House of Balloons

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House of Balloons
The Weeknd - House of Balloons.png
Mixtape by
the Weeknd
ReleasedMarch 21, 2011
Recorded2009–2011
Genre Alternative R&B [1]
Length49:34
Label XO
Producer
The Weeknd chronology
House of Balloons
(2011)		 Thursday
(2011)
Singles from House of Balloons
  1. "Wicked Games"
    Released: September 25, 2012
  2. "Twenty Eight"
    Released: November 13, 2012

House of Balloons is the debut mixtape by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on March 21, 2011, by the artist's own record label XO. The mixtape was released for free on the Weeknd's website and was the subject of increased media discussion upon the use of its songs on television, as well as the then-anonymous identity of the individual behind the Weeknd. House of Balloons was entirely recorded in Toronto, with production handled primarily by the Weeknd, Doc McKinney, and Illangelo, alongside additional contributions from Cirkut, Jeremy Rose and Rainer. Its title is derived from the nickname the singer gave to his former home in Parkdale, Toronto.

Contents

The mixtape received widespread acclaim, with critics praising its dark aesthetic, production, and lyrical content. It is widely regarded as a major influence on contemporary R&B music, being credited for pioneering alternative R&B. Musically, House of Balloons mixes R&B with elements of rock, electro, and hip-hop. Lyrically, the mixtape explores the Weeknd's drug use and experiences with love, heartbreak, and promiscuity.

House of Balloons was commercially released as part of the compilation album Trilogy (2012) and included the singles "Wicked Games" and "Twenty Eight", the latter of which is a bonus track. On its tenth anniversary, the original mixtape was released in digital formats, and included samples which failed to gain copyright clearance on Trilogy. The reissue was accompanied by a limited edition line of merchandise designed by architect Daniel Arsham.

Background and production

Before work on House of Balloons began, the Weeknd first released music through YouTube in 2009, [2] working as part of a hip-hop duo called 'Bulleez n Nerdz', under the stage name Kin Kane. [3] During this time, he was also a part of a songwriting and production team called 'the Noise', who wrote demos intended for artists such as Drake, [4] Justin Timberlake, and Chris Brown. [3]

In 2010, the Weeknd met the producer Jeremy Rose through mutual friends in Toronto. Rose began playing multiple songs he made in Ableton, including the instrumental for "What You Need". After the Weeknd freestyled over it, Rose asked him if he wanted to work together as a "dark R&B project". [5] Their sessions together led to the creation of three other tracks from House of Balloons, the first part of "The Party & the After Party", "Loft Music", and an early version of "The Morning". [5] Rose discontinued working on the project due to creative differences, but he allowed the Weeknd to use the songs they produced together, [6] under the condition that he would receive production credits. [7]

In December 2010, the Weeknd met the producer Illangelo through multiple studio sessions together, which led to the creation of an early version of "Glass Table Girls" and songs that later appeared on the Weeknd's second mixtape, Thursday . [8] For the mixtape's opener, "High for This", the Weeknd met the producer Cirkut through a mutual friend, which led to its creation after a session at Cirkut's home studio. [9] Cirkut later introduced him to Doc McKinney in January 2011. McKinney played the Weeknd multiple instrumentals, including the mixtape's title track, made sometime in 2009. [9] While working on the title track, the Weeknd's desire to rap led to McKinney improvising another beat, a reworked version of "Glass Table Girls". [10] McKinney and the Weeknd began further work that same month, Illangelo returning to the studio with them. As weeks progressed, they realized that the songs connected together, leading to their decision to release the mixtape free of charge. [8]

Promotion

Title and artwork

The mixtape's title originates from a house the Weeknd and his friends used to live at in Parkdale, Toronto. He explained that he and his friends would throw parties, and they would add balloons to make it more celebratory. [3] Its cover art depicts a woman with her face obscured by balloons, and her left breast exposed. [11] The Weeknd asked his friend La Mar Taylor for a cover photo, since the mixtape was ready for release. Taylor shot the cover at his house with his ex-girlfriend. [12]

Release and marketing

House of Balloons was initially released free of charge via a zip folder on March 21, 2011. [9] After signing with Republic Records in September 2012, the Weeknd worked to clear samples present in the mixtape, in order to re-release it as part of his compilation album, Trilogy (2012). The sample present in "What You Need", Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat", was excluded. [13] Alongside the release of Trilogy, a new song, "Twenty Eight", was included as a bonus track for the House of Balloons disc. [14] The mixtape's remastered version was later released as an LP record on August 14, 2015, which included "Twenty Eight". [15]

