The Weeknd

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer who has become a defining figure in contemporary R&B and pop music. Born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, Tesfaye adopted his stage name as a tribute to the time he dropped out of high school at age 17, took his mattress, and left home one weekend, never to return. The spelling was altered to avoid trademark issues with the Canadian band The Weekend.

Early Career and the Mixtape Trilogy

The Weeknd first rose to prominence in 2011 through the anonymous release of three critically acclaimed mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. These projects, characterized by their dark, atmospheric production and vulnerable lyricism, helped pioneer the "alternative R&B" subgenre. After signing with Republic Records and establishing his own label, XO, he compiled these mixtapes into the remastered three-disc collection Trilogy in 2012.

Mainstream Breakthrough and Kiss Land

In 2013, Tesfaye released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, which expanded on the cinematic sounds of his earlier work. He began a rapid ascent into the mainstream in 2014 with the release of "Often" and "Earned It," the latter of which was featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack and served as his first major solo hit on the global charts.

Global Superstardom

His second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), solidified his status as a pop powerhouse. The album featured the number-one singles "The Hills" and "Can’t Feel My Face," earning him significant commercial success and critical recognition. He followed this in 2016 with Starboy, an album that blended pop and electronic influences. The title track, a collaboration with Daft Punk, became his third number-one hit in the United States. Starboy won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

In 2018, Tesfaye released the EP My Dear Melancholy, which returned to the moodier, more melancholic sound of his early mixtapes. The lead single, "Call Out My Name," achieved record-breaking streaming numbers upon its release.

The After Hours Era and Super Bowl LV

Tesfaye’s fourth studio album, After Hours, arrived in March 2020. Influenced by 1980s synth-pop and new wave, the album produced the massive hits "Heartless" and "Blinding Lights." The latter became a global phenomenon, breaking records for the most weeks spent in the top five and top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the album's immense success, it received no nominations for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, leading Tesfaye to publicly criticize the Recording Academy for a lack of transparency.

In February 2021, The Weeknd headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show, a performance for which he reportedly invested $7 million of his own money. The event led to a significant surge in his catalog's streaming and sales figures. Shortly after, he released the greatest hits collection The Highlights.

Dawn FM and Hurry Up Tomorrow

In early 2022, The Weeknd released Dawn FM, a concept album framed as a broadcast from a fictional radio station. The project continued his collaboration with producers Max Martin and Oscar Holter, featuring singles such as "Take My Breath" and "Sacrifice." The album was praised for its cohesive narrative and disco-inspired production.

Tesfaye released his sixth studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on January 31, 2025. This project was announced as the final installment of a trilogy that began with After Hours and Dawn FM, and it marks his final release under the moniker The Weeknd as he transitions into a new phase of his career.