High For This
The eerie, ominous opener that introduced the Weeknd's groundbreaking aesthetic.
"High for This" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, serving as the opening track of his debut mixtape, House of Balloons (2011). It was written by the Weeknd with producers Adrien Gough and Cirkut. The track was later remastered and commercially released on the Weeknd's compilation album, Trilogy (2012).
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Weeknd
- Album
- House of Balloons and Trilogy
- Released
- March 21, 2011
- Recorded
- 2010–11
- Studio
- Cirkut's Dream House (Toronto, Ontario)
- Genre
- Alternative R&B
- Length
- 4:07
- Writer
- Abel Tesfaye
- Adrien Gough
- Henry Walter
Lore & Background
Producer Cirkut first met the Weeknd after being told about him through a mutual friend, who called him "the next big thing." The two later met for a recording session in Cirkut's home studio. After Cirkut created a bassline and some "general music arrangements," the Weeknd freestyled over the instrumental, which led to the creation of "High for This." The song was recorded in one day, but the two went over it several times before its final version. The song's lyrics are described in a review of its parent mixtape by Pitchfork as "[the Weeknd handholding] a partner through some strange sex act," while Highsnobiety interpreted the lyrics as the Weeknd coaching the listener through "getting high." Billboard's Kat Bein interpreted that the song could be his way of telling the listener that they want to be "high for the musical greatness that is to follow, i.e. his whole career."
Reader's Guide
In France, the song peaked at 97. In the United States, "High for This" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number 22 on the Hot R&B Songs chart. The song "High for This" was featured in the promo for the final season of the HBO show Entourage in July 2011. English singer Ellie Goulding covered "High for This" as part of the special edition of her second studio album, Halcyon (2012). Credits adapted from liner notes for Trilogy list Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) as composer, songwriter, and primary artist; Adrien Gough as composer, songwriter, instrumentation, and producer; and Henry Walter (Cirkut) as composer, songwriter, instrumentation, and producer.
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