House of Balloons
by The Weeknd
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 442 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 409 out of 442
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 442
  3. Negative: 18 out of 442

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  1. All_ButTrU4
    Aug 24, 2022
    7
    Undoubtedly the Weeknd's best. Released for free by a then unknown Abel Tesfaye "house of baloons " captivated a sense 9f mystery that made the music richer sokehow. The music itself was astounding dark ,dare i say indie rnb. It set a standard for mislxtapes and aobums in general higlights: what you need,house of balloons &wicked games
  2. clem666
    Mar 25, 2021
    6
    The first studio album from The Weeknd who surprises everyone with his incredible tone, lyrics and rhythms. The production is terrific, beats are sometimes soft, sometimes raw but always full of energy and deep matter.

    His voice (that I can't honestly stand in his last records) is here really pleasant, agreable and changing. Despite the autotune he clearly makes some effort to not give    The first studio album from The Weeknd who surprises everyone with his incredible tone, lyrics and rhythms. The production is terrific, beats are sometimes soft, sometimes raw but always full of energy and deep matter.

    His voice (that I can't honestly stand in his last records) is here really pleasant, agreable and changing. Despite the autotune he clearly makes some effort to not give the same work on every song. All along the project there is a powerful flow crafted with The Weeknd's voice and his beats who can't stop complement each other. Anyway I surprised myself to look forward to the end at some point.

    This project is wonderful by the never-ending purity and comlexity oozing out of it. It is catchy, questionning, dancy and rarely overloaded. The artist also demonstrates his interesting ability to keep silent to let the instruments do their job. His stories about women are quite awkward and questionnable at some point though. The artist surprisingly managed to fuse poetry and usual daily thoughts, for the best and the worst and with the omnipresent risk to appear as a one-dimensioned and shallow guy.    … Expand
  3. axelkoch
    Jan 20, 2013
    9
    Abel Tesfaye deserves to be on top of Billboard! On his first mixtape he serves us 9 tracks full with smart lyrics about drugs, sex and love and his celestial voice that impresses me everytime I hear it. It's mainly music for young people but in this sad and partly melancholic way, you don't see often. This mixtape is an artwork and one of my favorites of 2011.
  4. fifi3
    Jul 28, 2019
    8
    A wild, innovative, daring, ambitious and brutally honest mixtape. This is a truly magnificent, creative piece of art that is driven by Weeknd's terrific lyrics, vocals and innovation. A classic in modern day R&B.
  5. RonaldOVOXO
    Jan 10, 2012
    9
    This album was classic great lyrics and great content when i heard about The Weeknd I thought he was bad but i was wrong he's the next big thing in R&B and music in general pay attention to him
  6. Hendo250
    Apr 10, 2021
    9
    this album is a 9 this album is a 9 this album is a 9 this album is a 9 this album is a 9
  7. hydrawithears
    Oct 2, 2011
    6
    The Weekndâ
  8. Mesmerize
    Aug 9, 2016
    8
    8.5 eight point five
    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  9. chidime
    Nov 6, 2017
    10
    The encapsulation of a perfect album. The album tells a story, albeit a very dark one. He's a man, he loves his drugs, he loves his women, and he loves it when the two mix. That creates many interesting scenarios for the songs in this album. The best album by the Weeknd and might be that way for some time, though Echoes of Silence comes close.

    BEST: The Morning, High for This, House of    The encapsulation of a perfect album. The album tells a story, albeit a very dark one. He's a man, he loves his drugs, he loves his women, and he loves it when the two mix. That creates many interesting scenarios for the songs in this album. The best album by the Weeknd and might be that way for some time, though Echoes of Silence comes close.

    BEST: The Morning, High for This, House of Balloons/Glass table Girls, THE KNOWING!!    … Expand
  10. MooziikMaster
    May 8, 2011
    5
    I expected a lot more from this album. I got such great critic reviews. Now I wonder if they were listening to the album with the speakers turned off or someone with a gun to their head forcing them to write a great review. Sure, maybe some people like songs all about sex, drugs, and violence, but it gets boring after a while. I actually thought that the singer was a woman at first. ThereI expected a lot more from this album. I got such great critic reviews. Now I wonder if they were listening to the album with the speakers turned off or someone with a gun to their head forcing them to write a great review. Sure, maybe some people like songs all about sex, drugs, and violence, but it gets boring after a while. I actually thought that the singer was a woman at first. There is something off with that. The only song worth listening to is the first track "High For This". Other than that, don't bother with it.… Expand
  11. hornysoul
    Sep 30, 2018
    9
    The Weeknd esforçou-se no álbum "House Of Ballons" e conseguiu fazer um bom trabalho. Com letras que não se afastam do tema do sexo e das drogas, vocais doloridos e sonoridades sombrias, este álbum só agrada a quem compreende a visão estética do cantor. Uma ótima estreia para o mundo R&B!
  12. EVERLEDIS
    Apr 17, 2021
    10
    *Before the song:*

    *( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)*

    *After the song:*

    *( ͡⊙ ͜ʖ ͡⊙)*
    *Before the song:*

    *( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)*

    *After the song:*

    *( ͡⊙ ͜ʖ ͡⊙)*
  13. iamtrent424
    Nov 27, 2011
    9
    This mixtape is really good. The Weeknd is the next big R&B star. This is the best mixtape this year. If he made this an album it would hav been one of the best album. This is a free download it worth downloading. You have nothing to lose.
  14. Shaymooose
    Aug 17, 2019
    6
    Wicked Games still his best song.

