The Origins of XO: A Deep Dive into Trilogy

 Who is The Weeknd?

Originally known as Abel Tesfaye, born and raised in Toronto, Canada. The Weeknd is a Grammy winner and one of the most listened to artist worldwide. Despite being the son of Ethiopian immigrants, Abel hasn't had much contact with his father, who left the family while he was still a little boy. During his early years, his grandmother took care of him primarily while his single mother worked. Abel dropped out of high school at 17 and lived with two friends from his neighbourhood while still exploring his interest in music.

Trilogy album cover

Trilogy

Trilogy is a compilation of The Weeknd's first three mixtapes: "House of Balloons", "Thursday", and "Echoes of Silence". It was released in 2012 and represents the start of his road to popularity. Each mixtape was initially available for free in 2011, but Trilogy combined them into a single CD with three additional tracks "Twenty Eight", "Valerie" and "Till Dawn".

The real House of Balloons

The album's music has a dark, mysterious vibe, with touches of R&B, pop, and electronics. Abel's lyrics generally focus on love, drugs, and emotional challenges, while also exploring themes of heartache, loneliness, and nightlife. His expressive voice, along with the dark sound, makes the songs feel personal and vulnerable.

House of Balloons set the mood with haunting sounds and lyrics about the highs and lows of partying. Thursday explored deeper emotional themes, while Echoes of Silence concluded the trio with more reflection and strong voices.

"Wicked Games" music video. 

Most streamed song on Trilogy.

Trilogy really opened the door for The Weeknd's future success. Drake was an early supporter of his work after hearing Abel's anonymous mixtapes on Youtube in 2011. He began promoting his work on social media. The Weeknd also contributed some of his vocals and lyrics to Drake's album "Take Care" which exposed him to Drake's massive fanbase. In the song "The Zone" from Trilogy we can hear Drake say "that OVO and that XO", which many people believed Abel might sign with Drake's label OVO sound but he ended up creating his own XO label. 

Drake and The Weeknd on tour in 2014

Some honourable mentions that deserve a listen from Trilogy are: Wicked Games, Twenty Eight, The Birds pt1 and pt2, The Morning, Montreal and Life of The Party.