Brief Overview of Trilogy by The Weeknd ✮

 I've been looking at album lyrics, and I think it would be fun to look into the album I love the most. Trilogy by The Weeknd has shaped who I am today and will forever have a place in my heart. I am not a pro, so this analyzation won't be perfect. I may miss some points, or some may be incorrect, but I'm doing this for fun. Also, it should be said that this album is pretty dark. There are consistent mentions of drug and alcohol abuse, suicidal and depressive thoughts and/or actions, sexual themes and I'm sure more that I may have forgotten. If you aren't familiar with the album, I do recommend listening to it without my influence and seeing how you feel about it yourself! 

As I mentioned there are many heavy themes throughout this album, that is no secret. Personally, I love for the media I consume to have dark themes and undertones, vibes that are mellow and low, but it would be very irresponsible to not make light of the things that are brought up here. This album highlights some of the hardest parts of the youth in which The Weeknd (now going by Abel) had to endure. Addiction, homelessness, depression, and many more. I am not glorifying the past he has or highlighting it in a way that makes it positive. I am purely appreciating it for what it is, art, a release of what was happening at the time. Trilogy is compiled of 3 mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. There are also additional tracks on the album that were not a part of the original mixtapes and were added on afterwards. I'll be explaining them in order of how they are on the album.  I'll also be adding a lyric that sticks out or furthers the explanation (lyrics will be taken from Genius). Please excuse any typos, there are bound to be many...let's get into it!

House of Balloons

 The first mixtape of the three is House of Balloons, it serves to welcome the listener into the drug, sex, and party filled lifestyle of Abel in his early 20s. Without prior projects under the name The Weeknd, there is no warning for where this album may go. The mystery surrounding the artist is what drew fans in to learn about the man behind the music. 

High for This

This is the opening track to the album but also serves as an introduction for the listener to Abel as an artist. Without prior knowledge of who he is this is our first encounter with him. He makes sure to make the track ominous. It's dark, suspenseful, and leaves the listener unsure of where this album is going to go from a musical and storytelling standpoint. This track sets the tone for what is to come and brings the listener in almost instantly. 

"You don't know what's in store

But you know what you're here for"

What You Need

This track is sensual, the beat, sample from Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat", and overall tone of the track is very sexual. It highlights the woman whom Abel sings about and her need for him, both physically and to fuel her addiction that he has introduced her to. Although she may have someone else at home who she likes and wants to be with, Abel is what she needs. 

"He's what you want, he's what you want

He's what you want, he's what you want

I'm what you need, what you need, what you need"

House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls

The title track that further introduces the listener into the lifestyle of Abel and his crew. It details the sex and drug use that happens at the parties that they host. Specific and detailed references are made to the many drugs that they take, most of all seeming to be cocaine. The chorus is repetitive with intention. It's to show how Abel and the other partygoers are trying to convince themselves that this lifestyle is fun to them no matter how damaging it is and the obvious toll it is taking on them. This is what everyone wants. This is fun. The second half of the song loses the false excitement that was fed at the beginning. The beat becomes much more disorienting and Abel's tone along with his lyrics become more sinister. At this point in the party, everyone is already gone and there's no need to try to convince people that this is a good time. 

"This is a happy house (A happy house)

We're happy here (We're happy here)

In a happy house

Oh, this is fun, fun, fun, fun"

The Morning 

This track details the morning after the party, presumably the one mentioned in House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls. The women are leaving, and Abel is left to think about where he wants to go with his music career as well as the lives of the women who come to his parties. It's a chill track that focuses on Abel's dreams more than the drug use and sex we've seen in the previous ones. 

"All that money, the money is the motive

All that money, the money is the motive"

Wicked Games

This is the first track where the listener hears Abel mention any sort of real romance. The emptiness he feels and the lack of confidence he possesses leads him to seek love and validation from a woman whom he knows does not reciprocate it. This girl is most likely a stripper or prostitute, seeing how those are the women he's been interacting with throughout the tape thus far, so it's more than likely that he doesn't love her either. He is just chasing that feeling. 

"Get me off of this, I need confidence in myself 

Ohh, listen, ma, I'll give you all of me

Give me all of it, I need all of it to myself (Woah, woah)

So tell me you love me

(Only for tonight, only for the night)

Even though you don't love me"

The Party & The After Party 

The first part of the song feels like Abel is catering to the girl he's referring to in the song. He seems eager to serve her and get her whatever she wants or needs so that she will enjoy the party. In the second part of the song the vibe is much darker. The girl is introduced into another side, most likely the real side of Abel, that he was holding back at the beginning of the party. Once again, the listener is given the details of the parties that they host and the haunting side of his life explored throughout this album.

