Long before he would tell the Grammys to suck his d*ck, in the most politically correct way possible, The Weeknd was just an enigmatic figure from Toronto who took the internet by storm with House Of Balloons, his debut mixtape that was later repackaged as part of Trilogy. Today marks the 10-year anniversary of his groundbreaking project that shifted the sound of R&B and pop music entirely moving forward.
The enigmatic presence of the Toronto crooner only enhanced the lush sounds of R&B blended with electro-pop and other genres that made House Of Balloons so addicting in the first place. “What You Need” transforms a vocal sample from Aaliyah’s “Rock The Boat” into a seductive, pitched-up intro, leading the way into The Weeknd’s hypnotic, drug-inducing performance.
For more on the impact of the Toronto singer’s debut, read, “How The Weeknd Changed RnB & Pop Culture With House Of Balloons.”
Quotable Lyrics
And I’ma love you girl, the way you need
Ain’t no one gon’ stop us, ain’t no one gon’ stop us
And I’m gon’ give you girl, what you fiend
I’m the drug in your vein, just fight through the pain