House of Balloons - The Weeknd
House of Balloons Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 107 Ratings

  • Summary: The mixtape by Canadian artist Abel Tesfaye was released as a free download.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. May 10, 2011
    90
    Here, the Weeknd thumbs its nose at mainstream R&B's hollow hedonism while simultaneously creating a flawless soundtrack to a blackout house party. What you should do with the track, ultimately, is press play.
  2. Jun 13, 2011
    90
    When it's all said and done, Tesfaye has presided over a mind bending, drug induced tour through an underground world of debauchery that only leaves him hollow. He commands the mood better than artists who have been in the game for years and yet this his first release.
  3. Apr 20, 2011
    89
    House of Balloons is a surprisingly strong and confident debut for a new artist.
  4. 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.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 34
  2. Negative: 1 out of 34
  1. I've honestly never discovered an artist like the Weeknd. It's not just about his voice or the beats: He's really telling stories. The stories mostly revolve around this upcoming, young artist who's thrusted into the spotlight and his experiences. I think older, mature people can have an easier time staying grounded. The Weeknd makes mistakes and sings them for all to hear. R&B has a place in the future, thought hear the Weeknd's style is PBR&B or Alternative R&B.

    Long story short, this is one of the best albums of 2011-present (whatever date you are reading this). I know I didn't say much about the album, but the mix-tapes free on the Weeknd's site. All you need to know it that 81 people can't be wrong.
    Expand
  2. 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 delivery rarely seems to vary throughout the album. Still, worth checking out. Expand
  3. The Weekndâ
  4. 1
    I gave this album a 1 instead of a 0, because, while it is utter trash, it does have slightly better instrumentation then more mainstream R&B releases. However it still has negatives like those awful drum machines beats. I simply cannot stand the R&B Style vocals. Every time I hear them I immediately think of mainstream stuff weather its a fair comparison or not. However the worst part of this album is the lyrics. Even if it was a concept album you can pretty much forget all of that, because the guys behind The weekend just seem to be genuinely terrible lyricists. To top it all off I had to constantly keep reminding myself that I wasn't listening to the radio. Its almost as if The Weekend released this album with the soul intent of being picked up by some major label. It just sounds like the average money grabber of a song they usually produce. Collapse

See all 34 User Reviews

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