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The Hills is a song by Canadian singer The Weeknd, released in 2015 as a single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness. Built around a dark, minimalist beat and his distinctive falsetto, it became one of his biggest hits and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Its instantly recognisable opening has since been reused widely in short-form videos, edits and memes, where the brooding sound alone signals drama, confidence or a night-time mood without needing any lyrics.
About this sound
The Hills by The Weeknd opens with a dark, atmospheric synth line, and this short clip is widely used as a moody cue for dramatic reveals and edits.
This clip captures the instantly recognisable opening of The Hills, The Weeknd's dark and atmospheric hit, where a low, pulsing synth and a sparse, echoing beat build tension before his falsetto voice enters. It sounds brooding, cinematic and slightly unsettling, with a slow, heavy groove that makes even a simple image feel dramatic. Listeners often recognise it within a second or two, which is why it works so well as a shorthand for confidence, danger or a sudden mood shift. Played on its own, it creates anticipation, as if something important, stylish or ominous is about to happen.
