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How The Weeknd’s "House Of Balloons" Changed Mainstream Music

It's time to give The Weeknd his flowers.

Sammari Meeks

Mar 21, 2021

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

243

How The Weeknd’s "House Of Balloons" Changed Mainstream Music

https://twitter.com/NewsWeeknd/status/1373427792906436617/photo/1

Today marks the ten year anniversary of The Weeknd's influential mixtape House of Balloons. To celebrate, The Weeknd has released its original version, meaning all the original samples and mixes are finally available. What makes House of Balloons so remarkable is The Weeknd's unique ability to sing about the pain of parties and drugs in a way that glorifies and warns us of that lifestyle at the same time. Songs that came from this mixtape that helped to put The Weeknd on the map are "Wicked Games", "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls", and "Loft Music". Although The Weeknd released this album without promotion-- no interviews and no pictures of himself-- he solidified his place in R&B. Let's examine how House of Balloons impacted other artists in the genre.

The anonymity of other R&B artists

The Weeknd released House of Balloons completely anonymously. No one knew his face, but all his listeners knew his voice. His anonymity only served to make his image (or lack thereof) more alluring. The Weeknd paved the way for artists like H.E.R. to release music without showing their faces.

Subject matter of popular music

What was your favorite song from 2011? "What's My Name" by Rihanna? Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor"? "Glad You Came" by The Wanted? Music in the early 2010's was upbeat and celebratory, flaunting EDM beats and the joys of clubbing. The Weeknd sang about parties too, but in a totally different light. After House of Balloons dropped, we saw an immediate shift in the content of mainstream R&B music. We saw many artists mimic the way The Weeknd made agony sound enticing.

Alternative r&b shot into the mainstream

It's hard to say the experimental projects of artists like Bryson Tiller, Tinashe, or Partynextdoor would have their success without The Weeknd bringing alternative R&B into the mainstream.

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How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

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Recommended for you

How The Weeknd’s "House Of Balloons" Changed Mainstream Music

It's time to give The Weeknd his flowers.

The anonymity of other R&B artists

Subject matter of popular music

Alternative r&b shot into the mainstream

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10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

Money

Socks

Blankets

Gift Cards

Hoodies and Sweatpants

Pajamas

Candles

A Fish

CDs

Movie Tickets

Candy

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