    Best Tracks:Wicked Games,High for This,The Morning,The Knowing
    Worst Tracks:What You Need,Coming Down
  15. Mobina1
    Mar 21, 2021
    8
    I listened to this again today as the official release of it on streaming platforms. I loved it. It's literally his best mix tape and his debut single (What You Need) is one of my all time faves from him.
  16. MorriBey
    Jul 19, 2011
    10
    This album is. Amazing. I actually deleted ( available free ) but i had a separate copy which i started listening to again. Never has an album taken so long to get into but now its in my Top 10 along with Destroyer, Antlers, Whomadewho, Wild Beasts etc for 2011. Get into it. You won't regret it.
  17. itz_giological
    Jul 8, 2011
    9
    Though left-field experiments are evident, The Weeknd reaches a certain degree of commercial goodness in the likes of a Ne-Yo album. This is refereshing R&B that never denied its sound, unlike modern R&B artists that mash up with dance and pop. Definitely a must-hear.
  18. daytonatabooywr
    May 17, 2023
    9
    high for this is one of the greatest intro tracks of all time only bested by dark fantasy and ta13oo
  19. simonsays
    Oct 29, 2013
    5
    The production on each track is pretty good in a vacuum, but that's because they all sound the same in my opinion. To me this album sounds like one really long song that just drags on forever. The beats have to change up at SOME POINT, right? I find this kind of boring. A few great moments in the album, but the only time I listen to any track except Wicked Games and maybe The Party & TheThe production on each track is pretty good in a vacuum, but that's because they all sound the same in my opinion. To me this album sounds like one really long song that just drags on forever. The beats have to change up at SOME POINT, right? I find this kind of boring. A few great moments in the album, but the only time I listen to any track except Wicked Games and maybe The Party & The After Party is when I'm taking a midday nap..not even joking… Expand
  20. Boosemo12
    Jun 6, 2011
    5
    I just didn't get the hype. I agree with Stuie, musically it's a little above average and lyrically it's sub-par. I downloaded it for free off of their website, and I got what I paid for.
  21. muzziklover
    Sep 28, 2011
    9
    This mixtape/album is really damn good. Vocals and lyrics are emotive and thought provoking and the production hits between the lines of a commercial R&B sound and an ambient electronica feel. Oh, and it is also free to download. One of the best albums I've heard this year. And it's free.
  22. comebackkid12
    Dec 8, 2014
    8
    Haunting and chilling would be the first two things that come to mind for The Weeknd's first piece of work, the mixtape "House of Balloons." This absolutely does not mean this is a pass-over of an album; it actually means the complete opposite. Not since "So Far Gone" from Drake in 2009 have I heard a mixtape this moody and atmospheric, yet this record is far different from Drake'sHaunting and chilling would be the first two things that come to mind for The Weeknd's first piece of work, the mixtape "House of Balloons." This absolutely does not mean this is a pass-over of an album; it actually means the complete opposite. Not since "So Far Gone" from Drake in 2009 have I heard a mixtape this moody and atmospheric, yet this record is far different from Drake's break-out piece in that it is much darker, sadistic, and brooding than that. Morbid, lush, and gorgeous production gives a drug-induced background to Mr. Tesfaye's voice, and provides a palette that we've yet to hear. Drugs and sex are everywhere in this tape that sounds exactly like a indulgent, cocaine-filled house party, and it's all The Weeknd knows, yet he does it so well, commanding the mood for the entire nine songs. Tracks that standout would have to be the title track that shifts tone midway through, "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls," the professing "Wicked Games," and the hypnotic "Loft Music."… Expand
  23. SugarVenomOhyea
    Dec 22, 2012
    10
    This album is beast. It is full to the brim with sex music that will make your ears orgasm to the point of feeling drunk or high. The Weeknd and his sweet falsetto is a breakthrough for new original artists like him and his music is explored but lies unexplored, which brings new listeners hope for Fresh, new music.
  24. Jackson889
    Sep 3, 2022
    7
    Sounds like a somewhat good pop hip hop album. Overall its one of his most well rounded albums.
  25. cmcdonald5
    May 24, 2011
    10
    Outstanding, original R&B. It's dark, a little jaded, sexy as hell, and brutally, in-your-face honest. I can't imagine another album trumping this one for best of the year for me personally. I can't stop listening to it and it gives me goosebumps every single time. These tunes are stuck in my head all day, and playing in my car or on my computer constantly, and it just never gets old.Outstanding, original R&B. It's dark, a little jaded, sexy as hell, and brutally, in-your-face honest. I can't imagine another album trumping this one for best of the year for me personally. I can't stop listening to it and it gives me goosebumps every single time. These tunes are stuck in my head all day, and playing in my car or on my computer constantly, and it just never gets old. Can't wait to hear some new material… Expand
