Ten years ago, The Weeknd emerged from the shadows of Toronto, protecting his anonymity with the release of his debut mixtape House Of Balloons. The body of work contained songs that went on to jumpstart the superstar career of the formerly-homeless artist, including “High For This”, “Wicked Games”, and more.
Since then, The Weeknd has become a household name, performing for millions at home at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime show and spending an entire year in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 with “Blinding Lights”, one of the biggest hits of the century. With the 10-year anniversary of House Of Balloons approaching in a few days, Abel Tesfaye has announced that he will re-release his debut mixtape on all digital streaming platforms, bundling the project with 1,000 limited-edition vinyls and exclusive merchandise.
The album artwork has been reimagined by artist Daniel Arsham, who said the following: “The summer of 2011 will always be marked by House of Balloons. Like a time travel device, the album transports me back to that specific moment in time every time I listen. It is a great privilege to work with The Weeknd and the XO Team to reimagine the iconic album art of House of Balloons as an eroded sculpture for the ten year anniversary. Alongside the transparent vinyl and eroded album artwork – we also worked on a collection of merchandise including a Varsity Jacket, blending my own aesthetic with that of The Weeknd’s.”
The re-release will include all original samples and mixes. It will be presented in its original incarnation, marking the first time it will ever be available on Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, and other DSPs.
Karl Walter/Getty Images
The mixtape will be re-released on Sunday, March 21. What’s your favorite song from House Of Balloons?