Echoes of Silence

Echoes of Silence
Mixtape by
the Weeknd
ReleasedDecember 21, 2011 (2011-12-21)
Recorded2011
Genre
Length45:45
Language
  • English
  • French
LabelXO
Producer
The Weeknd chronology
Thursday
(2011) 		Echoes of Silence
(2011) 		Trilogy
(2012)

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]

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]

  1. ^ "Album Review: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence". Consequence. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "The Weeknd". Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "Drizzy on Twitter: "@theweekndxo Trilogy complete."". Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  5. ^ ""Initiation" by The Weeknd Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  6. ^ "Album Review: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence". Consequence. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  8. ^ "The Weeknd shares new "Echoes of Silence" video". The FADER. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  9. ^ Rowley, Glenn (December 21, 2021). "The Weeknd Drops 'Echoes of Silence' Video to Celebrate Mixtape's 10th Anniversary: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2022.