The Weeknd's new album Dawn FM may sound futuristic, but the execution is old-school.
It is a collection of 16 tracks that are perfectly sequenced and, in some cases, that segue into each other. The release is also united lyrically and sonically. The stark and icy production matches the singer’s tale of romantic woes and redemption.
Dawn FM comes on the back of a similar giant release.
Adele's 30, 2021’s biggest-selling album in the US and UK, is also a brilliantly cohesive set of lovelorn ballads meant to be heard in a specific order and in one sitting.
With other successful albums released in 2021, such as Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, and anticipated titles on the way from Kendrick Lamar and Lizzo, for example, it begs the question: is the album format enjoying a revival?
The blockbuster releases by both artists may suggests there is still life to the dogged format yet.
However, both are swimming against a growing industry tide.
The advent of streaming has made the once-dominant album sound increasingly tired as new generations of listeners consume music in radically different ways.
With the rise of mood playlists and the shuffle function, the listening experience has become increasingly fractured and non-linear.
Such a freewheeling approach has meant the album has begun to lose its stature as the peak of an artist’s creative expression, in addition to becoming a liability for record labels.
According to Variety, 102.4 million albums were sold in the US in 2020.
This is a stark comparison to the boom years two decades ago, with 2000 being "the album's fattest year" with 755.1 million units sold.
Such figures would make any pop star weary of stepping into the recording booth.
Adele, however, remains such a passionate proponent of the album format that she requested Spotify dismantle its shuffle feature when streaming 30. Taylor Swift is also a supporter and describes the format as an authentic look into her life.
“These are essentially instalments of my life, two years at a time," she told Rolling Stone when releasing her 2014 blockbuster album 1989. “And I work really hard to make sure that those instalments are good enough to also apply to other people’s lives in two-year periods of time.”
EDM star David Guetta, on the other hand, has questioned its effectiveness.
The French DJ, who released 12 singles in 2021 instead of one collection, said streaming platforms have shortened the life span of albums.
“I am not sure how relevant the album format is today because people don’t consume music the same way,” he told The National in 2019. “If you drop an album now it will only have a lifetime of six months, no matter how amazing it is.”
Same tune, different formats
Sony Music Middle East general manager Mike Fairburn says the debate is as old as the industry itself.
"I don't think formats matter anymore and they never really did," he tells The National.
"We went through radio, vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, mini discs and now we find ourselves streaming music. The mechanism of delivering music will always change as technology develops.
“What remains consistent, however, is the artist’s desire to tell their story through the music.”
Emotional connection between an artist and listener is the key attribute that ultimately defines success, Fairburn says, and it can be equally applied through singles or albums.
This explains Adele’s meteoric rise.
Ever since emerging in 2008 with debut album 19, each subsequent release has become a vivid snapshot of the preceding years with enough stories and ruminations to fill the longer form of the album.
On the flipside, Fairburn says there are successful artists, such as Chris Brown and Lil Nas X, who don’t view the album as the “creative zenith” when it comes to connecting with their fans.
The trick is knowing which format best suites a particular expression.
“And this is really how we begin the conversations with our artists. For us, it's never been about streaming numbers as a starting point. It's about serving our artists in the best possible way we can and that means helping them tell their story in creative and manageable ways.”
Fairburn points to the growing buzz surrounding Iraqi artist Baws as an example of Sony Music Middle East’s tailor-made approach.
"His fourth record came out in December and it is called Ommi. It’s about his relationship with his mum, a subject you don't often hear hip-hop guys talking about,” Fairburn says.
“Baws is an emotional artist and we found the best way to work together is give each song time and space for people to connect with that story before releasing the next single, which tells a totally different story. He and we believe that this is the best strategy.”
Music with purpose
Mark Abou Jaoude, Deezer’s head of content for Mena and Turkey, says the album will always have a place in the music streaming landscape.
But with more people gravitating towards streaming singles and playlists, albums need to make a bold artistic statement to resonate with the public.
“What we found at Deezer is that even with the established artists, there are many fans who prefer to listen to playlists dedicated to their songs rather than their new albums,” he says.
“The albums that did really well on our platforms are ones where the artist really gave listeners a story or when they would promote it heavily by telling people how important it was for them.”
For an example, Abou Jaoude points to the success of Elissa’s 2018 album, Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni, where she announced her breast cancer diagnosis and recovery through the music video of the self-titled track.
“Elissa tells us what each album means to her and how they are inspired by her life,” he says.
“So while she has many older and popular hits, people would go and stream the new album because they feel emotionally invested. Each new album is a new chapter that people want to experience.”
From that perspective one can begin to predict which albums will do well in 2022.
Lizzo’s vivacious personality and openness should propel her coming, as-yet-untitled release up the charts, while Rihanna’s much documented relationship failures and business successes will have fans eagerly awaiting her next album.
As for The Weeknd, Dawn FM is only the beginning. On January 10 he tweeted that the album is to be part of a “new trilogy”.
