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The Weeknd

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The Weeknd
Born (1990-02-16) February 16, 1990 (age 34)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresUnclassifiable
Years active2010–present
LabelsXO
Websitewww.the-weeknd.com

Abel Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian artist. Songs recorded under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.[1][2] The Weeknd released a nine-song free album, House of Balloons, on 21 March 2011. This album is a part of a trilogy which includes Thursday, released on 18 August 2011, and Echoes of Silence, released on 21 December 2011.[3] The song "High for This" was featured in the promo for the final season of the HBO show Entourage. On June 16, 2011, House of Balloons was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.[4] On July 6, the album was named as one of ten shortlisted nominees but eventually lost to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs.[5] On December 21, 2011 at 11:07 p.m. EST Tesfaye released his highly anticipated third album Echoes of Silence. The Weeknd's site crashed shortly after due to the large number of downloads. The Weeknd quickly provided a Hulkshare link to keep the album available while the official site was down.

Since hitting the scene, The Weeknd has received co-signs from a number of well-respected musical publications, including those of MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, XXL, The Source, and 2DopeBoyz, who have all dubbed him the "Songbird of his Generation", as well as the "best musical talent since Michael Jackson" (John Norris, MTV).

Early Career

Around 2008, Tesfaye was involved in rap group trio Bulleez'n'Nerdz with X.O. partners and friends Lamar and Hyghly. Later, they transformed into the Noise and became a writing/production team. Eventually, Tesfaye developed enough as a singer to record music under the title The Weeknd, with producer Jeremy Rose. In late 2010, Rose left the group, leaving Tesfaye a solo act recording under the Weeknd.

House of Balloons

In late 2010, Abel Tesfaye uploaded three songs: "What You Need," "Loft Music," and "The Morning" to YouTube.[6] A nine-track free album titled House of Balloons was digitally released on 21 March 2011 through the artist's official website.[7] Hip-hop artist Drake has been partly credited for generating public awareness for The Weeknd, after he quoted a line from the track "Wicked Games" via Twitter and linked to the singer's music on his website.[7][8]

In a review of the House of Balloons album, Pitchfork Media's Joe Colly wrote that "all the thematic and sonic pieces fit together - these weird, morning-after tales of lust, hurt, and over-indulgence ... are matched by this incredibly lush, downcast music. It's hard to think of a record since probably The xx's debut ... that so fully embodies such a specific nocturnal quality."[9] Frontier Psychiatrist's L.V. Lopez claimed the album was "brilliant, disturbing, and not safe for work," calling the song "Loft Music" a song that is "so unsafe it should come with a child-proof cap, so dirty that you’ll feel guilty the next time you see your wife."[10] Tom Ewing of The Guardian said that although the singing and songwriting on House of Balloons "aren't especially strong by R&B standards," the Weeknd is receiving "so much attention" as a result of its "command of mood."[11] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice called the album "impressive" and added, "It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche ... with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost."[12] Maegan McGregor of Exclaim! praised the album: "Packed full of sex, drugs and some downright killer production, this easily stands as one of the year's best debuts so far, hipster, Top 40 or otherwise."[13] Sputnik Music's Tyler Fisher said that "despite being a free album, House of Balloons feels like a true album, a true labor of love."[14] The title track samples Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 single "Happy House."[15] House of Balloons was also named #1 album of 2011 by Complex magazine, the album beat both Drake's Take Care and Watch The Throne for the number 1 spot.[16]

Recent projects

The Weeknd was recently commissioned by Florence & The Machine to remix their single "Shake It Out" from their album Ceremonials.[17] Tesfaye released a new track entitled Initiation, on October 8, 2011 which appears on Echoes of Silence. [18]

Illangelo announced that The Weeknd had "been tapped to contribute a remix of one of Lady Gaga's Born This Way hits to her 14-track collection, Born This Way: The Remix released on November 21, 2011." [19]On November 2 a remix called 'The Weeknd & Illangelo Remix' of her single "Marry the Night" was released on the internet.[20]

On the night of December 21, 2011, The Weeknd released Echoes of Silence, his third nine-track album. It is the final release in the trilogy.

Discography

List of albums, with selected details
Title Album details
House of Balloons
Thursday
Echoes of Silence

The Weeknd is also featured on Drake's album, Take Care, on the tracks "Crew Love" and "The Ride". He also provided vocals for the songs "Good Ones Go" and "Practice"

References

  1. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2011-03-04). "The Playlist - The Weeknd - What You Need". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  2. ^ Stewart, Allison (2011-03-14). "Singles File: Da Phuture, The Weeknd, Fever Ray". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-03-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2011-05-19). "The Weeknd Ready Two More Mixtapes for 2011". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
  4. ^ "2011 Polaris Music Prize Long List announced". aux.tv, June 16, 2011.
  5. ^ "The 2011 Shortlist|Polaris Music Prize"
  6. ^ Caramanica A-Train, Jon (2010-12-31). "Screams That Charmed, and Other Overlooked Highlights". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-03-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b Ramirez, Erika (2011-03-21). "Say Hello To The Weeknd, Drake Co-Signs". MTV. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  8. ^ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (2011-03-23). "Love and Other Drugs: The Weeknd's Altered-State R&B". WNET. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  9. ^ Colly, Joe (2011-03-29). "Album Reviews - The Weeknd - House of Balloons". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  10. ^ Lopez, L. V. (2011-03-28). "Wicked Games – A Review of The Weeknd's House Of Balloons". Frontier Psychiatrist. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  11. ^ Ewing, Tom (2011-03-24). "The Weeknd's VIP Area Exposé Was Made for the Indie Crowd". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-03-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ Fennessey, Sean (2011-03-23). "Love vs. Money: The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, and R&B's Future Shock". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2011-03-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ McGregor, Maegan (2011-03-28). "Get the Latest from the Weeknd, Teenage Kicks, TV on the Radio and More in This Week's Click Hear Roundup". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2011-03-29. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Fisher, Tyler (2011-03-25). "Staff Review - The Weeknd - House Of Balloons". Sputnik Music. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  15. ^ Neyland, Nick."The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons". Pitchfork. 2011-03-28. "Soo here on the title track from that mixtape, we get a more-than-generous portion of Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 single "Happy House." which is worked into a softly anthemic slow-burn number full of diva-ish vocals tied to a chilly beat. John McGeoch's riff remains untouched and runs throughout most of the track, giving it a filmy pop feel that periodically peaks with a generous swipe from the "Happy House" chorus."
  16. ^ http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/the-25-best-albums-of-2011#26
  17. ^ http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2011/10/02/florence-the-machine-shake-it-out-the-weeknd-remix-cdq/
  18. ^ http://www.pitchfork.com/news/44243-listen-the-weeknd-initiation/
  19. ^ http://www.billboard.com/column/the-juice/the-weeknd-to-remix-lady-gaga-1005395152.story#/column/the-juice/the-weeknd-to-remix-lady-gaga-1005395152.story
  20. ^ http://www.billboard.com/news/the-weeknd-remixes-lady-gaga-s-marry-the-1005469422.story#/news/the-weeknd-remixes-lady-gaga-s-marry-the-1005469422.story

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