Trilogy: The Mixtapes That Started It All

A review of the Weeknd’s first major label debut, “Trilogy,” which is composed of three mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence.

By Cecilla Rodriguez

The Weeknd, also known as Abel Tesfaye, is a very prominent musical figure in today’s time. With most of his famous songs being on the albums Starboy and After Hours, it’s easy for his old music to be overshadowed.

Besides Kissland, Trilogy is the Weeknd’s least listened to mix tape. Trilogy is composed of three mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. They were all released separately in 2011, and the remastered version was released on November 13, 2012, through XO and Republic Records. 

Through these songs, Tesfaye expresses all his emotions and shows the listener his dark mindset during this time period.

“The Party & The After Party” is by far one of his best songs on House of Balloons. Its catchy chorus makes it impossible to dislike. He sampled it from Beach House’s “Master Of None.“

“Messin’ up your carpet, I’ll get on it after four more sessions of the strong on your floor.” This lyric shows the listener how it’s like to live in a constant partying life, with no regards to the real world. 

He got inspired from his actual life in 2011, demonstrating the high’s and low’s that comes with the hedonistic lifestyle he was living in. 

The beginning portion in the “The Party & The After Party” signifies the party, where all the immoral and nefarious acts occur, causing his life to fall even deeper into his dark headspace. 

 “Hold your drink, baby, don’t you fall, be there in a minute, baby, just one call.”

The “after party” mentioned is the aftermath of the party, where he soon realizes he has to face his consequences. The difference of music when he changes from the party to the after party is drastic, expressing how different these two aspects of the partying life is. 

The “fun” and then the inevitable downfall that ensues. You can almost feel how helpless he is—trapped in the addicting life of drugs, lust, and ecstasy.

“Lonely Star” is a masterpiece of a song on Thursday. The name Thursday references the girl mentioned in “Lonely Star,” who only belongs to Abel on Thursdays.

The “star” mentioned is the girl, and the “lonely’ part signifies how Abel might be there for her on Thursday’s, but deep down they both know that what they are involved in isn’t true love, but merely a way to cover up the desolation they both feel.

It starts off with a voice talking about how they hope their relationship won’t be regretted by their partner. The whole song expresses how he’s associated with a woman who has been through a lot of pain and regret. 

He also adds that this mysterious woman blames all of her sins on her best friends, referencing her pain and regret. “It seems like pain and regret are your best friends, cause everything you do leads to them.”

Tesfaye is clearly obsessed with this woman and is willing to give her everything she wants. He offers her fame and other materialistic possessions, but he is unable or willing to give her genuine love.

“Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun),” which is on Echoes of Silence, is my personal favorite song from him . He talks about how he is involved with a woman in a relationship where she is not content. He feels like she’s constantly going between him and her boyfriend.

He repeatedly explains how he and the unnamed woman are in a toxic cycle. When she separates from her boyfriend and goes back to Tesfaye, he feels as if she’s embarrassed to be with him.

“You wash your neck when you leave, now I know your routine, I was in love with your mystery. Now I just take what I can get from you, I’m not embarrassed to be what you want me to be.”

Every time she comes back, he has the slight hope that maybe she’ll stay and won’t return back to the despair that, presumably, her boyfriend puts her through. But the same thing happens over and over again– she returns back to her boyfriend and only comes back to Tesfaye to afterwards regret being with him.

“You’re gonna hate him, then you’ll want me. Then you’ll miss him, then you’ll hate me. Girl, I know you so well.”

If you’re a music enthusiast looking for more music, Trilogy would be a great addition to your playlist since it’s a classic from the world’s most famous artist as of right now. The entirety of it is a gem that deserves to be appreciated for the masterpiece that it is. Its unique backstory and take on R&B is truly an unforgettable one.

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