Trilogy | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | November 13, 2012 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Alternative R&B [1] | |||
Length | 159:35 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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The Weeknd chronology | ||||
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Singles from Trilogy | ||||
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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 (Here Comes the Sun)" were included as bonus tracks.
Trilogy received generally positive reviews from critics, who reinforced the previous acclaim of the mixtapes, although some found it indulgent. It was promoted with three singles and the Weeknd's concert tour during September to November 2012. The album charted at number five in Canada and number four in the United States.
In 2011, the Weeknd released a series of mixtapes— House of Balloons , Thursday and Echoes of Silence —and garnered both critical acclaim and a growing fan base. [2] [3] The mixtapes were principally recorded with producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo, [4] at Dream House and Site Sound Studios in Toronto; additional sessions took place at Sterling Road Studios. [5] The Weeknd released the mixtapes online as free digital downloads. [2]
In September 2012, the Weeknd signed with Republic Records in a joint venture with his own imprint label XO. [6] The mixtapes were subsequently remastered and compiled for Trilogy, along with three previously unreleased songs, "Twenty Eight", "Valerie", and "Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)", [3] which were recorded at Liberty Studios in Toronto. [5] The three songs were included as bonus tracks at the end of each of the compilation's discs. [7]
To re-release the mixtapes' music for retail, the Weeknd had to obtain clearance from the recording artists he had originally sampled for certain songs, including Beach House's "Master of None" for "The Party & The After Party" and Siouxsie and the Banshees's "Happy House" on "House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls"; the sample of Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" on "What You Need" was excluded from Trilogy. [6]
On November 13, 2022, the Weeknd announced that he is considering removing Trilogy from streaming services due to both the original samples finally being cleared and him not being a fan of the updated mixes, telling fans to instead listen to the three mixtapes individually. [8]
The Weeknd toured in support of Trilogy during September to November 2012. [6] He previewed the album at a listening party in New York City on October 24. It was his first major media event. [9]
The album's lead single "Wicked Games" was released on October 22, 2012. [10] with the video for its remastered version released four days prior, on October 18, 2012. [11] The song charted at number 43 on the Canadian Hot 100, [12] it reached number 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [13] [14]
The second single, "Twenty Eight" was released on November 13. [15] Its music video was released on February 13, 2013, directed by Nabil Elderkin. [16]
"The Zone" was released as the album's third and final single three days later, its video shot in January 2012, and released on November 13, 2012. [17]
A video accompanying the track "Rolling Stone" was released on October 3, 2012, to promote the album's release. [18] The Weeknd posted an open letter to his fans on his website, where he explained the meaning of the video. [19]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10 [20] |
Metacritic | 79/100 [21] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [22] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [23] |
Fact | 5/5 [24] |
The Guardian | [25] |
The Irish Times | [26] |
Mojo | [27] |
The Observer | [28] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [29] |
Rolling Stone | [30] |
Uncut | 8/10 [31] |
Trilogy was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 19 reviews. [21] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [20]
John Calvert of Fact dubbed it "an r'n'b album with few equals in terms of narrational ambition". [24] Oliver Keens of Time Out wrote that the Weeknd "communicates" his character "so engagingly on Trilogy" and found him "riveting when he juxtaposes debauchery with a delivery that finds him numb and on the verge of tears". [32] Killian Fox of The Observer felt that the mixtapes' "production sounded great to start with" and that the "new material is unexceptional", but ultimately stated, "if you didn't pick up the mixtapes when they were going free, and can handle 160 minutes of beautifully crafted nihilism, this is an essential buy". [28] Although he found the new songs "arbitrary in terms of sequencing", Pitchfork 's Ian Cohen cited the compilation as "some of the best music of the young decade; judging by its already pervasive influence, it's safe to say Trilogy (or at least House of Balloons) will be one of those records that will be viewed as a turning point when we look at the 2010s as a whole". [29]
