When The Weeknd dropped “Blinding Lights” — recently named Billboard’s No. 1 Hot 100 song of all time — way back in 2019, the world was a much different place. The album that followed, After Hours, was released in March 2020, right around the time the coronavirus pandemic prompted worldwide lockdowns. Since then, it feels like we’ve all aged approximately 70 years. The Weeknd likely agrees.
That’s one reading of the cover art for his next album, titled Dawn FM, that features the artist caked in old-man makeup (liver spots and all) and wisened with long gray hair and a gray beard. As he announced earlier this week, Dawn FM will drop on Friday (January 7).