Reacting to "Echoes of Silence" by The Weeknd

[@FredsRTW]

You gotta do Kiss Land next. That shit is a masterpiece. Just takes the trilogy and puts it to a higher level

[@arch1vst]

my personal favourite weeknd album

[@McKoyjb]

Kissland was when he got back to the sound that made his early fans love him. “Belong to the world” is insane live.

[@ajayyxo]

Yesss

[@TeeepKick]

I’ve grown to appreciate kissland so much. I think it’s The Weeknd’s most theatric sounding album.

[@fcbtomtom6]

kissland my fav for sure

[@Killing_Paradox]

the amazing thing is that the weeknd references his old stuff up to his newest album. his whole discography feels connected like one big story in its own universe

[@willardmatsaudza3101]

I also love how he came full circle in songs like call out my name where he’s now begging the girl to let him fall out of love before she goes with someone else.

[@yusufcanbefunny]

that makes total sense since the weeknd is a character and the albums tell his life story, kinda sad it will end soon but I count on him delivering with the closer

[@jesussantos64]

​@@yusufcanbefunnygood and sad at the same time imo. New chapter means new stories

[@haariskaleem4057]

That might be the best reaction ever to initiation, can't stop rewatching it

[@brianattyberry]

One small detail i love about this mixtape...with DD, it opened with Abel kinda coming in very slowly, vocally, like he just fades into the scene of a movie from out of a mist or fog...and finally on Echoes of Silence, he slowly fades away vocally, back into the same fog or mist from whence he came... Like an Echo.

[@jacobzbin7853]

I think you're so captivated because of 1) his vocal performances, but 2) and most importantly, the atmosphere he creates with the production. It feels SO dark and adds so much to the story. It really feels like you're watching a movie unfold. Like you said, he is a master of showing rather than telling. Especially with soooo many of his songs transitioning right into the next.

[@mikewazowski6070]

illangello goated!

[@Zekew24]

I am so ready for Bob to hear Initiation. Edit: Did not disappoint! The atmosphere on that song is insane! One of the most anxiety-inducing tracks I have ever heard and it is absolutely amazing! Definitely a top 5 Weeknd track of all time to me, especially when you roll right into it after The Host...

[@OnlyDopeBeats]

i love immediately disgusted bob is when he sees the drake line lol

[@rewaj56]

​@@OnlyDopeBeatslmao noticed that

[@gonzalogallego9265]

I love "Till Dawn" as the end of the mixtape and the end of the full Trilogy album. I think the full album is so dark and paints The Weeknd as a kind of monster that's always gonna leave any girl he gets with. So at the end of the song "Echoes of Silence", where it all feels so hopeless, the sun starts to come up, and he's in the edge of the chance that she'll stay through the night. To me this meens a little light of hope. That maybe he's not that monster of "Initiation", and that deep down maybe he wants a girl to stay, even if he doesn't admits it to her or himself. And the sun as the symbol for hope is much later used in his album "Dawn FM", so it's a crazy 10 year forshadowing of what's to come.

[@benjaminsostaric3363]

hell yeah, super underrated mixtape. everyone forgets about it just because it comes after two of his best

[@Twofacex2]

It’s funny cause to my echoes of silence is the clear best mixtape out of the 3. HOB might have catchier/vibier songs but when you actually sit and listen to the content on EOS you see how much better it is

[@Shemzinho]

@@Twofacex2 FACTS

[@svjoehenny7021]

Initiation is an INSANE song its great to see you react to it that way😂

[@adeergg]

echos of slience and kiss land are my favorite projects from him for sure. for years they were some of my most listened to projects.

[@phaze3247]

Bob ur interpretation of everything on first listen is unbelievable

[@cioccolato2124]

This was already my favorite project by The weekend and a perfect piece of art in general, but you just upped my love for it by 1000%. Bob, you are so incredible at analyzing stuff, recognizing tropes, and your enjoyment is so much fun to witness. Every time you listen to albums that are so worth it, I think we all get so much out of it. I know you have a huge backlog, and I love the hip-hop reactions but I'm even more hyped when you're not reacting to hip-hop cause I'd love for you to react to masterpieces and concept albums in all genres, R&B, Folk, Indie, Rock

[@jacobzbin7853]

I don't want to give too much away about his future work because it'll be better for you to just experience it yourself - but keep in mind that these 3 projects were very very close in proximity. And as you move through his discog, you're going years into the future. He will be growing as a person and going through ups and downs of life. It wont always be this dark, but that's a good thing!