  26. bl_nk
    Jul 9, 2011
    8
    It's a bit of a grower. Lyrically, the album doesn't stray much from themes of sex and drugs. Rather than seeming boastful, the pained vocals and dark instrumentals lends these themes a hollow feeling. Early standouts include "Glass Table Girls," "Loft Music," and "What You Need." Overall, the album definitely isn't perfect. Some of the tracks are forgettable, and the singer's deliveryIt's a bit of a grower. Lyrically, the album doesn't stray much from themes of sex and drugs. Rather than seeming boastful, the pained vocals and dark instrumentals lends these themes a hollow feeling. Early standouts include "Glass Table Girls," "Loft Music," and "What You Need." Overall, the album definitely isn't perfect. Some of the tracks are forgettable, and the singer's delivery rarely seems to vary throughout the album. Still, worth checking out.… Expand
  27. maxjtotsky
    Jan 20, 2012
    9
    'House Of Balloons' is likely to be the darkest R&B record you will ever have the pleasure of stumbling across. Covered in a layer of mystery, The Weeknd is unsigned and no one knew what it was at the time of release. All they could do is appreciate their tales of kinky sex and unusual choice of samples (Beach House, Siouxsie & The Banshees). At first Abel Tesfaye's voice can be mistaken'House Of Balloons' is likely to be the darkest R&B record you will ever have the pleasure of stumbling across. Covered in a layer of mystery, The Weeknd is unsigned and no one knew what it was at the time of release. All they could do is appreciate their tales of kinky sex and unusual choice of samples (Beach House, Siouxsie & The Banshees). At first Abel Tesfaye's voice can be mistaken for commercial R&B but when you look at how strange and eerie 'Glass Table Girls' is or how deliciously original 'The Morning' is, it is clear that you are in for something that has never been done before. The Weeknd completely redefine soul music with a record that is impossible to pull yourself away from.… Expand
  28. DeusExMachina7
    Feb 24, 2013
    10
    Pretty much the most refreshing listen I've had in a long time. Any occasion is a fine occasion to play this record. These songs are never out of place. Instant classic.
  29. Unbiasedforreal
    Mar 25, 2017
    3
    One of the big reasons why I personally don't like this album is simply because of The Weeknd's lack of adequate lyricism and single dimension instrumentals. The Weeknd's lyrics usually revolve around living a reckless lifestyle (filled to the brim with sex, drugs, alcohol and non-stop parties) and being better than his peers. Themes evident on this record and even in his entireOne of the big reasons why I personally don't like this album is simply because of The Weeknd's lack of adequate lyricism and single dimension instrumentals. The Weeknd's lyrics usually revolve around living a reckless lifestyle (filled to the brim with sex, drugs, alcohol and non-stop parties) and being better than his peers. Themes evident on this record and even in his entire discography. Though his abilities as a producer are undeniable, there is not really moment on this record that made me go, 'wow' or that I thought was innovative. The similarities in his songs also become more evident as the album progresses. One of the most redeeming factors of his album is the features, but even there is some lost potential. I feel as though every time you think the Weeknd did something great, he ends doing the same stuff, just with better quality. At least his has a good singing voice, but it's unfortunately not used creatively or to it's full potential. Rather listen to this without being too critical.… Expand
  30. Sweethour22
    Oct 30, 2021
    10
    the growth in his music is amazing, and in this album he shows it again, the transitions that he makes when advancing each song is incredible, very well thought out of all those who put effort into this amazing album
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2011
15
#15 Most Discussed Album of 2011
15
#15 Most Shared Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. AllMusic
    Dec 21, 2011
    70
    It's no turning point in a field populated by dozens of elder space cadets and mood architects, from Massive Attack to Spacek to Sa-Ra. As a flawed first step from a young newcomer, however, it's impressive.
    Read full review
  2. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Sep 13, 2011
    80
    While overall House of Balloons carries a chilling vibe, it proceeds to rock the listener with exciting tempos and relaxing melodies that intertwine to form a beautiful piece of art.
    Read full review
  3. Drowned In Sound
    Aug 3, 2011
    80
    For what The Weeknd have produced, regardless of what genre it is or isn't, is a very good record.
    Read full review
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