"You always go to the parties

To pluck the feathers off all the birds

You always go to the parties

On your knees

I would not beg you, please"

Coming Down 

This track is eerie throughout and shows the ominous feeling left after the parties. Now that Abel is coming down from his high, he wants attention from a woman who he seems to be with. He's been unfaithful to her, and this isn't the first time. It seems like this is a cycle that they go through often. He only wants to talk to her once the parties over, once the girls have left, once he's done with his high.

"Pick up your phone (Oh, oh)

The party's finished and I want you to know

I'm all alone

I'm feelin' everything before I got up"

Loft Music 

A more upbeat track that gives insight into Abel's lifestyle with a bit more confidence from him. He talks about taking a woman to their loft where she can throw away her morals and anything else happening in her life. He talks about the love that he has for the people around him. The outro of the song is lengthy and ominous. It leaves listeners with a disorienting feeling, a strong contrast to the first part of the song. There are lyrics of him saying "I know everything," which will transition into the next track "The Knowing." 

"I got 'em 'til the ending of our credits

Life's such a movie, filmed independent, us against the city

Please don't get offended when we don't answer your calls

And if you got a problem, come and find us, we can talk about it

What's good, young ho? You about it?

Got a loft right now, you excited?"

The Knowing 

This track is about the mutual infidelity between Abel and the girl that he's with. They're both aware of each other's lies and continue to hurt each other despite this. He speaks about his actions in a spiteful manner. He doesn't care about what she's done, it doesn't hurt him because he's done things to hurt her too. It's obvious that he is hurt and is trying to convince her that he doesn't care about what is happening. It highlights the toxic connection these two have. 

"Take a look at what you did 

You probably thought that you'd break my heart 

You probably thought that you'd make me cry

But, baby, it's okay

I swear it's okay"

Twenty Eight

This is an additional track and was not included in any of the original mixtapes. Abel faces troubles with a groupie who won't leave him alone. She claims to have no one to go to but consistently gets calls from someone trying to bring her home. From a literal standpoint, the song is about Abel's regret for showing his fans his lifestyle with the creation of House of Balloons. His destructive, toxic tendencies are on display for the whole world to see, and it is cemented in history. He regrets not keeping his persona a mystery, now everyone knows the darkest parts of him. 

"I’m so wrong, I’m so wrong

(To let you in my)

To let you in my home

(Now you know where I sleep)

Now you know where I sleep

(Never felt so damn weak)"

Thursday 

The second mixtape, Thursday, heavily surrounds a woman named Valerie and her encounters with Abel. The themes of Thurday and House of Balloons are similar with references to sex, drugs, and rising fame.

Lonely Star

The opening track for Thursday and an introduction to the "Lonely Star" Valerie who is referenced throughout the mixtape. The song starts with her begging Abel to remember her. She will give everything to him just so that he will remain in her life, even if it's only one day out of the week. Through the songs Abel promises her materialistic pleasures and a dream lifestyle, but never his love. He's selling her a dream that includes everything except for what she begged for the most. He convinces her that he is the only person in her life that she will need, to leave her friends behind and be his lonely star. Toward the end of the track, Valerie is again begging to not be a regret with more emphasis on their Thursday meetings. Abel's final verse is lyrics from another track on the mixtape, "Thursday."

"If, all I could say is if

Promise me you won't regret me like the tattoos on my skin

I belong to you

Promise me when they all love you that you'll remember me

When you fuck them, you'll see my face

My body is yours

Every Thursday"

Life of The Party

Once again, the listener is brought back to the party life of Abel and the crew. This track is intense with heavy guitar serving as the main instrumental. He is introducing a rich girl to the party who they will use to get them more supplies for their activities. It is once again a drug-filled track that doesn't hesitate to show the raw side of what is going on at these parties.

"She got money for blow

Just check her damn nose

Prescription ain't an issue

You can mix it with the "oh"

And if you wanna do it, baby

I'm right here with you"

Thursday 

It is finally Valerie's day and Abel honors their agreement that was mentioned previously in "Lonely Star." He makes sure to emphasize the fact that he will not interact with her on any other day throughout the week. He encourages her to get beautiful and ready for their meeting that she's waited all week for. It's clear that although she wants more from their interactions, he won't budge on his decision.

"I've been here for too long

Baby, don't cry

Why are you calling again? (Oh, again)

But it's not Thursday, baby why you calling?

Not on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Sunday, but on Thursday, Thursday"

The Zone

The first track that features Drake detailing the interactions with a woman who is not Valerie. Before he can give the girl what she's asking for, he has to get high first. In "Lonely Star" during her part of the song, Valerie tells Abel that he will see her face if he has sex with anyone else. Here on "The Zone" he says how he will close his eyes to try to make love to Valerie through the girl he's with tonight. He's so high that he can't see or feel anything, but he will still make sure to give this girl the satisfaction she's looking for. 