[@ptroit]

Literally all of them came out in a single year, only months apart! Which is just as mindblowing as knowing he was only 21 doing them all!

[@Gilly11557]

Echoes of Silence had grown to become my favourite in trilogy. The clarity of darkness is unmatched. Kissland is my personal favourite project from him. It takes that established darkness and scales everything else up on top of it, giving the album a sense of grand wonder. Looking forward to you listening to that one. No rush, of course! Thanks for the great reactions, as always

[@brianattyberry]

I agree. I'd say House of Balloons and Echoes are both tied for my favorite of the Trilogy. Depends on the day honestly lol. I heard a reactor (Jon Denton I believe) say if the Trilogy was meant to be his experience in that one address of 65 Spencer Ave, then Kissland was meant to be that darkness spreading to a much larger area, like an epidemic.

[@Kezleg]

seeing u get so excited and praise this album brought me an unreal amount of joy. The Weeknd is a special artist bc of his ability to draw out these emotions and make u feel the characters and stories & it just seems like u rlly got it thru and thru. this made my night. thank u

[@jacobzbin7853]

I absolutely love how into the story you're getting and reading into the lyrics. When you go through Abel's whole discog, you're going to follow along on his journey of self reflection and honestly, growing as a person. When you listen deeply and take interest in what he's trying to say (like what you're doing), you can see how vulnerable and lost he is in these first few albums despite the façade he puts on. I'm just so excited for you to experience this is a die hard XO fan!!! Love your work!!

[@brianattyberry]

12:30 i hope you remember this. A lot of his music serves as a teaser for later work that he tends to revisit as easter eggs. It's all one big story, and he rewards the fans who still listen (as he mentioned in Rolling Stone)

[@Grandmaster_Trash]

I personally don’t mind Till Dawn at the end. I think it displays the tragedy of addiction. Addicts never leave things how they’re supposed to be, you constantly go back to rewrite things, obsessively trying to bend life to your own will instead of living life on life’s terms. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, but you don’t go toward it. You stay put so that you’re within just enough reach of the light to feel better about yourself, then you fall back to darkness when life’s path is too uncomfortable. Just my thoughts, sober 8 years as of yesterday.

[@ajayyxo]

till dawn one of my favorites

[@josholiver8338]

congrats on the 8 years of sobriety! keep going :)

[@monaexo7217]

I am so glad you enjoyed this as much as you did! I think this one is the best of the three and is deeply emotive and engaging. Can’t wait to hear the additional thoughts! Initiation is my favorite song from The Weeknd, due to it’s dark and disturbing nature. Montreal is my second favorite of his, just a beautiful track. This Trilogy means so much to me and I’m glad you wrapped it up before the end of the year! :)

[@707CM]

Your beautiful

[@ClarkkCruzz]

was NOT expecting this reaction coming this soon compared to the gap between Thursday and HOB reactions

[@robbb-we7uj]

Can't wait for when you eventually do Kissland because that's for sure his most experimental and most cohesive album in my opinion

[@youareasock9752]

This was for sure his best vocal performance. You actually believe what he's saying.

[@ProdJakera]

watching bob get super hyped for a drop on the fall that i knew would inevitably never come was hilarious

[@josequinones2251]

Can't wait for kissland! My personal favorite album

[@RS-ho7of]

This is one of the greatest reaction videos of all time on KZbin. Loved how into it you were and the mixtape is obviously phenomenal. BTW I completely agree that the original ending is much much better than with the bonus track.

[@brianattyberry]

31:24 yea The Host is him feeding off her misery that she enjoys Also he's the Host of the kind of "party" his brought her to, and he's leading her in her drunken haze into the Afterparty, as alluded into the songs from Thursday, but the Initiation...(im typing this as i listen and watch your reaction so im SO AMPED to see your reaction to Initiation. It's, to say the least, is a cult classic lol.

[@Pokesss]

FINALLY i’ve been waiting for this for so long. excited to get into this

[@jacobzbin7853]

I am soooooo ready for all The Weeknd projects!!! XO will come out and support!!

