The Weeknd‘s ‘House Of Balloons’ mixtape is set to come to streaming services in its original form for the first time.
Abel Tesfaye is set to re-release the mixtape this Sunday (March 21) to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
‘House Of Balloons’, which was released online for free back in 2011, features key samples from the Cocteau Twins, Beach House, Aaliyah and more. Until now, those samples haven’t been cleared for a full official release, but the album will now finally make its way to streaming services.
A limited-edition vinyl of the mixtape is also set to be released, featuring new artwork by New York-based artist Daniel Arsham.
The Weeknd wrote on Instagram: “On Sunday for its 10 year anniversary I’m releasing House of Balloons on all streaming platforms for the first time in its original incarnation. With the original mixes and samples.”
Elsewhere, The Weeknd has vowed to boycott the Grammys moving forwards. The news came after the Canadian singer’s absence from this year’s nominations. Tesfaye, who released his latest album ‘After Hours’ in 2020, was a notable absentee from any categories.
In response to the snub, Tesfaye tweeted that the Grammys “remain corrupt” and said its organisers “owe me, my fans and the industry transparency”.
Now, in a statement to the New York Times, Tesfaye said he will no longer permit his label to submit his music for consideration in eligible Grammys categories. “Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys,” he commented.
Despite the lack of Grammy nominations, The Weeknd’s smash hit ‘Blinding Lights’ has continued to break records in the US. Earlier this month, the track became the first song ever to spend an entire year in the top 10 of the US Hot 100 singles chart.