The Weeknd’s debut mixtape, House of Balloons, made a massive impact upon arrival in 2011. As mystery swirled around the R&B star’s identity and his connection to Drake, the music set the stage for not only The Weeknd’s rise but an entire movement in the sound of R&B.
He reflected on this influence in a new interview with Variety. “House of Balloons literally changed the sound of pop music before my eyes,” he said. “I heard ‘Climax,’ that [2012] Usher song, and was like, ‘Holy f*ck, that’s a Weeknd song.’ It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry.
But the older I got, I realized it’s a good thing.” “Climax” dropped in 2012 and served as the lead single for Usher’s seventh album, Looking 4 Myself.
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