[@yuh-fv7ds]

Ah, yes. The Weeknd at his absolute darkest. Awesome reaction. I’ll be waiting eagerly for Kiss Land... it has more great story-telling, although it's more abstract and conceptual.

[@OfficialAR22]

you'll love kiss land. It almost a continuation but an entire new story (although tracklist wise its told out of order)

[@kerringtoncreation]

So happy you are on The Weeknd's journey! Kissland is my favorite album by him. I dont think he could ever recreate it. The the time period of him still in this emotional space and trying to cope with his rise to fame and touring the world for the first time.....its magnificent. I can go on and on. Ill join your patreon soon! keep up the good work

[@jacobzbin7853]

Abels self awareness of his toxic, unhealthy, and villainous qualities make his music so much better

[@thermitemound8754]

The best of the trilogy and his 2nd best project, I love how unique the production is for this one specifically

[@sojify]

What do you think is his first? Tbh this is my second as well and I have kiss land 1st!

[@phoebes2036]

Personally I love Til Dawn and I think it will grow on you but I also understand why you preferred EoS to end on the title track. In a way, the 3 bonus tracks are like a mini Trilogy on their own: 1) Twenty Eight (which is a drug reference; 28 grams in 1 oz) is him meeting Valerie at the club and realizing from the start that they were no good for eachother. She’s a broken woman who, just like Abel, is lonely and tries to fill the void of emptiness through mindless sex and other vices. She has a boyfriend but is unfaithful and Abel doesn’t like how closely she is attaching herself to him and knows she is lying. He knows he is wrong for continuing to be a part of this toxic relationship but is too weak to turn down sex. 2) Valerie is him catching feelings for her and feeling guilty when he inevitably sleeps around. But who knows if he actually loves her and is telling the truth or is lying to keep her around. Or maybe he is such an avid liar that when he does tell the truth about his feelings “nobody is going to know if it’s true” so it doesn’t matter anyways. He’s a dishonest man, his words mean nothing, even if he is finally telling the truth. Or maybe he doesn’t know if his love is true because he doesn’t even know what love is so he wouldn’t know it if he felt it because it’s too unfamiliar. The lyrics here leave a lot of ambiguity. Which fits into the themes of his music since he is usually lying to other people but also lies to himself a lot. 3) Til Dawn (Here Comes the Sun) is him saying that he’s trying to get over Valerie and leave the relationship hoping that each time they have sex it is the last time. It is an endless cycle of both of them coming and going but they both keep being drawn back to eachother and the toxicity. They might want more sometimes but they both know that it will never be more than just the sex. Abel is usually the puppeteer when it comes to these things but even though he’s successful many times by taking what he wants from different women and leaving without feeling remorse, he ends up getting hurt eventually. He’s bound to get a taste of his own medicine. He too lives in denial of the harmful lifestyle he is usually able to manipulate. At the same time he is becoming more self-aware of just how hollow the fast life is. Valerie can be interpreted as the symbol of the women he damages, drugs, or his relationship to selling out and becoming famous.

[@kjdskgj]

Kiss Land next! The best Weeknd project in my opinion. Listening to it is like jumping into a movie...

[@ScientificNotation34]

XO is The Weeknd’s brand. That part of “XO/The Host” also serves as an anthem for the fan base as well

[@brianattyberry]

2:12 yes he dropped the visual for Echoes of Silence at the 10 year anniversary or Trilogy or Echoes i believe. I hate i missed that merch drop.

[@Bluntedaxolotl]

LOVE watching people get to experience this music

[@elibdot]

always been my favorite of the trilogy, feels like he finally fully realized this dark r&b sound with much more personal and vulnerable lyrics, a great precursor to my personal favorite of his, after hours, as well. great reaction as always!

[@tsunamipapi1343]

Echoes of Silence is a perfect song

[@JamiesRobots]

I think it's great what you said about The Weeknd showing and not telling. So much of his music is about subtext and not the text, what's under the surface and story being weaved

[@brianattyberry]

0:34 he dropped all 3 mixtapes of Trilogy in a year. Wasnt that big a gap.

[@brianattyberry]

31:12 this was my reaction to hearing that drop too. His drops to come will hit you so much harder...I cant wait.