House of Balloons was preceded by three promotional singles, released via YouTube in December 2010, being "What You Need", "The Morning", and "Loft Music". [16] In May 2011, "High for This" was used in promotional material for the HBO original series Entourage . [17] After multiple unofficial music videos, the Weeknd released his first official music video on November 24, for "The Knowing", directed by Mikael Columbu. [18] The mixtape's first single, "Wicked Games", was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 25, 2012. [19] It became the Weeknd's first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 53. [20] Its self-directed music video was released on October 18, 2012. [21] "Twenty Eight" was released as the second single for both House of Balloons and Trilogy on November 13. [22]

To commemorate its ten-year anniversary, the Weeknd released House of Balloons to streaming services with all of its original samples present on March 21, 2021. [23] Alongside the release, the artist Daniel Arsham created special artwork for a limited-edition LP record, alongside merchandise for the mixtape. [24]

Music

House of Balloons is categorized as an alternative R&B record, [1] further incorporating elements of dream pop, [25] electro, [26] and rock. [26] In a 2013 interview with Complex , the Weeknd stated that House of Balloons, alongside the two mixtapes that followed its release, were not mixed or mastered because he "didn't feel like they were [his] albums", instead treating them like mixtapes. He stated that the mixtape symbolizes his experiences in Toronto. [27]

House of Balloons explores the loneliness of partying late in the night, but it does not "glamorize" this lifestyle. [28]

Songs

The mixtape's opening track, "High for This", is described as a "darkwave and bedroom R&B" song. [29]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10 [30]
Metacritic 87/100 [31]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [32]
The A.V. Club B+ [33]
The Boston Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [34]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [35]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [36]
Fact 4/5 [37]
Now 4/5 [38]
Pitchfork 8.5/10 [39]
PopMatters 9/10 [40]

House of Balloons received widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, House of Balloons received a weighted average score of 87 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [31] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice was impressed by the mixtape, calling it "patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche... with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost." [41] Maegan McGregor of Exclaim! stated that House of Balloons "easily stands as one of the year's best debuts so far, hipster, top 40 or otherwise." [42] Sputnikmusic's Tyler Fisher said that "despite being a free album, House of Balloons feels like a true album, a true labor of love." [43] Tom Ewing of The Guardian felt that while the Weeknd's vocals and lyrics on House of Balloons "aren't especially strong by R&B standards," much of the album's attention was attracted by its strong command of mood. [44]

In December 2011, Metacritic determined that House of Balloons was the third best-reviewed project of the year. [45] AnyDecentMusic? ranked it at number 10 on its list of compilation of the rankings of the best 2011 albums from 30 magazines, newspapers and websites. [46] Additionally, the mixtape was featured on several music critics' and publications' end-of-year albums lists. Complex called it the "best album of 2011;" [47] Stereogum ranked it number 5; [48] The Guardian ranked it number 8; [49] The A.V. Club ranked it number 6; [50] SPIN ranked it (as well as Thursday ) number 13; [51] while Pitchfork ranked it number 10. [52] As a whole, House of Balloons was the seventh most frequently mentioned album in music publications' year-end top ten lists. [53] The mixtape was named as one of the longlisted of nominees for the 2011's Polaris Music Prize. [54] The mixtape's title track was placed on Pitchfork's list of top 100 songs of 2011 at number 57, while "The Morning" was number 15. [55] In 2021, it was listed at No. 488 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time". [56]

Track listing

House of Balloons was originally set to come out with 14 tracks. The Weeknd told Complex in 2013 that "Crew Love", "Shot for Me" and "The Ride" from Drake's second studio album were supposed to be on the mixtape. [27]

House of Balloons standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."High for This"
4:07
2."What You Need"
  • Tesfaye
  • Jeremy Rose
  • Rose
  • The Weeknd
3:26
3."House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls"
6:47
4."The Morning"
  • Tesfaye
  • McKinney
  • Montagnese
  • Doc McKinney
  • Illangelo
5:15
5."Wicked Games"
  • Tesfaye
  • McKinney
  • Montagnese
  • Rainer Millar Blanchaer
  • Doc McKinney
  • Illangelo
5:25
6."The Party & the After Party"
  • Rose
  • The Weeknd
  • Blanchaer
7:39
7."Coming Down"
  • Tesfaye
  • McKinney
  • Montagnese
  • Doc McKinney
  • Illangelo
4:55
8."Loft Music"
  • Tesfaye
  • Rose
  • Legrand
  • Scally
  • Rose
  • The Weeknd
6:04
9."The Knowing"
  • Doc McKinney
  • Illangelo
5:41
Total length:49:19
2012 reissue bonus track [57] [58]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
10."Twenty Eight"
  • Tesfaye
  • McKinney
  • Montagnese
  • McKinney
  • Illangelo
4:18
Total length:53:37

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal, which are in turn adapted from the liner notes of Trilogy. [6]

Charts

Chart performance for House of Balloons
Chart (2015–2024)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [59] 40
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [60] 139
US Billboard 200 [61] 113
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [62] 10
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [63] 37
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [64] 4

Certifications

Certifications for House of Balloons
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [65] Gold35,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [66] Platinum80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [67] Gold100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for House of Balloons
RegionDateLabel(s)Format(s)EditionRef.
VariousMarch 21, 2011 XO 9-track free of charge [68]
August 14, 2015 LP 10-track remastered [15]
March 21, 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
  • LP
Original 9-track [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Weeknd</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1990)

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. He is known for his unconventional musical production, artistic reinventions and use of the falsetto register.

