Jump to content

The Weeknd

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Abel tesfaye)
"Weeknd" redirects here. For other uses, see Weekend (disambiguation).

The Weeknd
Tesfaye (the Weeknd), wearing a black suit with a bowtie, and with a neutral expression on his face, averts his gaze from the camera.
The Weeknd at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
Born
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

(1990-02-16) February 16, 1990 (age 34)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Other names
  • The Noise
  • Kin Kane[1]
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
  • businessman
Years active2009–present
Works
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
Labels
Websitetheweeknd.com
Signature

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (Amharic: አቤል መኮንን ተስፋዬ; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor.[2][3] He is known for his unconventional musical production, artistic reinventions and use of the falsetto register.

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", and two other US number-one singles: "Heartless" and "Save Your Tears". 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, though 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 most-streamed song in Spotify history, 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. 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[a] was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[4][5] The only child of Ethiopian Amhara immigrants Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu,[b] who separated shortly after his birth,[7][8] he was raised in the suburb of Scarborough by his mother and grandmother.[5][9] Tesfaye's patronymic is spelled "Makkonen" instead of the traditional Ethiopian name "Makonnen". The similarity with the Finnish surname Makkonen is pure coincidence. The spelling of Tesfaye's patronymic might be the result of a typographic error or a new form of the traditional name.[10] Tesfaye is proficient in Amharic, his native language acquired from his grandmother,[11] and is also fluent in French, as he attended a French immersion school.[12] He was further educated at West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute.[13]

At seventeen, Tesfaye dropped out of school and relocated to an apartment in the neighbourhood of Parkdale with two friends, one of whom is La Mar Taylor—his best friend and now creative director.[14] Living a hedonistic lifestyle with his friends,[5][15] Tesfaye adopted his stage name because he left home on a weekend.[16] He removed the last 'e' in 'weekend' to avoid trademark issues with the Canadian pop rock band the Weekend.[17] He has also experienced homelessness and was incarcerated on several occasions during this time, which encouraged him to "smarten up, to focus".[18][19] During this time, Tesfaye frequently engaged in drug use, including substances such as ketamine, cocaine, MDMA, magic mushrooms, and cough syrup,[20] stating that drugs were a "crutch" for him when he wrote music.[21] Before releasing music under his current stage name, he went under the alias 'Kin Kane', as part of a hip-hop duo called 'Bulleez n Nerdz',[8] and was part of a production team called 'the Noise'.[22][23]

2009–2014: Trilogy and Kiss Land

In August 2009, Tesfaye began anonymously releasing music on YouTube.[24][25] The following year, he met the producer Jeremy Rose at a party. Rose asked Tesfaye if he wanted to work together as a dark R&B project after hearing him freestyle over an instrumental. After creating multiple songs and parting ways due to creative differences, Tesfaye was allowed to use the songs they made together under the condition that Rose received production credits.[26] In December 2010, Tesfaye uploaded "What You Need", "Loft Music" and "The Morning" to YouTube under the username "xoxxxoooxo".[27][28] His identity remained undisclosed initially. These songs gained attention online and were later acknowledged in a blog post by the rapper Drake.[26][29] The songs subsequently received coverage from various media outlets, including Pitchfork and The New York Times.[30]

In 2011, Tesfaye met music executives Wassim "Sal" Slaiby and Amir "Cash" Esmailian, with whom, along with Taylor, he founded the XO record label.[31] On March 21, Tesfaye released his debut mixtape, House of Balloons,[c] which featured production from Illangelo and Doc McKinney. The mixtape also included tracks produced by Rose, although he did not receive production credits.[26] House of Balloons was named as one of the ten shortlisted nominees for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.[35]

Tesfaye started working with Drake in May 2011, eventually earning a spot at the latter's OVO Fest on July 31.[36] In July 2011, Tesfaye held his first live performance at the Mod Club Theatre in Toronto.[37] He also participated in concerts hosted by the Black Student Association at the University of Toronto.[38] On August 18, Tesfaye released his second mixtape, Thursday, which garnered usually positive reviews.[39] Tesfaye contributed to four songs on Drake's second studio album, Take Care, released on November 15, as a songwriter, producer and a featured artist on the album's seventh single, "Crew Love".[40] He released his third mixtape, Echoes of Silence, on December 21. It was a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.[41][42]

The Weeknd wearing a button-up, sleeveless shirt covering a normal black t-shirt. He is performing on a stage, singing into a microphone, with palm trees in the background.
Tesfaye performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012

In April 2012, Tesfaye began performing at more shows, such as the Coachella Festival,[43] and two sold-out shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.[43][44] He also performed at various European festivals, such as Primavera Sound in Spain and Portugal[45] and the Wireless Festival in the United Kingdom.[d] In September, Tesfaye signed with Republic Records; XO was assumed as a subsidiary label.[49] That same month, he embarked on his first concert tour, the Fall Tour, which included his own headlining shows and some opening shows for the English band Florence and the Machine. The tour was performed in North America in September to November 2012.[50]