[@odysseus2k1]

this is my first time hearing someone said 'initiation' is their favourite😂i've seen plenty of reaction channels and they all either skip the song or don't comment much other than saying "it's weird". thanks for being different than them and actually understand a song despite it being weird and uncomfortable, lol.

[@brianattyberry]

This is a great morning!Best part of waking up is XO in your cup.

[@markg.2135]

Initiation is such an intense song

[@Harveygregorxotwod]

House of balloons is my fav mixtape/ album of all time but this mixtape comes pretty damn close as far as quality which is completely mindblowing

[@otinauj]

i’m so glad bob understands abel or i mean music in general, he actually understands the concepts and genius production/sounds that are intentional

[@carlosandrescastromedina3100]

I can´t wait for KISSLAND, sometimes my favorite album by him, he is soo great man

[@carlosandrescastromedina3100]

Make sure to do it at Night please, and if its raining, well that would be too cinematic haha

[@brianattyberry]

26:22 with Abel, in his music, he could really be whatever you equate him to be. He should be singing from his own POV, as a man in a relationship, be it toxic or not (but it probably is). He could be singing from the prospective of the drugs themselves, like he himself is a drug and he's singing of the effects the drugs have on his victims. He could be singing from the women's perspective themselves. Either way, sometimes it works regardless of how you view it and you won't be wrong, and that speaks volumes of his pen. His writing is so underrated because surface level, the casual listener will just say it's sad music. I laugh at how much they're missing out. It's why i love watching reactions to his music. I love watching ppls lives change lol.

[@MariusGarte]

Kiss Land next, continues his story after he's gotten the fame and his tour life and stuff. Very underrated and in my opinion it is amazing.

[@CryptoMason]

MORE ABEL!

[@djpgurl13]

Please Bob make a New Year's resolution to do more Weeknd reactions in 2024 🙏🏾

[@BleedBleu]

Yes Yes!! The day has finally come, I woke up and I did not expect to see this

[@prcption8636]

Cant wait for the next Weeknd reaction! I love your interpretation of the message and the storyline. Best reaction KZbinr in my opinion!

[@averyrentas2245]

This was just what I needed today :) relaxing in a coffee shop with this video lol

[@bustedhammer8619]

The hype for me listening to this album for the first time and hearing the Weeknd sing dirty Diana........it's one of my favorite MJ songs and as a kid I used to imagine singing it while performing in my kitchen lol the guitar in the original is intoxicating.

[@epsondc1]

An amazing body of work - vocals, delivery, lyrics, production, tone/ambiance 😮‍💨

[@nickworld9008]

this breakdown of the album is the single greatest piece of cinematic artistry Ive ever experienced. What a great blend of euphoric music with an excellent take.

[@JaiOfficial2795]

I been watchin you for a long time now I'd say, and I this was a reaction I wanted for a long time, but didn't actually think you'd like much beyond the production 😂 pleasantly surprised, can't wait for you to tap in with Kissland

[@realindrajit101]

been waiting for this bob, great reaction! can't wait for more weeknd reactions

[@ZapVolcanic]

Can’t wait for kiss land next. And it’s gonna be a while but it’s gonna be awesome seeing you experience after hours and dawn fm

[@Shemzinho]

EOS has always been my favourite all-time Weeknd project and definitely the best of the trilogy, glad to you know you loved it Bob!

[@herbivore6581]

XO we have waited for this since the HoB reaction 🔥 worth the wait!! can't wait for you to expirience Kiss Land with the context of Trilogy

[@runup3639]

Please keep going with The Weeknd reactions 🙏😎

[@ajayyxo]

Till Dawn is amazing, so is the instrumental

[@williamfoote5701]

Amazing reaction and this has some of my favorite weeknd songs for sure! Also I’m not sure if you ever picked this up but LUCKILY in tracks 4&5 where he references his “boys”, that is actually a metaphor for his drugs and not supposed to only be a dark and twisted reference to a gang bang 😂

[@williamfoote5701]

I also wanted to add that I agree from an album standpoint the bonus track is not needed, however i actually really like it when I listen to it on my playlist or as a single

[@brianattyberry]

4:24 this album made my feel more like it fit in the Fall or Autumn time. Colorful leaves falling, maybe snow.

