House of Balloons

House of Balloons
Mixtape by The Weeknd
Released March 21, 2011
Genre Contemporary R&B
Length 49:34
Label XO
Producer Doc McKinney, Illangelo, Zodiac
The Weeknd chronology
House of Balloons
(2011)		 Thursday
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Consequence of Sound [1]
Pitchfork Media (8.5/10)[2]
Rolling Stone [3]
Sputnikmusic [4]
The Tune [5]

House of Balloons is the debut mixtape of Canadian artist, The Weeknd, released online for free in March 2011. Production was headed up by Canadian producers Doc McKinney, Zodiac, Illangelo. House of Balloons blends a range of electronic and urban genres including R&B and soul as well as incorporating dubstep tones. The title track is based on the music of the hit single "Happy House" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. [6]

Upon its release, House of Balloons garnered much acclaim among critics and fans alike. Preceded by a string of low-profile buzz single releases throughout 2010, the identity behind The Weeknd was kept secret from the public which attracted significant interest. House of Balloons received the 'Best New Music' title at Pitchfork.com.[7] Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating based on reviews by industry professionals, gave House of Balloons a rating of 87 based on 16 reviews indicating 'Universal Acclaim', also making it the third highest scoring R&B release ever.[8]

The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.[9] It was later announced as a shortlisted nominee.

In December 2011, Complex called it the "best album of 2011". [10]

Tracklist

No. Title Length
1. "High for This"   4:09
2. "What You Need"   3:26
3. "House of Balloons"/"Glass Table Girls"   6:47
4. "The Morning"   5:14
5. "Wicked Games"   5:25
6. "The Party & The After Party"   7:40
7. "Coming Down"   4:55
8. "Loft Music"   6:03
9. "The Knowing"   5:57
Total length:
 49:34

Samples

References

  1. ^ "CoS review". http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/04/album-review-the-weeknd-house-of-balloons/. 
  2. ^ "Pitchfork review". http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15264-house-of-balloons/. 
  3. ^ "Rolling Stone review". http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/house-of-balloons-20110405. 
  4. ^ "Sputnik review". http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/42593/The-Weeknd-House-Of-Balloons/. 
  5. ^ "The Tune review". http://www.thetunemusic.com/2011/03/album-survey-wiz-khalifa-emery-mountain.html. 
  6. ^ Neyland, Nick."The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons". Pitchfork. 2011-03-28. "So here on the title track from that mixtape, we get a more-than-generous portion of Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 single "Happy House", which is worked into a softly anthemic slow-burn number full of diva-ish vocals tied to a chilly beat. John McGeoch's riff remains untouched and runs throughout most of the track, giving it a filmy pop feel that periodically peaks with a generous swipe from the "Happy House" chorus."
  7. ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15264-house-of-balloons/
  8. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/music/house-of-balloons
  9. ^ "2011 Polaris Music Prize Long List announced". aux.tv, June 16, 2011.
  10. ^ http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/the-25-best-albums-of-2011#26
The Weeknd
Mixtapes
House of Balloons · Thursday · Echoes of Silence
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