"I don't want to die tonight, baby

So lemme sip this slow

I'll give you what you called for

Just let me get in my zone

I'll be making love to her through you

So let me keep my eyes closed"

The Birds Pt. 1

This track serves as a warning from Abel to Valerie. Given his behavior and lifestyle, she will only end up hurt in the end. He is not the type to be loyal and stay in one place, he's a bird and can't give her the love she's looking for. Though she disagrees with him and claims to not have feelings for him, he knows it's a facade and that she is falling for him. No matter how much she tries to lie, he knows her true feelings. 

"Hope you see

It won't mean a thing to me

I've been doing this too long

Baby girl, I've felt it all 

So watch out

If you try to play your luck 

Ain't nobody gonna care enough

To catch you fall"

The Birds Pt. 2

Despite his warnings, Valerie falls for Abel. This track, much darker than its preceding part, shows the tragic aftermath of her not heeding his warning. Valerie is begging Abel to let her move on before he goes off with another girl. Once again, she's offering everything she has to him if it means he will stay in any capacity. Abel samples "You're Gonna Leave" by Martina Topley-Bird which serves as Valerie's voice in the story being told on this track. He told her that he is not the one and could never be, but she still fell for him regardless, so he puts all the blame on her. She has shot someone, presumably the other woman, and he makes sure to let her know that it is all her fault. 

"Sandpaper kisses, papercut bliss

Don't know what this is, but it all leads to this

You're gonna leave her

You have deceived her

You're just a bird

Just a bird"

Gone

The most detailed track regarding Abel's drug use. It feels although it was made in a flow state, a piece where he started recording and just talked about his experience with drugs and partying without overthinking it. 

"Break it, drop it, drink it, spill it

Baby, touch your body, body

You gotta taste it, feel it, I've been on it

Baby, don't you worry, you gotta keep up"

Rolling Stone 

This track is a letter to Abel's fans about him predicting his growth in his music career. He details who he thinks he'll become but assures his thankfulness to his fans for rolling with him this far and that he will not leave them behind. From a storytelling standpoint, he's talking to a girl about where they're going, how she will leave him after the mystery behind who he is disappears. 

"So, baby, love me, oh

Before they all love me

Until you won't love me, oh

Because they'll all love me, ooh

I'll be different, oh

I think I'll be different, ooh

I hope I'm not different, oh

And I hope you'll still listen"

Heaven or Las Vegas

A track detailing the contrast between Heaven and Sin City. While some seek to get into Heaven, Abel see's Vegas as his version of it. Abels complicated relationship with religion is also explored, a theme that will be brought up frequently through his discography. 

"Well they say (They say), they want heaven

They say, they want God

I say, I have heaven

I say, I am God"

Valerie

This is another additional track that was not included in the original mixtapes. This track is again about Valerie, but this time details his faults and infidelity. This shows a different side of Abel, because it seems that he does care for her in some degree to feel remorse about what he's done. He tells her that he loves her and only wants her despite his actions showing otherwise. Knowing of what he's done, Valerie stays. She'd rather this connection of lies and cheating than being alone. 

"I never thought I'd feel this kind of hesitation (To put)

My hand on another girl

I wish I didn't have to lie

I wish I could let you know

'Cause I love you

And I need you

I only want you

And nobody's going to know if it's true"

Echoes of Silence

The final mixtape of the album is the darkest of the three. There's a lot of pain and emotions in this work that is more visible than the other tapes. Emotional depth and raw essence are the best ways to describe what's detailed in the ending of the trilogy. 

D.D.

The opening to Echoes of Silence is a cover of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" with a darker sound. As with the original, it details the struggle faced with the temptations of fame. The biggest being infidelity.  

"And I don't care what you say, I want to go too far

I'll be your everything if you make me a star"

Dirty Diana (Oh), no (Oh, oh)

Dirty Diana (Oh), no (Oh, oh)"

Montreal

The track opens with Abel singing a French song about leaving girls alone before they leave you. This gives insight into why Abel is the bird he describes himself to be previously. It also works as a way to talk about the karma faced when you treat others the way Abel has throughout the songs. If he keeps messing with the hearts of women, he will what is coming and it will be him who is left behind. "Montreal" is Abel talking about a girl he was in love with who could've had him completely if she would have kept pursuing him. Although he puts out this persona of not being able to love or care for anyone, she could've been the one to have it all. 