In a mixed review, AllMusic's Andy Kellman felt that, despite moments when he is "distinctively gripping", the Weeknd lacks "restraint, as he is prone to repetitious whining that is more young boy than young Keith Sweat". Kellman wrote that "now that he's with a label, he'll hopefully get some kind of filter that enables him to fulfill the promise heard in these 160 minutes of one-dimensional, occasionally exhilarating overindulgence ... His potential is as obvious as his lyrics are toxic". [22] Kevin Ritchie of Now found the music "impressive", but found the "lyrical ambivalence" to be "a bit one-note" by the album's second hour. [33] Although he found its "excess oppressive" when listened to in its entirety, Drowned in Sound 's Robert Leedlum deemed Trilogy to be "untouchable" as a "comprehensive document of a specific moment in time". [34] Paul MacInnes of The Guardian wrote that its three discs "offer a rough trajectory of party, after-party and hangover, through which an assertive voice gives way to one that sounds more troubled", and concluded, "Trilogy does remove some of the Weeknd's mystique – lyrical formulae become apparent, and examples of engaging melody recede as the collection advances. Whatever its limits, however, Trilogy remains a striking piece of work". [25]
Trilogy charted at number five on the Canadian Albums Chart. [35] In the United States, it debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 86,000 copies. [36] By August 2015, the release has sold 558,000 copies in the United States. [37] On March 18, 2019, Trilogy was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [38] On June 10, 2022, the album was certified triple platinum by Music Canada. [39]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "High for This" |
| Dream Machine | 4:07 |
2. | "What You Need" |
|
| 3:16 |
3. | "House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls" | 6:47 | ||
4. | "The Morning" |
|
| 5:15 |
5. | "Wicked Games" |
|
| 5:24 |
6. | "The Party & the After Party" |
|
| 7:39 |
7. | "Coming Down" |
|
| 4:55 |
8. | "Loft Music" |
| 6:04 | |
9. | "The Knowing" |
|
| 5:41 |
10. | "Twenty Eight" (bonus track) |
|
| 4:18 |
Total length: | 53:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lonely Star" |
|
| 5:49 |
2. | "Life of the Party" |
|
| 4:57 |
3. | "Thursday" |
|
| 5:19 |
4. | "The Zone" (featuring Drake) |
|
| 6:58 |
5. | "The Birds, Pt. 1" |
|
| 3:34 |
6. | "The Birds, Pt. 2" |
|
| 5:50 |
7. | "Gone" |
|
| 8:07 |
8. | "Rolling Stone" |
|
| 3:50 |
9. | "Heaven or Las Vegas" |
|
| 5:53 |
10. | "Valerie" (bonus track) |
|
| 4:46 |
Total length: | 55:03 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "D.D." | Michael Jackson | Illangelo | 4:35 |
2. | "Montreal" |
| Illangelo | 4:10 |
3. | "Outside" |
| Illangelo | 4:20 |
4. | "XO / The Host" |
| Illangelo | 7:23 |
5. | "Initiation" |
|
| 4:20 |
6. | "Same Old Song" (featuring Juicy J) |
| Illangelo | 5:12 |
7. | "The Fall" |
|
| 5:45 |
8. | "Next" |
| Illangelo | 6:00 |
9. | "Echoes of Silence" |
| Illangelo | 4:02 |
10. | "Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)" (bonus track) |
|
| 5:19 |
Total length: | 51:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "The Zone" (featuring Drake) (closed-captioned) |
| 5:16 |
Sample credits
Credits for Trilogy adapted from liner notes. [5]
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [60] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [39] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [61] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [62] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [63] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [38] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Edition | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | November 9, 2012 | Republic | CD | Standard | [64] |
Germany | [65] | ||||
United Kingdom | November 12, 2012 |
| [66] [67] | ||
Canada | November 13, 2012 | [68] [69] | |||
United States | Republic | [70] | |||
March 26, 2013 |
| LP | [71] | ||
November 27, 2017 | 5-year anniversary | [72] |
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. Recognized for his unconventional musical production, artistic reinventions, and signature falsetto register, Tesfaye is one of the most innovative and influential artists of his generation.
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.
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.
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.
Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd has released five studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, three mixtapes, nine extended plays, 79 single releases and seven promotional singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has accumulated 20.5 million certified album-equivalent units and 132 million certified digital single units in the US, based on sales and on-demand streaming, as of December 2024.
O.N.I.F.C. is the fourth studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. The album was released on December 4, 2012, by Atlantic Records and Rostrum Records. The album's title was inspired by the album H.N.I.C. by Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and is an initialism for "Only Nigga In First Class". Upon release, O.N.I.F.C. received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 selling 148,000 copies in its first week.
