The Weeknd has declared that his fifth studio album “is complete.” On October 4th, during his episode on the radio show Memento Mori, the Canadian singer shared some major life updates while he apologized for temporarily pausing his weekly show.
“A lot has been going down, a lot of moving pieces. Been settling in a new home. Been shooting videos. Been working on pre-productions for another world. Working on music for the pre-productions for the other world. Taking time to myself so I don’t completely lose my mind. But now we’re back.” he said, before explaining how he comes alive in the fall time, as the lyrics from his 2016 hit “Starboy” goes. “I hope you had a great summer. Some exciting features coming out in the fall before the album drops. … Some Dawn updates: Album is complete. Only thing that’s missing is a couple of characters who are key to the narrative — some people that are near and dear to me, some people that inspired my life as a child and some that inspire me now. More to come in the following months.”
Prior to The Weeknd’s Memento Mori hiatus, the artist revealed some of his peers who inspired his next era, including Britney Spears. He played two of her songs — “Everytime” and “Toxic” from Spears’ 2003 album In the Zone — on the Aug. 11-dated episode, which was dedicated to “a mix of music that showcases tracks inspiring the new Dawn era,” according to its description.
According to Billboard, he released the upcoming record’s lead single and Hot 100 No. 6 hit “Take My Breath” on Aug. 6 via XO/Republic Records, which gave his fans the first glimpse of his new Dawn era following his Billboard 200-topping fourth album After Hours. The Weeknd previously announced “the dawn is coming” at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards in May. “I just want to say: The After Hours are done and the dawn is coming,” he said during his acceptance speech after winning the Top Hot 100 Song award for “Blinding Lights.”
-Aditi