The Weeknd

Early life and career beginnings

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, to Ethiopian immigrants Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu. Raised primarily by his mother and grandmother in Scarborough after his parents separated, he grew up speaking Amharic and attended French immersion school, becoming fluent in French. He later attended West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute before dropping out at age seventeen. At that point, Tesfaye moved to the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto with two friends, including his future creative director and XO co founder La Mar Taylor. They paid their 850 dollar monthly rent using welfare checks during a period that included temporary homelessness and several brief incarcerations. Tesfaye later earned money by selling cannabis and folding clothes at an American Apparel store in downtown Toronto, where his coworkers played his early music without knowing he was the artist. He adopted the stage name The Weeknd after moving out on a weekend, deliberately omitting the 'e' to avoid trademark conflict with an existing Canadian pop rock band called the Weekend. Before this, he used the alias Kin Kane and was part of a hip hop duo called Bulleez n Nerdz, and was also part of a production team called the Noise.

Breakthrough with mixtapes and Trilogy

In August 2009, Tesfaye began anonymously uploading music to YouTube. The next year he met producer Jeremy Rose at a party, and they collaborated on several songs after Rose heard him freestyle. After creative differences led them to part ways, Tesfaye was allowed to use the songs they made on the condition Rose received production credits. In December 2010, Tesfaye uploaded the songs "What You Need", "Loft Music" and "The Morning" to YouTube under the username xoxxxoooxo. His identity was initially undisclosed. These songs gained online traction and were endorsed in a blog post by Toronto rapper Drake, attracting media coverage from Pitchfork and The New York Times. In 2011, Tesfaye met music executives Wassim Slaiby and Amir Esmailian, with whom, along with Taylor, he founded the independent XO record label. Earlier, in 2009, Tesfaye, Taylor and friend Hyghly Alleyne had formed a multimedia collective called She's So Lovely via Tumblr. On March 21, 2011, Tesfaye released his debut mixtape, House of Balloons, which featured production from Illangelo and Doc McKinney and included tracks originally produced by Jeremy Rose. The mixtape was named one of ten shortlisted nominees for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. Tesfaye began working with Drake in May 2011 and performed at Drake's OVO Fest on July 31. That same month, he held his first live performance at The Mod Club in Toronto, which received media attention because Drake attended. In summer 2011, his song "High For This" was featured in an advertising campaign for the final season of the HBO series Entourage, increasing his exposure in the United States.

On August 18, 2011, Tesfaye released his second mixtape, Thursday, which received generally positive reviews. He contributed as a songwriter, producer and featured artist to four songs on Drake's album Take Care, released November 15, including the single "Crew Love". His third mixtape, Echoes of Silence, was released on December 21, 2011, and was a long listed nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize. In April 2012, Tesfaye began performing at major shows like the Coachella Festival and sold out concerts at New York City's Bowery Ballroom, as well as European festivals including Primavera Sound and the Wireless Festival. In September 2012, he signed a major label deal with Republic Records, with XO operating as a subsidiary. That same month, he started his first concert tour, the Fall Tour, which included his own headlining shows and opening slots for the English band Florence and the Machine across North America from September to November. On November 13, 2012, he released the compilation album Trilogy, containing remixed and remastered versions of his three 2011 mixtapes plus three additional tracks. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with first week sales of 86,000 copies, and later received platinum certification from the RIAA and double platinum from Music Canada. It also earned Tesfaye a nomination for the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll award.

Mainstream pop success and major albums

Tesfaye's official debut studio album, Kiss Land, was released on September 10, 2013. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 96,000 copies sold and he promoted it with a fall tour in North America and England. In October 2013, he was announced as the opening act for the European leg of Drake's Would You Like a Tour from February to March 2014. Between November 6 and 13, 2013, he served as an opening act for Justin Timberlake on The 20/20 Experience World Tour. He also contributed two songs, "Devil May Cry" and "Elastic Heart" with Sia and Diplo, to the soundtrack for the 2013 film The Hunger Games Catching Fire. In 2014, he released a remix of Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love" and collaborated with Ariana Grande on the single "Love Me Harder", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 23, 2014, he released "Earned It" for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The song peaked at number three on the Hot 100 and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. It also won Best R&B Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards.

