Echoes of Silence is the third mixtape by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, released on December 21, 2011, by XO.[2] Like his debut mixtape House of Balloons and his second mixtape Thursday, the Weeknd collaborated with musician Illangelo; who produced the majority of the project.[3] The project also featured first-time collaborations with producers Clams Casino and DropXLife and a spoken-word interlude from rapper Juicy J.[4] Lyrically, Echoes of Silence contains similar themes to the Weeknd's previous projects, exploring his drug use and experiences with love. The project was preceded by the release of the promotional single "Initiation" on October 10, 2011.[5]
| Echoes of Silence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by | ||||
| Released | December 21, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:45 | |||
| Language |
| |||
| Label | XO | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| The Weeknd chronology | ||||
| ||||
An alternative R&B and ambient pop project with elements of post-punk and trip hop,[6] Echoes of Silence received widespread critical acclaim. It was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize, marking the Weeknd's second consecutive nomination for the award.[7] Echoes of Silence was later commercially released as part of the compilation album Trilogy (2012) and included the bonus track "Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)". On its tenth anniversary, the original mixes were released alongside a limited edition line of merchandise designed by illustrator Hajime Sorayama.[8] A music video for the title track directed by the aforementioned illustrator was released on December 21, 2021.[9]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10[10] |
| Metacritic | 82/100[11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[13] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [14] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[15] |
| The Guardian | [16] |
| Now | [17] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[18] |
| Rolling Stone | [19] |
| Slant Magazine | [20] |
| Spin | 8/10[21] |
Echoes of Silence received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the mixtape received an average score of 82, based on 17 reviews.[11] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said "it's Tesfaye's total commitment to his ghastly persona that makes Echoes Of Silence so entrancingly chilling."[13] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune said, "It's an impressive consolidation of his strengths, tightening up his songwriting and sharpening his often disturbing wordplay."[14] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly wrote "Tesfaye's velvety melodies infuse his trippy minimalism like incense smoke, getting lost only on the too-woozy title track."[15] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said "the dragging beats, washes of synthesizer and eclectic musical references – chillwave and crunk hip-hop, Aaliyah and France Gall – somehow contrive to sound not just eerie and desolate but cosseting as well, inexorably drawing the listener into a deeply troubling world."[16]
Benjamin Boles of Now said "the mood is still dark, druggy and claustrophobic, but this time Tesfaye is channeling a pain that's less about cold emptiness than it is about more traditional heartbreak and longing."[17] Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork called Echoes of Silence "a strong finish to Tesfaye's first trilogy, providing just enough closure to satisfy, and just enough mystery left to entice us back for the next round."[18] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone wrote "the Weeknd has helped make R&B a creepier place, crooning too-honest come-ons over cavernous, ballad-slow tracks that balance leering sensuality with vague menace."[19] In a mixed review, Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine said "disappointing as Echoes of Silence may be as a collection of songs, it nonetheless serves its purpose in giving the Weeknd's triptych a suitably grim finale."[20] Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "Echoes is a profound listen that, despite its veneer of cynicism, oozes pain and crisis."[21]
Track listing
editAll tracks produced by Illangelo, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "D.D." | Michael Jackson | 4:35 | |
| 2. | "Montreal" | 4:10 | ||
| 3. | "Outside" |
| 4:20 | |
| 4. | "XO / The Host" |
| 7:23 | |
| 5. | "Initiation" |
|
| 4:20 |
| 6. | "Same Old Song" (featuring Juicy J) |
| 5:12 | |
| 7. | "The Fall" |
|
| 5:45 |
| 8. | "Next" |
| 6:00 | |
| 9. | "Echoes of Silence" |
| 4:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)" |
| 5:19 |
Sample credits
edit- "D.D." is a cover of "Dirty Diana", originally performed by Michael Jackson.
- "Montreal" contains elements of "Laisse tomber les filles" ('Let the Girls Go'), performed by France Gall.
- "Outside" contains elements of "Go Outside", performed by Cults.
- "Initiation" contains a sample of "Patience", performed by Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[22] | 18 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[23] | 8 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Edition | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | December 21, 2011 | 9-track free of charge | XO | |
| August 28, 2015 | 10-track remastered and remixed |
| ||
| February 1, 2016 | Cassette | |||
| December 21, 2021 |
|
Original 9-track | ||
| July 1, 2022 | LP | Original 9-track with alternative cover | ||
| Original 9-track |
References
edit- ^ "Album Review: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence". Consequence. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "The Weeknd". Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ "The Weeknd – 'Echoes of Silence' Mixtape – TheNext2Shine.com – New R&B Music Video, R&B Soul News Interview, Emerging Undiscovered Unsigned Talent". next2shine. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ "Drizzy on Twitter: "@theweekndxo Trilogy complete."". Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ ""Initiation" by The Weeknd Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ "Album Review: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence". Consequence. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
- ^ "The Weeknd shares new "Echoes of Silence" video". The FADER. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (December 21, 2021). "The Weeknd Drops 'Echoes of Silence' Video to Celebrate Mixtape's 10th Anniversary: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Echoes Of Silence by The Weeknd reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Echoes of Silence by The Weeknd". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ "Echoes of Silence – The Weeknd". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Rytlewski, Evan (January 12, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes Of Silence". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- ^ a b Kot, Greg (January 10, 2012). "Album review: The Weeknd, 'Echoes of Silence'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Anderson, Kyle (January 10, 2012). "Echoes of Silence". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (January 12, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Boles, Benjamin (January 5, 2012). "The Weeknd's Echoes Of Silence". Now. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Ryce, Andrew (January 3, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Dolan, Jon (January 4, 2012). "Echoes of Silence". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Cole, Matthew (January 7, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Soderberg, Brandon (December 22, 2011). "The Weeknd, 'Echoes of Silence' (Self-released)". Spin. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "The Weeknd Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2022.