The Weeknd | Artist

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye aka the Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer born 1990 in Totonto. He is noted for his unconventional music production, artistic reinventions, and his signature use of the falsetto register, and has rapidly become one of the world's best selling artists with over 75 million records sold. He is the only child of Ethiopian immigrants Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu, who separated shortly after his birth and was brought up in the multicultural enclave of Scarborough by his mother and grandmother. Tesfaye began his career in 2009 by anonymously releasing music on YouTube. Two years later he co-founded the XO record label and released the mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, which gained recognition for his style of contemporary and alternative R&B, plus the mystery surrounding his identity. In 2012, he signed with Republic Records and rereleased the mixtapes in the compilation album Trilogy. He explored Dark Wave in his debut studio album Kiss Land (2013), which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. After its release, Tesfaye began contributing to film soundtracks, with his acclaimed single "Earned It" from Fifty Shades of Grey winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. The artist's aching accounts of emotionally and physically toxic indulgences have created a unique crossover of contemporary musical styles which has won many fans. In praise of the 2020 album After Hours, one reviewer describes being "taken on a mesmerizing and vibey journey through the depths of darkness, immersed in a world of haunting beauty. The etheric vocals a cornerstone of The Weeknd's artistry, resonating with a unique blend of introspection and emotional depth. Each song adding to the overall atmosphere, immersing me in a sonic landscape that felt both familiar and refreshingly unexpected". Standout albums include House of Balloons (2011), After Hours (2020), Dawn FM (2022), and Live at SoFi Stadium (2023). On top of his music success, Tesfaye ventured into acting and television production in 2023 as the co-writer, executive producer, and general conceptual force behind the HBO series The Idol. Tesfaye is known to be very private, and prefers to keep his personal life out of the public eye.

Artist Website: theweeknd.com

Featured Albums: The Weeknd

Related Artists: Abel Tesfaye

Collections: Movers Shakers