On November 13, 2012, Tesfaye released Trilogy, a compilation album comprising re-mixed and remastered versions of his 2011 mixtapes, and three additional tracks.[51] The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 86,000 copies,[52] and has received platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and double-platinum from Music Canada.[53][54] It also earned Tesfaye a nomination for the Sound of 2013 poll award by BBC.[55]

The picture depicts Tesfaye performing, with the lights giving the image an orange environment. In the background, there is a drum set.
Tesfaye performing at Massey Hall in October 2013

On May 17, 2013, Tesfaye released the title track to his debut studio album, Kiss Land[56] and announced the album's release date of September 10.[57] Upon its release, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 96,000 copies[58] and received generally positive reviews from music critics.[59] Tesfaye further promoted the album with a fall tour that occurred in North America and England in September to November 2013.[60] Between November 6 and 13, he served as an opening act for Justin Timberlake during The 20/20 Experience World Tour.[61] He also contributed two songs to the soundtrack for the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, "Devil May Cry" and the soundtrack's second single, "Elastic Heart" with Sia and Diplo.[62]

In February 2014, Tesfaye released a remix of "Drunk in Love" from Beyoncé's eponymous studio album,[63] and Ty Dolla Sign's "Or Nah".[64] He announced the King of the Fall Tour in June 2014, a 4-city tour of North America between September and October and was supported by Schoolboy Q and Jhené Aiko.[65] In promotion of the tour, he released the songs "King of the Fall" and "Often" in July of that year.[66] On August 25, Tesfaye collaborated with Ariana Grande on the song "Love Me Harder" from Grande's second studio album My Everything. It was later released on September 30 as the fourth single from the album, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[67] On December 23, Tesfaye released the song "Earned It" from the soundtrack for Fifty Shades of Grey (2015). The single, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, earned Tesfaye his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.[68] The song won Best R&B Performance and was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.[69]

2015–2016: Beauty Behind the Madness

Tesfaye performing at Bumbershoot 2015

On May 27, 2015, Tesfaye released the second single from Beauty Behind the Madness, "The Hills".[70] The single debuted at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number one, becoming Tesfaye's second number-one single, following "Can't Feel My Face", which had reached the number one position before it. In June 2019, "The Hills" was certified diamond by the RIAA, marking Tesfaye's first diamond-certified record.[71][72]

In June 2015, after winning the Centric Award at the BET Awards, Tesfaye performed "Earned It" with Alicia Keys.[73] On June 8, he released the song "Can't Feel My Face" as the album's third single. The track was previously leaked in May, but was released as a single following a performance by Tesfaye at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference.[74] The single debuted at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number one, making it Tesfaye's third top 10 hit and his first number-one song in the United States.[75][76] The song was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.[77] He occupied all three slots on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart simultaneously with the aforementioned singles, becoming the first artist in history to accomplish this.[78] He was also unveiled as one of the musical faces of the streaming service Apple Music, alongside Drake.[79] During the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, Apple debuted a two-part promotional commercial featuring Tesfaye, which had a guest appearance from John Travolta.[80] In July, Tesfaye headlined the inaugural FVDED in the Park festival in Surrey, British Columbia.[81] On June 29, Tesfaye was featured on Meek Mill's second studio album Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015), on the track "Pullin' Up".[82]

Beauty Behind the Madness, Tesfaye's second studio album, was released on August 28, 2015, and debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning 412,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[83][84] It reached the top 10 in over ten countries and reached number one in Canada, Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom.[85][86] The album was promoted by Tesfaye headlining various summer music festivals, including Lollapalooza, the Hard Summer Music Festival, and the Bumbershoot Festival.[87] He announced The Madness Fall Tour, his first large-scale tour across the United States, which began in November, and concluded in December.[88][89] The album was certified double platinum in the U.S., and sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.[90] It was the most-streamed album in 2015, with over 60 million streams,[91] and was ranked on multiple lists of albums of the year.[92] The three singles that preceded the album were certified platinum in the United States.[93] The album won Best Urban Contemporary Album and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.[94]

On September 4, 2015, Tesfaye was featured on Travis Scott's debut album Rodeo, on the track "Pray 4 Love".[95] On October 10, Tesfaye appeared on Saturday Night Live alongside actress Amy Schumer, performing as the show's musical guest.[96][97] This was his first performance on the show as a solo artist, after appearing with Ariana Grande to perform "Love Me Harder".[97] In November, he began his debut arena tour, The Madness Fall Tour, which included shows at Toronto's Air Canada Centre and New York City's Madison Square Garden. On December 18, Tesfaye was featured on Belly's single "Might Not" from his eighth mixtape Up For Days.[98]

