High For This

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."

In Their Own Story

The song starts with a sound described by HotNewHipHop as "an eerie, ominous ringing in your ears," while stating that Tesfaye sings the first verse "as though he is on an MDMA-influenced high." Billboard's Kat Bein described the track as "moody noise," with "throbbing percussion." The song's sheet music shows it is written in the key of B minor and follows a tempo of 69 beats per minute. The Weeknd's vocal range spans from B2 to F#4. Consequence ranked "High for This" as the Weeknd's 8th best song, stating that it "embodies" the label of "haunted strip club music," and called its production "cavernous [and] titillating." Rolling Stone ranked it as the Weeknd's 7th best song, stating it serves as the perfect introduction to the Weeknd's "groundbreaking" aesthetic, and further stating that the song hovers between "darkwave and bedroom R&B."

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.

Did You Know?

• The song was recorded in one day, but the Weeknd and producer Cirkut went over it several times before its final version.
• Producer Cirkut first met the Weeknd after a mutual friend called him 'the next big thing.'
• The song's sheet music shows it follows a tempo of 69 beats per minute.
• English singer Ellie Goulding covered 'High for This' as part of the special edition of her second studio album, *Halcyon* (2012).