"Climax" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on February 22, 2012, by RCA Records as the lead single from his 2012 studio album Looking 4 Myself. The song was written by Usher, Ariel Rechtshaid, Redd Stylez, and Diplo, who also produced the song. Usher and Diplo worked on the song for two months as part of their collaboration for the former's album. The song is a quiet storm slow jam with electronic influences, and lyrics about the turning point of a relationship. According to Usher, the song is primarily about the complications of a relationship, despite the lyrics' sexual overtones.
"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.
Hotel California is the third studio album by American rapper Tyga. It was released on April 9, 2013, by Cash Money Records, Republic Records and Young Money Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, The Game, Jadakiss, while the production on the album was handled by DJ Mustard, Detail, Cool & Dre, David D.A. Doman, Mars of 1500 or Nothin', The Olympicks, SAP and Ryan Hunt, among others.
Kiss Land is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on September 10, 2013, through XO and Republic Records. The album was supported by the lead single of the same name, as well as "Belong to the World", "Love in the Sky", "Live For", "Pretty", and "Wanderlust". The album's production was primarily handled by DannyBoyStyles, the Weeknd himself and DaHeala, among others.
"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.
Beauty Behind the Madness is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. The album was executive produced by the Weeknd, DaHeala and Illangelo, and includes production from Kanye West, Stephan Moccio, Ben Billions, DannyBoyStyles, Max Martin, and Ali Payami, among others.
Based on a T.R.U. Story is the debut studio album by American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on August 14, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. The album features guest appearances from fellow rappers Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Playaz Circle cohort Dolla Boy, along with singer-songwriters The-Dream, Mike Posner, The Weeknd and Chris Brown. The album's production was handled by Brick Squad Monopoly's Southside, Mike Will Made It, Sonny Digital, Kanye West, Hit-Boy, Drumma Boy, DJ Mustard, Mr. Bangladesh and DJ Spinz, among others.
Starboy is the third studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, released on November 25, 2016, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. As the album's executive producers, the Weeknd and Doc McKinney enlisted a variety of producers such as Diplo, Cashmere Cat, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Labrinth, among others.
Bobby Tarantino II is the sixth mixtape by American rapper Logic. It was released on March 9, 2018, through Def Jam Recordings and Visionary Music Group. The mixtape features guest appearances from Logic's alter-ego, Young Sinatra, alongside 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa, with the production handled by Illmind, Marshmello and 6ix, among others. Bobby Tarantino II serves as a sequel to Logic's mixtape, Bobby Tarantino (2016).
My Dear Melancholy is the first extended play by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on March 30, 2018, through XO and Republic Records. Primarily produced by Frank Dukes, who serves as an executive producer alongside the Weeknd, it features contributions from Gesaffelstein, as well as Mike Will Made It, DaHeala, Skrillex and Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, among others.
"House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his debut mixtape, House of Balloons (2011). The Weeknd wrote the song with its producers, Doc McKinney and Illangelo. It was included on his compilation album, Trilogy (2012). The song is a two-part track. Its first part, "House of Balloons", was built around a sample of the British band Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 single, "Happy House", and lyrically attempts to convince someone that everything is fine in his "happy house". Its second part, "Glass Table Girls", replaces the sample with a darker beat, and discusses lyrical themes of drugs and sex.
The Highlights is the second greatest hits album, and first one released globally, by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on February 5, 2021, and follows the release of his fourth studio album After Hours (2020) and his first greatest hits album The Weeknd in Japan (2018). It was released in anticipation of his performance at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.
Dawn FM is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on January 7, 2022, through XO and Republic Records. The album features narration by Jim Carrey, guest vocals from Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne, and spoken word appearances from Quincy Jones and Josh Safdie. As the album's executive producers, the Weeknd, Max Martin and Oneohtrix Point Never recruited a variety of other producers such as Oscar Holter, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia.
Caprisongs is the debut mixtape by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs. It was released on 14 January 2022 through Young and Atlantic Records. The mixtape features guest appearances from Pa Salieu, the Weeknd, Shygirl, Dystopia, Rema, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith, and Unknown T. The production is handled by el Guincho, who co-executive produced the mixtape alongside Twigs, as well as Arca, Cirkut, and Mike Dean, among others. The mixtape was supported by one single, "Tears in the Club", which features the Weeknd, and one promotional single, "Jealousy", which features Rema.
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