The Weeknd Performed Hypnosis With An Aaliyah Sample On "What You Need"

10 years ago, The Weeknd shifted the game with the release of "House Of Balloons."

BYAron A.Mar 21, 20215.2K Views

Long before he would tell the Grammys to suck his d*ck, in the most politically correct way possible, The Weeknd was just an enigmatic figure from Toronto who took the internet by storm with House Of Balloons, his debut mixtape that was later repackaged as part of Trilogy. Today marks the 10-year anniversary of his groundbreaking project that shifted the sound of R&B and pop music entirely moving forward.

The enigmatic presence of the Toronto crooner only enhanced the lush sounds of R&B blended with electro-pop and other genres that made House Of Balloons so addicting in the first place. "What You Need" transforms a vocal sample from Aaliyah's "Rock The Boat" into a seductive, pitched-up intro, leading the way into The Weeknd's hypnotic, drug-inducing performance.

For more on the impact of the Toronto singer's debut, read, "How The Weeknd Changed RnB & Pop Culture With House Of Balloons."

Quotable Lyrics
And I'ma love you girl, the way you need
Ain't no one gon' stop us, ain't no one gon' stop us
And I'm gon' give you girl, what you fiend
I'm the drug in your vein, just fight through the pain

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.