The Weeknd — The Hills (CID Edit)

CID takes The Weeknd's "The Hills" and rebuilds it as a house weapon, preserving the dark atmospheric tension of the 2015 original while making it functional for contemporary club systems. This isn't a radical reimagining—it's a careful translation of R&B darkness into dancefloor language.

The Original Context

"The Hills" was The Weeknd at peak form—moody, sexually charged R&B with production from Mano and Illangelo that emphasized space and tension over hooks. The track hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of The Weeknd's transition from cult underground artist to mainstream force. Its success proved that dark, atmospheric R&B could compete commercially without compromising its edge.

The original's minimalist production left room for reinterpretation, and DJs have been working with it since release. What made the track effective in 2015 was its restraint—letting The Weeknd's vocals carry weight without overproducing the instrumental. Any edit has to respect that space while adding enough energy to work on dancefloors.

CID's Approach

CID keeps The Weeknd's vocal intact and builds house production around it rather than over it. The bassline drives without overwhelming, percussion maintains groove without cluttering, and the arrangement creates momentum through consistency rather than dramatic builds. This shows understanding of both the original material and what works in club contexts.

The edit doesn't try to make "The Hills" into something it isn't. It's not peak-time festival energy or aggressive tech house. Instead, CID finds the sweet spot where R&B atmosphere meets house functionality—music that works at 2am when crowds want something darker and more textured than straight four-on-the-floor bangers.

CID's Context

CID (real name Carlos Cid) has built a reputation for exactly this kind of work—taking recognizable vocal material and editing it into DJ-ready tools that work across different contexts. His productions blend house, tech house, and bass house elements without getting precious about genre boundaries. The focus stays on what functions behind the decks.

Offering this as a free download through Hypeddit is smart positioning. It gets the edit into DJ boxes immediately, lets it prove itself through actual club testing, and builds goodwill with DJs who might then check out CID's original productions. This is how you build a DJ audience—give them functional tools first, then ask them to pay attention to your own music.

Where It Works

This edit functions best in sets that value mood and texture over pure energy. It's perfect for that transitional hour when you're building atmosphere or winding down from peak time. The darkness of The Weeknd's original vocal gives DJs an easy way to shift a room's energy without killing momentum entirely.

It also works for DJs who need recognizable material that still feels current. "The Hills" is familiar enough that crowds will connect immediately, but nine years past release means it doesn't feel like a nostalgia play. CID's production updates it just enough to feel relevant in 2026 club contexts.

The Verdict

CID's edit of "The Hills" succeeds by understanding what the original did well and translating it effectively rather than overwriting it. This isn't about showing off production skills or forcing the track into contexts where it doesn't belong. It's a functional DJ tool that respects the source material while making it work for house music sets. For DJs looking for darker, moodier material that still maintains groove, this delivers exactly what's needed.