The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (Amharic: አቤል መኮንን ተስፋዬ; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. Recognized for his unconventional musical production, artistic reinventions, and signature falsetto register, Tesfaye is one of the most innovative and influential artists of his generation.
The Weeknd | |
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 The Weeknd in 2023 | |
| Born | Abel Makkonen Tesfaye February 16, 1990 Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Awards | Full list |
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| Website | theweeknd |
Tesfaye began releasing music anonymously in 2009. After co-founding the record label XO, he released three mixtapes—House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence—in 2011, and gained recognition for his blend of contemporary and alternative R&B, as well as the mystery surrounding his identity. He signed with Republic Records to reissue the mixtapes into the compilation album Trilogy (2012), and release his debut studio album, Kiss Land (2013) the following year. After a string of collaborations and film soundtrack contributions from 2013 and 2014, Tesfaye transitioned from alternative R&B to a pop sound with his second and third studio albums, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) and Starboy (2016), both of which debuted atop the US Billboard 200. The former yielded his first two US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills", while Starboy spawned two more: its title track (featuring Daft Punk), and after a 2023 remix with Ariana Grande, "Die for You".
He returned to alternative R&B for his debut extended play, My Dear Melancholy (2018), which included the US top-ten single "Call Out My Name". He explored the dream-pop and new wave genres with his fourth studio album, After Hours (2020), which spawned the record-setting single, "Blinding Lights", in which became the most-streamed song of all time on Spotify, broke records as the longest-charting song in Billboard Hot 100 history, and was named the chart's best-performing song of all time. Other chart-topping singles from the album included "Heartless" and "Save Your Tears" with the latter gaining renewed popularity after a remix featuring Ariana Grande. Tesfaye began exploring dance-pop, leading to his fifth album, Dawn FM (2022), which included the US top-ten single, "Take My Breath". In 2023, he co-created and starred in the HBO drama series The Idol, which was a critical failure, while its accompanying soundtrack saw commercial success.
Tesfaye has sold over 75 million records, making him one of the world's best-selling artists. He has earned seven diamond-certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for his singles, and is the first artist to simultaneously hold the top three spots on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Blinding Lights" became the best-performing song in the Billboard Hot 100's history and the longest-charting song by a solo artist in the chart's history. Tesfaye was listed by Time as one of the world's most influential people in 2020, and was dubbed the "world's most popular artist" by Guinness World Records in 2023. An advocate for racial equality and food security, he was appointed a World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2021. He has donated millions to causes related to racial equality, food security, and disaster relief, including substantial contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts and the Ethiopian humanitarian crisis. His accolades include four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, a Latin Grammy Award and nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Life and career
Early life
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to parents Samra and Makkonen. His father left when Abel was young. His mother worked several jobs and, as a result, was taken care of by his grandmother. She took Abel to their Ethiopian Orthodox church services.[2]
At age 11, Abel tried marijuana for the first time and moved onto harder drugs.
Career
On March 21, 2011, the Weeknd released his first mixtape, House of Balloons, to public and critical approval.[3] The record contains several successful songs, including "Wicked Games" and "High for This". Also the title track is based on the hit "Happy House" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The latter has been recognized by the music magazine Pitchfork.[4] The eclectic music of Tesfaye combines samples of other artists like Beach House and Aaliyah. He also released two other albums the same year with singles named "Thursday" and "Echoes of Silence". With Drake’s help, he performed the popular song "The Zone".
In addition, the Weeknd gave his first performance in London in June 2012, and was surprised that among the spectators were famous singers like Katy Perry and Florence Welch. At this first show, he sang a unique interpretation, the reprise of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson.[5] In November 2012, at the age of 22, The Weeknd released Trilogy, comprising the last three albums remixed with Universal Music Group. The Recording Industry Association of America certified Trilogy gold in the U.S. shortly after its release. In 2013, he gave a concert in the Trianon Room in Paris. The audience during the presentation consisted mainly of young adults aged between the ages of 17 and 30.
The Weeknd's songs are known for being rhythmic and sensual. In addition, he had the opportunity to start his career singing alongside rapper Wiz Khalifa with the hit "Remember Me". He has also worked with the artists Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Frank Ocean.
The Weeknd's fourth album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), spawned the number-one hit singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills", along with the top-three song "Earned It", which was used in the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. On September 22, 2016, The Weeknd released a single, "Starboy", which features French electronic duo Daft Punk. They helped produce the song, and it has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100 charts. The third and fourth singles, "I Feel It Coming" (also featuring Daft Punk) and "Party Monster", were released on November 18. The Weeknd's fifth studio album, also called Starboy, was released on November 25, 2016.[6] The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, and all 18 songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. Only Drake has more entries from one album, with the 20 songs from his album Views entering the chart.
On March 30, 2018, he released the EP, My Dear Melancholy, which contains six songs. The first track and first single, "Call Out My Name", entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number four, with the EP entering at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart with 169,000 copies sold and streamed in its first week.[7]
Discography
Studio albums
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EPs
Re-releases
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Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Tesfaye has won three Grammy Awards from eight nominations.
| Year | Award | Work | Status | Ref. |
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| 2016 | Record of the Year | "Can't Feel My Face" | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Pop Solo Performance | Nominated | |||
| Best Urban Contemporary Album | Beauty Behind the Madness | Won | ||
| Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best R&B Performance | "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" | Won | ||
| Best R&B Song | Nominated | |||
| Best Song Written for Visual Media | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Starboy | Won | [9] |
Personal life
The Weeknd dated American model Bella Hadid from September 2015 until November 2016.[10]
In late 2016, he began dating American singer-actress Selena Gomez. They broke up in late 2017.
The Weeknd Media
Tesfaye performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012
Tesfaye performing at Massey Hall in October 2013
Tesfaye performing at Bumbershoot 2015
Tesfaye performing at Lollapalooza Chile during the Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour in 2017
Tesfaye performing in Hong Kong in November 2018
Tesfaye headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show at the Raymond James Stadium in 2021
A portrait of The Weeknd by photographer Brian Ziff
The Weeknd's haunted house as part of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights.
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References
- ↑ Marsh, Calum (February 16, 2021). "Everything We Know About The Weeknd Before He Blew Up". Complex. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
He apparently also recorded music under the names The Noise and Kin Kane.
- ↑ "Sex, Drugs and R&B: Inside The Weeknd's Dark Twisted Fantasy". Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/sex-drugs-and-r-b-inside-the-weeknds-dark-twisted-fantasy-20151021. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ↑ "House Of Balloons". HotNewHipHop. https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/the-weeknd-house-of-balloons-new-mixtape.94910.html. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ↑ Neyland, Nick, « The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons » [archive], Pitchfork
- ↑ Soriano, Kristen; Solomon, Michael; Stern, Claire (May 11, 2012). "The Weeknd, 22, recording artist - 30 Under 30: The Essential Names to Know". Elle (New York). Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013
- ↑ "Starboy by The Weeknd on Apple Music". Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ↑ "The Weeknd Scores Third Consecutive No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'My Dear Melancholy'". Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8298065/the-weeknd-no-1-album-billboard-200-my-dear-melancholy. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ↑ "58th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees | GRAMMY.com". Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ↑ Staff, Los Angeles Times. "Grammys 2018: Complete list of winners and nominees". latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ↑ Tesema, Martha. "The Weeknd and Bella Hadid's Victoria's Secret encounter was everything" (in en). Mashable. http://mashable.com/2016/11/30/the-weeknd-bella-hadid-victoria-secret/#mox.AGVzakq4. Retrieved 2018-04-10.