[@Bl4ckinferno178]

i can't express how happy I am that you loved this project 😂😂

[@Wavs-b4k]

I dont think you realise how much of abel's earlier work actually mirrored his life at the time of that trilogy that man was crazy before he blew up to stardom 😂

[@micahkadir2677]

I like how in "The Fall" he talks about not reaching his peak, but its all he feels, and the way the music reflects that line by never dropping.

[@schoolboykaelin3970]

Cant wait to see Kiss Land. You are in for a treat for sure. Hit or miss for most people, personally it’s my favorite album from his entire discography, I never get tired of it.

[@otinauj]

me personally, i think this is the best mixtape of the 3 but i think his best work overall is kiss land, the best way i would describe kiss land is like the same concepts and feelings of trilogy but filled with DRAMA, poetic lyrics and raw emotion, it’s like the “movie” version of the trilogy. Abel himself says he sees kiss land like a horror movie.

[@zahkilovett]

Love watching people experience one of my favorite albums for the first time lol it’s like a dopamine hit

[@navraaaajj]

The detail of the beat drop in The Fall that you pointed out has gotta be one of the best ones.

[@miamiassassin13]

"So Bob, did you have fun with the new reaction?" "No fun. Zero. Fun. Sir"

[@brianattyberry]

35:20 those transitions man. Abel is known for those transitions.

[@im11s0bihh8]

excited for you to review Kissland, amazing album to dissect

[@RondaleDinkerdoodle]

Im praying you do Kiss Land one day I feel like it may be one of your favourites

[@DannsProductions]

"Why am I so captivated by this?" Because it's great storytelling!

[@RondaleDinkerdoodle]

Thank you for reacting to one of my favourite weeknd projects

[@fufuu1940]

absolutely loved your reaction. The way you were able to get pulled into the story and see it for the basic themes of emptiness, loneliness,… it represented is amazing especially since it can be hard to relate to. really hope that you give kissland a listen

[@mitcho5452]

The fact his first 3 mixtapes were such a high level is astonishing. 30/30.

[@dgi5049]

Loved this reaction lol. So easy to get lost in this sound and story that is EoS. Funny ya didn’t like Till Dawn as much, personally love it but i understand why - the title track was soooo good, and ending it right there on that tone/message is so awesome. Kissland next hopefully!!

[@joelgutz0180]

I think Jon Denton did a great job describing this project (Initiation specifically) and Kiss Land. It feels VERY claustrophobic. And in the opening track for Kiss Land he says it’s taking the sound we know & love and it’s flooding the city

[@starboy__finesse__4166]

The king def watching this

[@nicholasbooker7175]

Till dawn is so good! Perfect transition to kiss land imo ..

[@bossdonwaveify]

I can't wait till you go through his whole catalog. You're gonna be mind blown.

[@hhgxo9055]

You gotta do Kiss Land next, you’ll 100% gonna love it

[@tsunamipapi1343]

this isn’t my favorite in the trilogy but it has some of The Weeknd’s best songs ever . w Montreal, The Host, and Echoes of Silence

[@thekn0wing]

1:05:17 the second hook w the audible tears and weaps is The Weeknd

[@BREATHER_]

The NIN "Downward Spiral" comparison is pretty on point, the way you put it.

[@EyobAtn]

I love how immersed you were in the story, The Weeknd is such a genius in creating toxic, dark and twisted worlds where it is never good for the girl. And the guilt you feel for laughing out loud at how good this horrible story is is exactly what The Weeknd wanted you to feel going through this Masterpiece!

[@jaded6163]

Would love if you start getting into his new ongoing trilogy too. Listen to after hours and dawn FM

[@thomasbarnes261]

Gotta do Kissland next. Easily one of his best albums and so underrated

[@feli6277]

lol, the video dropped 11 minutes ago didn't expect you to listen to this! will be glad to watch this reaction :) (abel's best project imo)

[@ScientificNotation34]

Was not expecting this but let’s goooo!!!! XOTWOD

[@kingbacon6563]

Still one of my favorite Weeknd projects to date. The toxicity reaches a whole new level but the story is insanely captivating. The way he works the horrific instrumentals with even more horrific lyrics... jeez.

[@maybe.julius]

Can't wait for the cinematic masterpiece of Kissland!

[@mikebeaver324]

Thanks for your military service! Have loved your weeknd reactions and breakdowns!