House of Balloons is the debut mixtape of Canadian artist, The Weeknd

The Weeknd

Abel Tesfaye , better known by his stage name The Weeknd is an Ethiopian Canadian singer. Songs recorded under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.The Weeknd released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on...

, released online for free in March 2011. Production was headed up by Canadian producers Doc McKinney

Doc McKinney

Martin "Doc" McKinney is a Canadian born, US raised Record Producer, Songwriter. Professionally referred to as Doc, McKinney was formerly one half of the former duet Esthero, alongside Jenny Bea Englishman...

, Zodiac, Illangelo. House of Balloons blends a range of electronic and urban genres including R&B

Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...

 and Soul

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

. The title track is based on the music of the hit single "Happy House

Happy House

"Happy House" is a song recorded by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was written by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and it was released as the first single from the band's third album Kaleidoscope....

" by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

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

The Weeknd

Abel Tesfaye , better known by his stage name The Weeknd is an Ethiopian Canadian singer. Songs recorded under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.The Weeknd released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on...

 was kept secret from the public which attracted significant interest. House of Balloons received the coveted 'Best New Music' title at Pitchfork.com

Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

. Metacritic

Metacritic

Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, which assigns a normalised rating based on reviews by industry professionals and fans, gave House of Balloons a rating of 88 indicating 'Universal Acclaim', also making it the third highest scoring R&B release ever.

The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize

2011 Polaris Music Prize

The 2011 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2011. The winner was Arcade Fire, for the album The Suburbs.For the 2011 award, the prize was increased to $30,000 for the winning musician.-Shortlist:...

. It was later announced as a shortlisted nominee.

In June 2011, Complex called it the "best album of 2011 so far".

The song "High for This" was used in a teaser trailer for season eight of Entourage

Entourage (TV series)

Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...

.

Tracklist

Samples

• "What You Need" contains excerpts of "Rock The Boat
  Rock the Boat
  Rock the Boat can refer to:*"Rock the Boat" , a 1974 number-one single by Hues Corporation*"Rock the Boat" , a 2001 single by Aaliyah...
  
  " by Aaliyah
  Aaliyah
  Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
  
  .
• "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls" samples "Happy House
  Happy House
  "Happy House" is a song recorded by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was written by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and it was released as the first single from the band's third album Kaleidoscope....
  
  " by Siouxsie and the Banshees.
• "The Party & The After Party" samples "Master of None" by Beach House
  Beach House
  Beach House is a dream pop duo formed in 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, consisting of French-born Victoria Legrand and Baltimore native Alex Scally. Their self-titled debut, Beach House, released in 2006, was critically acclaimed. This was followed by their second release, Devotion, in 2008...
  
  .
• "Loft Music" samples "Gila" by Beach House
  Beach House
  Beach House is a dream pop duo formed in 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, consisting of French-born Victoria Legrand and Baltimore native Alex Scally. Their self-titled debut, Beach House, released in 2006, was critically acclaimed. This was followed by their second release, Devotion, in 2008...
  
  .
• "The Knowing" samples "Cherry Coloured Funk" by Cocteau Twins
  Cocteau Twins
  Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
  
  .