The Weeknd
The Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer known for his distinctive blend of R&B, pop, and electronic music. Born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye in 1990, he rose to prominence in the early 2010s and has become one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Early Life
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was raised in Scarborough, a district of Toronto, by his mother and maternal grandmother after his father was absent from his life. His parents were Ethiopian immigrants, and Amharic was spoken in the household alongside English. Tesfaye attended Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute but left school before completing his education.
Career Beginnings
Tesfaye began uploading music to YouTube in 2010 under the name The Weeknd, a spelling he adopted to distinguish the stage name from the Canadian band The Weekend. He released three mixtapes in 2011: Trilogy, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, which were made available for free download. The mixtapes attracted significant attention and were later compiled and released commercially as Trilogy in 2012 through Republic Records and his own imprint, XO.
Commercial Breakthrough
The Weeknd released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, in 2013, which reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. His mainstream breakthrough came with his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness, released in 2015. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced major hit singles including "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills," both of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album earned him two Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Continued Success
His third studio album, Starboy, was released in 2016 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The title track, featuring Daft Punk, became an international hit. In 2020, The Weeknd released After Hours, which spawned the single "Blinding Lights," one of the most commercially successful songs in music history. "Blinding Lights" spent 57 weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, a record at the time of its charting. He performed at Super Bowl LV halftime show in February 2021, attracting approximately 96 million viewers.
Dawn FM and Later Work
The Weeknd released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, in January 2022. The album was conceptualized as a radio broadcast and featured contributions from artists including Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne, as well as a spoken-word appearance by actor Jim Carrey. In 2023, he announced the forthcoming album The Idol and starred in and co-created the HBO television series of the same name, which premiered in June 2023.
Philanthropy and Other Activities
Tesfaye has been involved in various humanitarian efforts. In 2020, he donated one million dollars to COVID-19 relief efforts and made additional donations to organizations supporting racial justice causes. He has also contributed to famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. In 2021, he pledged one million dollars to aid humanitarian efforts in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The Weeknd has appeared in acting roles and has been involved in the fashion industry through brand partnerships and collaborations.
Recognition
The Weeknd has received numerous awards throughout his career, including multiple Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Juno Awards. He has been recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America as one of the best-selling music artists globally, with billions of streams across digital platforms. In 2021, he was named Artist of the Year by Spotify.