His commercial breakthrough arrived with his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness, released on August 28, 2015. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, earning 412,000 album equivalent units in its first week, and reached number one in Canada, Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom. It was certified double platinum in the United States and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, becoming the most streamed album of 2015 with over 60 million streams. The album spawned the chart topping singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills". "The Hills" became his first diamond certified record in the United States. In a historic feat, Tesfaye occupied the top three spots on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart simultaneously with these singles. He promoted the album by headlining festivals like Lollapalooza and starting his first large scale US arena tour, The Madness Fall Tour, in November 2015. The album won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Grammy Awards and was nominated for Album of the Year.

He continued his chart dominance with his third album, Starboy, released on November 25, 2016. Featuring collaborations with Daft Punk on the title track and "I Feel It Coming," the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 348,000 units. The title track "Starboy" also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and later achieved diamond certification. On November 23, 2016, he released the short film M A N I A directed by Grant Singer, featuring excerpts from the album. The Starboy Legend of the Fall Tour ran from February to December 2017 across Europe, North America and Oceania. The album won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Grammy Awards, his second win in the category. In 2018, Tesfaye shifted to a more introspective sound with the release of his debut EP, My Dear Melancholy, on March 30. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 169,000 units, led by the single "Call Out My Name," which peaked at number four on the Hot 100. That year, he also headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time and launched his Apple Music 1 radio show, Memento Mori, on June 8.

• House of Balloons (mixtape), Released March 21, 2011. Polaris Music Prize shortlist.
• Kiss Land, Released September 10, 2013. Debuted at number two on Billboard 200.
• Beauty Behind the Madness, Released August 28, 2015. Debuted at number one on Billboard 200. Certified double platinum (RIAA).
• Starboy, Released November 25, 2016. Features Daft Punk. Certified triple platinum (RIAA).
• My Dear Melancholy, (EP), Released March 30, 2018. Third consecutive US number one album.

The After Hours era and historic achievements

Tesfaye started an album trilogy based on three time points, beginning with After Hours in March 2020. The dream pop and new wave inspired album produced the global hit "Blinding Lights," which set a record as the best performing song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 and became the most streamed song on Spotify. Other singles "Heartless" and "Save Your Tears" also topped charts worldwide. The success of After Hours propelled Tesfaye to new commercial heights. In 2020, he was ranked among the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine. He became the first artist ever to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The album's supporting concert series, the After Hours til Dawn Tour, launched in 2022 and is scheduled to run through 2026. It set the record for the highest grossing tour by a male soloist in history. In 2021, he was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme, aligning with his advocacy for food security and racial equality.

Recent projects and ventures in film and television

The second installment of Tesfaye's album trilogy, Dawn FM, was released in January 2022, featuring the US top ten single "Take My Breath." He continued his work in acting and television production by co creating and starring in the HBO drama series The Idol, which premiered in 2023. In 2024, he legally removed his middle name, Makkonen. The third part of his trilogy, the album Hurry Up Tomorrow, was released in 2025, accompanied by a film of the same name in which he starred. The album's single "Timeless" reached the US top ten. That same year, he was named the highest paid musician in the world. His ventures extend beyond music, including his long running radio show Memento Mori, which aired on Apple Music 1 from 2018 to 2022. His other business and advocacy work includes his role with the World Food Programme and his early involvement with the multimedia collective She's So Lovely.

Artistry, vocal style and musical influence

The Weeknd is recognized for his distinctive light lyric tenor vocal range and frequent use of falsetto. His music initially pioneered a moody, atmospheric brand of alternative R&B, characterized by themes of hedonism, heartbreak and urban melancholy, which became closely associated with the Toronto music scene. Over his career, he has successfully blended this alternative R&B foundation with mainstream pop, electronic and synth wave influences. A key component of his artistry is the cohesive, cinematic visual storytelling in his music videos and live performances, which often feature dark, surreal aesthetics. He is regarded as an influential figure who helped bring alternative R&B to a global pop audience, inspiring a generation of artists. His work has been critically acclaimed for its production quality, vocal performance and thematic depth. His early anonymous releases and the dark, drug infused narratives of his mixtapes created a mysterious persona that contrasted with his later pop stardom.

