Who knows what the next one is going to sound like? When it comes to my albums, there is a cohesive sound going on, but I can't really stick to one style. So you'll hear EDM, hip-hop and three other types of sounds in one song – and somehow, we make it work.— The Weeknd to Billboard in 2021

Dawn FM has been primarily described as pop, synth-pop, dance-pop, and R&B. Recalling 1980s electronic bands such as Depeche Mode and Duran Duran, the album significantly incorporates new wave, funk, and EDM, alongside elements of disco, electropop, hip hop, city pop, soft rock, psychedelia, R&B, blues, boogie, electro, dubstep, drum and bass, and techno.

During an episode of Memento Mori, the Weeknd cited Britney Spears, Nas, Swedish House Mafia, Kid Cudi, Kanye West and Tyler, the Creator as the artists who have inspired the album. Influences of Michael Jackson's Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) are also present in Dawn FM.
Dawn FM was noted for incorporating a "psychedelic radio" aesthetic with existential themes, similar to American experimental record producer Oneohtrix Point Never's album Magic Oneohtrix Point Never (2020), which the Weeknd appeared on and executive produced under his formal name. The "103.5" station tag that the album frequently uses is a nod to the Toronto radio station Z103.5, known for their dance-heavy playlists. In an interview with Billboard on November 23, 2021, the Weeknd elaborated on these themes, saying:

Picture the album being like the listener is dead. And they're stuck in this purgatory state, which I always imagined would be like being stuck in traffic waiting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. And while you're stuck in traffic, they got a radio station playing in the car, with a radio host guiding you to the light and helping you transition to the other side. So it could feel celebratory, could feel bleak, however you want to make it feel, but that's what The Dawn is for me.

Further speculation on the album's concept arose following the Weeknd's announcement that Dawn FM was the second part of a trilogy of albums.

The standard and Alternate World editions' album cover of Dawn FM was shot by Matilda Finn. It features a "dramatically aged version" of the Weeknd as an elderly and overweight bearded man in a dark background setting with a small ray of light shining behind the back of his shoulder. The collector's and limited editions of the album, as well as the limited edition boxset CDs of the album, listed on the Weeknd's online store, feature five alternate Dawn FM covers designed by American artist Robert Beatty.

On August 6, 2021, the album's lead single, "Take My Breath", was released digitally on music stores and streaming services. The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top ten in 21 other territories. Its music video was premiered alongside its release and was directed by Cliqua. An official remix by Italian house music group Agents of Time was released with the original version of the Alternate World edition of the album on January 11, 2022.

"Sacrifice" was released as the second official single in tandem with Dawn FM on January 7, 2022. Its music video was released on the same day, and was directed by Cliqua. The song was sent to contemporary hit radio in the United States on January 11, 2022.

"Out of Time" was released to American urban adult contemporary radio on January 25, 2022, as the third official single from the album. Its music video was released on April 5, 2022, and was directed by Cliqua. An official remix of the song by Haitian-Canadian music producer Kaytranada was released on April 22, 2022, and later included on the streaming reissue of the Alternate World edition of the album.

"Less than Zero" was given a limited single release in France, with it being sent to contemporary hit radio on July 7, 2022, as the album's fourth single in the country.
On July 1, 2022, an official remix of the album's eleventh track "Starry Eyes" by Mike Dean was released as the first promotional single from the streaming re-issue of the Alternate World edition of Dawn FM.

An official remix of the album's title track by Oneohtrix Point Never was released as the second promotional single from the streaming re-issue of the Alternate World edition of the album on July 8, 2022.

On July 22, 2022, a remix of the album's third track "How Do I Make You Love Me?" by Swedish House Mafia members Sebastian Ingrosso and Salvatore Ganacci was released as the third promotional single from the streaming re-issue of the Alternate World edition of the album. Simultaneously, an animated music video for the original version of the song was released that same day. It was directed by Jocelyn Charles with some creative direction from Cliqua.

An official remix of the album's ninth track "Best Friends" with American R&B singer Summer Walker was released as the fourth and final promotional single of the streaming re-issue of the Alternate World edition of the album on August 5, 2022.
A music video for the album's second track "Gasoline" was released on January 11, 2022. It was directed by Matilda Finn. On January 7, 2023, a music video for the album's tenth track "Is There Someone Else?" was released, as part of the one-year anniversary of the album's release. It was directed by Cliqua.
On January 7, 2022, alongside the release of Dawn FM, the Weeknd hosted a live event with Amazon Music, in which he served as a disc jockey and played the entire album in front of a small crowd. The event was live-streamed on Twitch and was directed by Micah Bickham. Various different shots of the livestream …

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