel like a moment in current music. I love the concept of the eerie and purgatorial radio station, which is perfectly executed by Jim Carrey (who would've thought?). And the music, wow. Abel touched on the 80s dance-pop theme in After Hours, but he really takes it to another level here. There are some proper funky songs, like Sacrifice and Best Friends, coupled with some more introspective and emotional tracks, like Starry Eyes and Less Than Zero. All of them, however, have this synthwave production that never seems to be out of place. A lot of the songs do sound like you should be dancing and just vibing to, but some of the lyrics are quite dark and even haunting. With the concept of approaching the after-life (which could be the title of his next album), the lyrics are often remorseful and filled with regret. This vulnerability alongside typical Abel toxicity makes for a really interesting listen. Also, the replay value on this album is just insane. It has been in daily rotation since its release. The Tyler and Wayne features, unfortunately, do not really deliver with these songs being my least favourites on the album. I honestly do not think Abel even needs features at all, he's that good. There is also a worry that the songs sound quite similar, with Abel not really attempting anything different. However, on more listens, this is not the case at all as he executes this sound so well and fits the concept he employs. It honestly just keeps getting better over time, as, somehow, does The Weeknd. Also, shoutout to Jim Carrey. Especially with the album closer, he smashed it.

Favourite Songs: Gasoline, How Do I Make You Love Me?, Take My Breath, Sacrifice, Out Of Time,  Best Friends, Starry Eyes, Less Than Zero

Score: 9/10

Nas - Magic

I really don't understand how he is doing this. Nas is 28 years into his career, and he's rapping with as much hunger as he ever was. Bars, rhymes, substance. He still delivers at a high level all-round. The sheer amount of music he is releasing currently makes this even more astonishing, and I expect no different from King's Disease III. Shoutout Hit-Boy for the production, as well. These two just work so well together and are so consistent. Hit-Boy bringing back that old-school sound mixed with some modern-style sampling with Nas' rapping is a match made in heaven. The fact that this project is only 9 songs allows it to be a very easy listen and a good gateway/teaser for future albums. I honestly think it is a very clever way to keep his audience interested; there is always new music. The replay value on all these new Nas projects, however, is not that high for me. I'm not sure what it is because the rapping and production is so good, I just rarely feel the urge to come back to these songs. Maybe it's a subconscious subjective thing, I am not quite sure. But it is a shame because that definitely lowers my rating of this album without any valid reason. What can I say? Music is subjective, that's just how it is. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of good rapping and equally as good production, this project will deliver. 

Favourite songs: Speechless, Meet Joe Black, Ugly, 40-16 Building, Wave Gods, Dedicated

Score: 8/10

Aaron May - WOKEUPTHINKINBOUT / HIDDEN VOICES

Aaron May is the king of 'short and sweet'. This two-pack of short songs delivers in every way that I've come to expect from this guy. He spits some real introspective bars over a smooth, soulful instrumental. His laid-back delivery always just floats over these types of beats. Personally, this is one of my favourite styles of rap and he is one of the best. The hooks, as usual, are both great, which is a real virtue of this man's short career as yet. Not many can craft great hooks alongside top-tier rapping at his age. These songs are great to vibe to as well as dive in to lyric-wise. Both are of similar style, but I could literally listen to this type of music for hours and never get bored. Chill-rap - he executes it perfectly. CHASE was an excellent album and I am very excited for whatever Aaron releases next. Hopefully, he has a big career ahead of him; he deserves it. I just wish he puts out a full-length project instead of these singles or short EPs, I just want some more music from him. 


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