Damn, I didn't think R&B associated with anything popular could be mature and innovative. The Weeknd shatters that perception. This trio, consisting of Toronto singer Abel Tesfaye and producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo, have teamed up with Drake and allegedly his producer Noah Shebib, although those rumors have reportedly been claimed false. Regardless of with whom they've worked, The Weeknd has pumped out what I like to coin a "transition album" for R&B. In other words, it contains all the regular characteristics of R&B, but adds new elements that I believe benefit the genre in a way that every artist should start using and building on them in hopes of contributing to the evolution of the genre. Stagnancy is boring.
House Of Balloons is jam-packed with soul, free-flowing, and eclectic-sounding, but it's remarkably different from other modern R&B releases. There are noises used in the beats which would make even R. Kelly shiver in fear. This is most apparent in What You Need and House Of Balloons - Glass Table Girls, which exude dark auras with interesting cavalcades of backdrop samples that are almost impossible to identify. This occurs throughout the album and although it may be foreign, it works wonderfully. Overall, this album is one you need to buy.
Verdict: 4.6/5. Favorite tracks: High For This, What You Need, House Of Balloons - Glass Table Girls, Wicked Games, The Party & The After Party, and The Knowing.
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