These 2 R&B mixtapes will change the game
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truth spitter
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The Weeknd - House Of Ballons
On Sunday night, a Canadian collective called the Weeknd released their nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on their web site. Though they were quick to deny the direct involvement of Drake's sonic architect, Noah "40" Shebib, the apparitions in The Weeknd--no official members have yet come forward--have been heavily co-signed by the Toronto star. Why? Because they are Canadian countrymen? Because the Weeknd's spacious, moody r&b deconstruction further cements Drake and 40's reinvention of the genre? Is it just pure aesthetic appreciation? They're all probably true. What is irrefutable is the calculation that has thus far gone into this project.
House of Balloons is impressive. It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche--sex, drugs and drink seem to be the raison d'etre--with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost.
Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra
Odd Future member Frank Ocean, infamously signed and stored away by Def Jam, forced his identity on the world just a few weeks ago with Nostalgia, Ultra, the free album he shared on his Tumblr. Ocean sings over songs by Coldplay, MGMT, Mr. Hudson, and, yup, ? "Hotel California" on Ultra, but he's an intuitive r&b stylist, with a firm sense of song structure (he's written for Justin Bieber and Beyoncé) and a conversational talk-singing voice that is as indebted to Justin Timberlake and Pharrell as it is to R. Kelly. He's also a bit of a goofball. He opens "Nature Feels," his reinterpretation of MGMT's "Electric Feel," with the lyric, "I've been meaning to ? you in the garden." He also questions the veracity of the moon landing on "We All Try." But on that same song, he obliquely announces his support of a woman's right to choose and ? marriage. Hardly typical r&b tropes. Ocean is a more openly fun character in the world than the so-far self-serious Weeknd project. But they share a tone and a vaguely secretive but accessible sensibility.
On Sunday night, a Canadian collective called the Weeknd released their nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on their web site. Though they were quick to deny the direct involvement of Drake's sonic architect, Noah "40" Shebib, the apparitions in The Weeknd--no official members have yet come forward--have been heavily co-signed by the Toronto star. Why? Because they are Canadian countrymen? Because the Weeknd's spacious, moody r&b deconstruction further cements Drake and 40's reinvention of the genre? Is it just pure aesthetic appreciation? They're all probably true. What is irrefutable is the calculation that has thus far gone into this project.
House of Balloons is impressive. It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche--sex, drugs and drink seem to be the raison d'etre--with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost.
Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra
Odd Future member Frank Ocean, infamously signed and stored away by Def Jam, forced his identity on the world just a few weeks ago with Nostalgia, Ultra, the free album he shared on his Tumblr. Ocean sings over songs by Coldplay, MGMT, Mr. Hudson, and, yup, ? "Hotel California" on Ultra, but he's an intuitive r&b stylist, with a firm sense of song structure (he's written for Justin Bieber and Beyoncé) and a conversational talk-singing voice that is as indebted to Justin Timberlake and Pharrell as it is to R. Kelly. He's also a bit of a goofball. He opens "Nature Feels," his reinterpretation of MGMT's "Electric Feel," with the lyric, "I've been meaning to ? you in the garden." He also questions the veracity of the moon landing on "We All Try." But on that same song, he obliquely announces his support of a woman's right to choose and ? marriage. Hardly typical r&b tropes. Ocean is a more openly fun character in the world than the so-far self-serious Weeknd project. But they share a tone and a vaguely secretive but accessible sensibility.
Comments
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Cosing this thread...............been bumping both of these to death...............
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yea i got both of these...change the game tho?
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The_Invincibles wrote: »yea i got both of these...change the game tho?
Compare these 2 mixtapes to mainstream r&b right now...I've read articles where they are calling this "PBR&B"
Missed the boat early on chillwave, then never truly felt comfortable bumping Toro y Moi on the subway? Well, here's your chance to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new subgenre possibility: To describe a new strand of hipster-friendly R&B, MarathonPacks and Sound of the City are attempting to coin the phrase PBR&B. So far, members of the budding subgenre include The Weekend, How to Dress Well, and Odd Future's Frank Ocean (pictured, with Beyoncé!). Vulture approves so hard.
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there are some good tracks on both of these... I wouldnt say game changing either though... The weeknd sounds kinda American Dream inspired
