With The Weeknd’s newest album set to come out this week on January 7th, and the ten-year anniversary of the mixtape Echoes of Silence happening just a few weeks ago, it’s the perfect time to review this fantastic mixtape by The Weeknd. 

          Track one D.D. is a great rendition of Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana. The Weeknd really showcases his ability to do so many different things with his voice, and this song really draws the comparison to Michael Jackson. Track two Montreal is where the album really starts to go into the vibe it carries throughout. The Weeknd has another example of him using his voice as an instrument which to me is my favorite part of the track as it’s extremely relaxing and adds that dark theme to the song. Track three Outside is a slow seductive track that The Weeknd sings his life away on, with the lyrics “Once I’m finished with you, you won’t wanna go outside,” it really sets the tone of the song and pretty easily gives off the idea of it. Track Four XO/The Host is probably for me the best song on this album, which is not an easy thing for me to choose. But this song, especially the hook, is just incredible not to mention the instrumental which is powerful and adds to the song even more. To cap it off, the song includes a beat switch which slows the song down instrumentally and again uses The Weeknd’s voice as a part of the instrumental. Track five Initiation is to me without a doubt the darkest song on the mixtape and might be the darkest The Weeknd track ever, and trust me there’s plenty to choose from. With vocal effects riddled across the track going from high pitch to low pitch over the four minutes. For some, it’s a difficult track maybe to get into but for me, I love the vibe and the way he mixes lyrics from tracks prior to it, really showcasing the storyline. 

           Track six Same Old Song (feat. Juicy J) is a solid track that continues the greatness of this mixtape. Although it’s probably one of my least favorite tracks of the three mixtapes, that doesn’t mean I don’t go back to it and enjoy it thoroughly. Track seven The Fall is a fantastic track to me and one of my favorites off the mixtape, and by the way, the next two tracks after it are too. The lyrics “I ain’t scared of the fall, I’ve felt the ground before.” are the lyrics to me that really make this track what it is and describe it best. With The Weeknd being homeless at a point in Toronto I think him saying “I’ve felt the ground before” is what he’s describing as being homeless and due to him being that low he isn’t scared of anything. Track eight Next this track once again has greater meaning. At this point, The Weeknd is able to realize that all the women in his life go for him for the same aspiration, which in the track The Weeknd says exactly what that is singing on the hook “You just want me cause I’m next”. The production on this mixtape to me really stands out especially on this track with incredible instrumentals and the way The Weeknd uses his voice in so many different ways is truly something that is overlooked on these mixtapes. Track nine Echoes Of Silence was the original final track of the mixtape and is The Weeknd’s saddest song ever in my opinion. With it only having an ominous piano and violin as the instrumental, it’s different from the rest of these mixtapes songs. With no hook, the song is bleak devoid of any happiness, and signifies The Weeknd realizing the women he really wanted even with all the ones he has had at the palm of his hand, didn’t want him. This track is incredible as it conveys the emotion it wants to give off easily and is just one you can sit alone to close your eyes and drift away into. Track ten and the final track is Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun) this song is a solid send-off to the trilogy of mixtapes. To me though Echoes Of Silence is the correct send-off to the album as Till Dawn seems a bit more of a filler track. I think with Echoes Of Silence being the final track it showed that extra creativity with the mixtape having no real resolve like most music projects and ending so bleak. But I can see how Till Dawn can be the right outro so I can’t really complain too much, especially with it being a great track.

            Echoes Of Silence is a fantastic mixtape that caps off a trilogy of mixtapes that will forever be remembered and cherished by fans and myself. This mixtape’s name pretty well explains the basis of it, which is the echoes of emotionless hookups, and when The Weeknd found love it didn’t love him back. To me I give this mixtape a 9/10, it’s just an incredible piece of art that capped off the trilogy perfectly in my opinion, I highly recommend not only listening to this mixtape but also the entire trilogy as it’s truly some of the best music I have ever had the pleasure of listening to.