Abel Tesfaye’s journey from a drug-riddled R&B artist to performing in front of avid NFL fans at the Super Bowl and crowds as large as 160,000 at London Stadium is nothing short of incredible. Some chart the Weeknd as the most influential and popular pop star of this generation after bountiful amounts of controversial hits in his older music. Something about that older and edgier version of The Weeknd created a space in music that I don’t think will ever be recreated.

In 2011, when House of Balloons was released, many were unsure who The Weeknd exactly was. This was due to the artist’s mysterious persona and his name representing something other than a full name, similar to Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala. The Weeknd’s mystique seemed necessary to the character he played, with his portrayal being difficult to swallow with his crude subject matter. House of Balloons was fans’ first look at the endless transparency that was this character, with his steady hostility making him feel unpredictable.

Let’s jump into what makes The Weeknd’s first mixtape one of the most influential R&B records of this time.

Starting with track one “High For This,” Abel gives us no time to ease into the record. The eerie beginning gives the track suspense until the drums break into the atmosphere, giving the mixtape a firm pace. “High For This” is an intro to not only this mixtape, but the start of the character as a whole, by the end of the track we understand who the character is, what he wants, and what he’s willing to do to get it.

The next track, “What You Need,” automatically contradicts “High For This” by starting with a relaxed sound rather than a bombastic one, along with a quicker start time. The Weeknd has now convinced the person from track one that he will give her love, affection, and completion in her life, creating a dependency on him, so now it’s not about getting what this girl needs, but what Abel wants.

My favorite piece of the mixtape is “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls.” The “House of Balloons” half of this two-parter brings an absent vibrance to the tape, with it taking place at another party, and this is the first glimpse we see of those affected by what The Weeknd’s done wanting to leave and escape his manipulation, but Abel brings them back in with the chorus, stating “this is a happy house, we’re happy here.” Abel also repeats the word “fun,” which is symbolic of a panic attack or an emotional breakdown at what the possibility of him being alone could be. This panic causes him to become even more careless for others, caring only about himself and how he feels, and that is further explained in the dreary “Glass Table Girls.” 

I didn’t just cover this mixtape for the sole reason of it having amazing tracks with amazing production, but the overall trust in himself as an artist to be this bold and shocking as an underground and unknown artist, to be this upfront with how horrible of a person this character is. Abel does this with a purpose as he is completely aware of how ill-considered he sounds on the record and once the Weeknd character is understood, we can see the biggest point that he is trying to make.

“I’m a chill person, you know? That guy is who I am to myself. Sometimes you take him and it becomes more until it becomes this beast, and then you add more until it’s uncontrollable. It’s like Scarface, it’s horrible but you can’t stop looking at it,” stated Tesfaye in a one-on-one interview after the release of this tape.

“House of Balloons” is an unspoken commentary, unspoken because Abel makes his points without directly addressing them, and a commentary because it speaks on the over-glorified value of sex and drugs and how they tend to lead to misery, instead of euphoria, which mainstream musicians seem to leave out when discussed in their music.

These vices seem to cover up an artist’s flaws or struggles and The Weeknd seems to be an example of just how scary falling into this trap is. While it is very specific to Abel’s original persona, it also feels like it can apply to any of the artists who falsely represent the materialistic infatuation.