Awards, records and commercial statistics

Throughout his career, The Weeknd has accumulated a vast collection of major music awards, highlighting his critical and commercial success. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album for both Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy. In Canada, he holds the record for the most Juno Awards won by a single artist, with 22 victories. His other honours include 20 Billboard Music Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and a Latin Grammy Award. His song "Earned It" earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in 2016. On the charts, he has achieved eight diamond certified singles from the Recording Industry Association of America, a marker of exceptional sales and streaming performance. He has amassed eight number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Can't Feel My Face," "The Hills," "Starboy," "Heartless," "Save Your Tears" and "Blinding Lights." His album Starboy is certified triple platinum by the RIAA, and Beauty Behind the Madness is certified double platinum. The compilation album Trilogy is certified platinum in the US and double platinum in Canada.

Collaborations and featured appearances

The Weeknd has built an extensive catalogue of collaborations with major artists across genres, often contributing to commercially successful and critically acclaimed projects. His early work with Drake on the 2011 album Take Care was a significant career catalyst. In 2013 and 2014, he worked with artists like Sia, Diplo and Ariana Grande. He has been featured on tracks by Beyoncé on her album Lemonade, Kanye West on The Life of Pablo, Future on Evol and Hndrxx, Kendrick Lamar on the Black Panther soundtrack, Travis Scott on Astroworld, and Lana Del Rey. His collaborations with the French electronic duo Daft Punk on "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming" were major global hits. He has also worked with Canadian artists like Nav on "Some Way" and Belly on "Might Not." These appearances have consistently charted well, expanded his artistic reach and solidified his reputation as a versatile and sought after vocalist and songwriter within the industry.

• Drake, Featured on "Crew Love" and co writer on multiple tracks for Take Care (2011).
• Ariana Grande, Collaboration on the single "Love Me Harder" (2014).
• Daft Punk, Collaborations on "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming" from Starboy (2016).
• Kendrick Lamar, Collaboration on "Pray for Me" for Black Panther soundtrack (2018).
• Future, Featured on "Low Life" (2016) and "Comin Out Strong" (2017).
• Travis Scott, Featured on "Pray 4 Love" (2015) and tracks on Astroworld (2018).

Questions about The Weeknd

What is The Weeknd's real name?

His birth name is Abel Tesfaye. He was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, but legally removed his middle name, Makkonen, in 2024. He adopted the stage name The Weeknd early in his career, choosing it because he left home on a weekend. The spelling was altered by dropping the letter 'e' to avoid trademark issues with an existing Canadian band called the Weekend.

How many Grammy Awards has The Weeknd won?

The Weeknd has won four Grammy Awards. His first major Grammy wins came at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016, where he won Best R&B Performance for "Earned It" and Best Urban Contemporary Album for Beauty Behind the Madness. He later won the Best Urban Contemporary Album award again in 2018 for his album Starboy. He has received numerous other nominations across categories, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.

What is The Weeknd's biggest song?

Statistically, his biggest song is "Blinding Lights" from the 2020 album After Hours. It holds the record as the best performing song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became the most streamed song on Spotify. The song's massive global success, driven by streaming and radio play, solidified its status as his most commercially successful and culturally pervasive single.

Where is The Weeknd from in Canada?

The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, is from Scarborough, Ontario, a suburb within the city of Toronto. He was raised there by his mother and grandmother after his parents, Ethiopian immigrants, separated shortly after his birth. Tesfaye grew up speaking Amharic and attended a French immersion school, followed by West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute. He began his music career from Toronto's underground scene after dropping out of school at age seventeen and moving to the Parkdale neighbourhood.

What is The Weeknd's highest-grossing tour?

His highest grossing tour is the After Hours til Dawn Tour, which ran from 2022 to 2026. This tour set the record for the highest grossing tour by a male soloist in history. It was launched in support of his albums After Hours and Dawn FM, which are part of a conceptual album trilogy. The tour's massive financial success contributed to his status as one of the world's top earning musicians.

How many Juno Awards has The Weeknd won?

The Weeknd has won 22 Juno Awards. These awards are among his many accolades, which also include 4 Grammy Awards and 20 Billboard Music Awards. His Juno wins recognize his outstanding achievements in the Canadian music industry across various categories. This total shows his significant impact and consistent popularity as a Canadian artist on the global stage.

Sources and further reading

• The Weeknd (Wikipedia)
• 21 facts you need to know about 'Blinding Lights' singer ... (capitalxtra.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.