<i>Thursday</i> (album) Second of three 2011 mixtapes by the Weeknd

Thursday is the second mixtape by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 18, 2011, by XO. Like his debut mixtape House of Balloons (2011), the Weeknd collaborated with producers and songwriters Doc McKinney and Illangelo; the duo produced Thursday in its entirety, and it contains fewer samples than its predecessor. Recorded in Toronto, the mixtape features a guest appearance from the Canadian rapper Drake.

<i>Echoes of Silence</i> Last of three 2011 mixtapes by the Weeknd

Echoes of Silence is the third mixtape by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, released on December 21, 2011, by XO. Like his debut mixtape House of Balloons and his second mixtape Thursday, the Weeknd collaborated with musician Illangelo; who produced the majority of the project. The project also featured first-time collaborations with producers Clams Casino and DropXLife and a spoken-word interlude from rapper Juicy J. Lyrically, Echoes of Silence contains similar themes to the Weeknd's previous projects, exploring his drug use and experiences with love. The project was preceded by the release of the promotional single "Initiation" on October 10, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Games</span> 2012 single by the Weeknd

"Wicked Games" is the debut single by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, and serves as the fifth track from his debut mixtape, House of Balloons (2011). It was written by the Weeknd, Doc McKinney, and Illangelo with the latter two producing. The song was remastered and released as the lead single from his 2012 compilation album, Trilogy, on October 22, 2012, through XO and Republic Records. It was met with universal acclaim by music critics.

<i>Trilogy</i> (The Weeknd album) 2012 compilation album by the Weeknd

Trilogy is the first compilation album and major label debut by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on November 13, 2012, through XO and Republic Records. It is composed of remixed and remastered versions of the songs contained in his 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, and three previously unreleased songs, "Twenty Eight", "Valerie", and "Till Dawn " were included as bonus tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illangelo</span> Canadian musician (born 1987)

Carlo Montagnese, known professionally as Illangelo, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer from Calgary, Alberta, who came to attention as long-time collaborator of the Weeknd. Having executive produced his 2011 mixtapes compiled in his Trilogy (2012) album, Montagnese has served as a frequent contributor for many of his following releases. Apart from his work with the Toronto native, his other notable credits include Post Malone's "I Fall Apart", Fall Out Boy's "The Last of the Real Ones", Wiz Khalifa's "Remember You", Drake's "Crew Love", Ricky Hil's "Nomads", and remixes such as Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night " and Florence and the Machine's "Shake It Out". He was one half of the duo Somewhere Else with collaborator Billy Walsh, and signed with Skrillex's OWSLA label and Brodinski's Bromance Records to release his debut concept album, History of Man (2013).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss Land (song)</span> 2013 single by the Weeknd

"Kiss Land" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his debut studio album of the same name. It was released on May 17, 2013, by XO and Republic Records, as the lead single from the album. The song was written by the Weeknd, Danny Schofield, Jason Quenneville, all three producing the song with Silkky Johnson, with Jack Holkeboer receiving writing credits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twenty Eight (song)</span> 2012 single by the Weeknd

"Twenty Eight" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, featured as a bonus track on the version of his debut mixtape House of Balloons (2011). It was released as the album's second single on November 13, 2012, by XO and Republic Records. The song only appears on the reissue of the mixtape that is included with his 2012 compilation album, Trilogy. The song was recorded at Site Sound Studios and mixed at Liberty Studios in Toronto. Producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo co-wrote the song and performed all instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zone (song)</span> 2012 single by the Weeknd featuring Drake

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starboy (song)</span> 2016 song by the Weeknd featuring Daft Punk

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"Rolling Stone" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his second mixtape, Thursday (2011). It was released on May 25, 2011, as the mixtape's first promotional single. In 2012, the song was remastered and released commercially on the Weeknd's compilation album, Trilogy (2012). It was written by the Weeknd alongside producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo.

Echoes of Silence is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, and serves as the ninth track from his third mixtape of the same name (2011). It was released through XO on December 21, 2011, alongside the mixtape. In 2012, the song was remastered and released commercially on the Weeknd's compilation album, Trilogy (2012). The song was written by the Weeknd alongside its producer, Illangelo.

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