Prince turned experimental music into pop music. 'When Doves Cry,' the whole 'Purple Rain' soundtrack - he was inspired by the Cocteau Twins and new wave pop and brought it into R&B when he first started, and then it became this cool, next-level, kind of hard-to-digest music. Which is what I felt 'House of Balloons' was.

The quote "Prince turned experimental music into pop music. 'When Doves Cry,' the whole 'Purple Rain' soundtrack – he was inspired by the Cocteau Twins and new wave pop and brought it into R&B when he first started, and then it became this cool, next-level, kind of hard-to-digest music. Which is what I felt 'House of Balloons' was" is from The Weeknd, a highly influential artist known for blending various genres like R&B, pop, and electronic music. In this statement, The Weeknd is drawing a parallel between the groundbreaking work of Prince and his own music, specifically his mixtape "House of Balloons."

The Weeknd highlights how Prince took experimental music—influenced by new wave and the ethereal sounds of the Cocteau Twins—and transformed it into mainstream pop music. Prince's ability to mix complex, avant-garde sounds with catchy melodies helped redefine what pop music could be. The mention of "When Doves Cry" and the "Purple Rain" soundtrack reflects how Prince's early work fused R&B with experimental elements, challenging traditional pop conventions and creating something innovative and fresh.

By comparing this to his own work on House of Balloons, The Weeknd is acknowledging the experimental and genre-blurring nature of his music. He sees his mixtape as a similar departure from conventional R&B and pop, combining dark, atmospheric sounds with accessible melodies. Just as Prince’s music evolved into something "hard-to-digest" and boundary-pushing, House of Balloons did the same for the early 2010s music scene by introducing complex production and emotional depth.

Ultimately, this quote underscores the influence of Prince on The Weeknd’s artistic evolution, particularly in terms of blending experimental sounds with more mainstream genres. The Weeknd acknowledges that like Prince, he wanted to push the boundaries of R&B and pop music, creating something that was both innovative and accessible, yet still challenging for listeners. This vision would come to define much of The Weeknd's career, mirroring the legacy left by Prince in shaping future music.