"I guess you had no idea that you could have persuaded me

Girl, you could have had me doing anything you pleased

Girl, you should have took your time and thought of what to say to me

'Cause I'm not as hard as I make it seem to be"

Outside

Abel is describing to a woman what it would be like to get with him. She should throw all other experience out the window because what she will experience with him will change her perception. The track also serves as a message to listeners. Once you listen to his music, you will never stop. 

"Forget what you know

Make yourself at home

'Cause baby when I'm finished with ya

You won't wanna go outside"

XO/The Host

Serving as an XO anthem, this track is describing the lifestyle that Abel and his crew lead. The second half of the song serves as a transition into the initiation that will be detailed in the next track. 

"(XO) Woo, don't you forget

(XO) Don't you worry 'bout a thing

(XO) We'll be everything you need, just believe

(XO) Yeah, (XO) yeah, woah"

Initiation

This is probably one of, if not the darkest tracks by The Weeknd. It details the initiation that was mentioned in the previous track. If she wants love from Abel, she will have to get with all of his boys first. Abel's voice is distorted on the track, going in and out, while the instrumental is simple yet heavy. This is done intentionally to signify the effects of the drugs on the girl. The track is aggressive and doesn't aim to hide the nature of these actions. 

"I got a test for you

You said you want my heart

Well, baby, you can have it all

There's just something that I need from you

Is to meet my boys

I got a lot of boys

And we can make you right

And if you get too high

Baby, come over here and ride it out"

Same Old Song

Now that Abel's blown up, he's experiencing the phenomena of people from his past that left him reappearing and wanting him now. The woman he's talking about in the song didn't believe in him when he was trying to get to what he is becoming now, but now she wants to show back up after he's becoming more known. He knows that this is only the beginning and that he's only going to get bigger. He's taking satisfaction from proving this woman wrong about him.  

"Where were you when I needed you eight months ago?

All your girlfriends talkin' 'bout me, now you ringin' up my phone

I bet you miss me now, baby

I bet you'd kiss me now, baby

Especially since you know that this ain't nothin' and I only just begun"

The Fall

This track details Abel not being afraid to fail at his music career because he already knows what it feels like to be at his lowest. He's not afraid to go back to what he's known for the majority of his life. 

"Oh yeah, I ain't scared of the fall

I ain't scared of the fall 

And I ain't scared of the fall 

And I ain't scared of the fall 

I've felt the ground before"

Next

This is another track about girls wanting him now because he is the next big star. He knows the type of women that these are and isn't afraid to call out what they're doing. 

"Baby, who you tryna fool?

Girl, I might be twenty-one, but I got memories to prove

That I've seen your kind before

And I know exactly what you want

(You just want me 'cause I'm next)"

Echoes of Silence

The title track is about a girl clinging to Abel despite knowing the nature of their relationship, reminiscent to the idea of "Thursday." It's a melancholy track that focuses heavily on the raw emotion and tension between Abel and this woman. She knew from the beginning how this was going to end yet still insisted on bringing him here. Abel calls her a masochist for continuing to put herself through this knowing he will never love her. She begs him to stay, to not leave her life. 

"And I ask why?

And you reply

I like the thrill

Nothing's gonna make me feel this real

So, baby, don't go home

I don't wanna spend tonight alone

Baby, please

Would you end your night with me?

Don't you leave me all behind

Don't you leave my little life

Don't you leave my little life"

Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)

The additional track added to Echoes of Silence serving as a conclusion to Trilogy. This track details the back and forth that him and a girl go through with each other. She has someone else, when she doesn't want him, she goes to Abel and vice versa. At first Abel was intrigued by the mystery of their interactions, now that that's faded, he's losing interest. She sneaks around, but he has no shame in their interactions.  He's not embarrassed; he has nothing to hide. This closing also serves as a metaphor to him as a rising star. Despite wanting to keep his connection with his fans a close-knit community, he knows it's unrealistic. It also serves as the light after the darkness experienced throughout Echoes of Silence. The track has a lighter beat and more gentle lyrics than what's been heard throughout the mixtape. 

"'Cause unlike you, I got nothing to hide

I don't pretend to have any shame

I got a box you can put all your lies in

Until the end of days, ooh

You know that I will be a call away

The call you'll make when you're all alone

And I know that I will always be the one

You repent when you are done"

Breaking down this album has helped with getting some things off my mind and occupying myself while having a hard time. I've really enjoyed diving into this piece and analyzing it in depth has been super fun to me and I think I'll do it again! I just want to reiterate that I am not glorifying or excusing anything brought up in this album. I also don't want to bring up the very real issues that this artist has faced in a way to bash him. Nothing besides analyzation has been done here. I hope you enjoyed my deep dive if anyone besides me is reading this and made it to the end, see you next post!

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