On February 14, 2016, Tesfaye was featured on Kanye West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo on the track "FML".[99][100] It marked their second collaboration, with West previously writing and producing on Tesfaye's track "Tell Your Friends" from Beauty Behind the Madness. On March 1, Tesfaye was featured on Future's single "Low Life" from his fourth studio album Evol.[101] On April 23, he was featured on Beyoncé's sixth studio album Lemonade on the track "6 Inch".[102] On August 26, Tesfaye was featured on Cashmere Cat's single "Wild Love" with Francis and the Lights, which served as the lead single from Cashmere Cat's debut studio album 9 (2017).[103]

2016–2019: Starboy and My Dear Melancholy,

Tesfaye performing at Lollapalooza Chile during the Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour in 2017

In September 2016, Tesfaye announced that his third studio album, Starboy, would be released on November 25, and included collaborations with now-disbanded French electronic music duo Daft Punk.[104][105] He released the album's title track, which featured the duo on September 21.[106] The song debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number one, making it Tesfaye's third number-one single.[107] As of March 2023, the song is certified Diamond by the RIAA.[108] Their second collaboration, "I Feel It Coming" was released on November 24. The single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.[109] On October 1, Tesfaye made a second appearance on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest alongside actress Margot Robbie. During the show, he performed "Starboy" and "False Alarm".[110] On November 23, he released the short film M A N I A. Directed by Grant Singer, it featured excerpts from the album, including snippets from "All I Know" featuring Future, "Sidewalks" featuring Kendrick Lamar, "Secrets" and "Die for You".[111] Upon release, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 348,000 units, making it Tesfaye's second consecutive number-one album.[112] As of January 2019, the album is certified triple platinum by the RIAA.[113] The album won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, making it Tesfaye's second win in the category.[114]

On February 17, 2017, the Weeknd began his fifth concert tour, called Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour. The tour was in support of his third studio album Starboy (2016) and concluded on December 14, 2017. He visited the continents Europa, North- and South America and Oceania. On February 15, 2017, Tesfaye was featured on Nav's commercial debut single "Some Way", which also served as the lead single from his self-titled mixtape.[115] On February 24, he appeared on Future's sixth studio album Hndrxx, on the song "Comin Out Strong".[116] On April 19, Tesfaye appeared on the title track and second single from Lana Del Rey's fifth studio album.[117][118] On August 15, he was featured on French Montana's track "A Lie", the third single from his second studio album Jungle Rules. He then appeared on the Virgil Abloh-directed music video for Lil Uzi Vert's "XO Tour Llif3" alongside Nav. He was later featured on Lil Uzi Vert's debut album Luv Is Rage 2 on the track "UnFazed" and on Gucci Mane's eleventh studio album Mr. Davis on the track "Curve".

Tesfaye performing in Hong Kong in November 2018

On February 2, 2018, Tesfaye contributed to the soundtrack for Black Panther on the song "Pray for Me" with Kendrick Lamar. The track served as the third single from the soundtrack, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[119][120]

On March 30, 2018, Tesfaye released his debut extended play My Dear Melancholy,[121][122] after news of the project were teased and leaked.[123][124] The EP debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 169,000 units, making it Tesfaye's third consecutive number-one album and the shortest album, by track count, to top the chart in eight years.[125] On April 6, Tesfaye released the EP's lead single "Call Out My Name", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.[126][127] On April 13, he headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time.[128][129] He appeared in multiple festivals throughout 2018 to support the EP, most notably the Mawazine Festival in Morocco,[130] Lollapalooza in both Chicago and Berlin,[131] and a post-race concert at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.[132]

On June 6, 2018, Tesfaye announced his new Apple Music 1 radio show Memento Mori. The first episode was released two days later.[133] He would later feature on two tracks from Travis Scott's third studio album, Astroworld, which were "Skeletons" and "Wake Up" on August 3, 2018.[134] On November 21, he released his first greatest hits album The Weeknd in Japan.[135] In support of the album and his EP My Dear Melancholy, he began his sixth concert tour, the Weeknd Asia Tour, a six-show tour of Asia during November and December. On January 11, 2019, Tesfaye was featured on Gesaffelstein's song "Lost in the Fire", the second single from his second studio album Hyperion.[136] On April 18, he released "Power Is Power" with SZA and Travis Scott, the lead single from the Game of Thrones-inspired soundtrack.[137][138]

2019–2021: After Hours

On November 24, 2019, Tesfaye teased his single "Blinding Lights" through a Mercedes-Benz commercial.[139] On November 27, he released "Heartless" as the lead single from his fourth studio album. The song debuted at number thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number one, making it Tesfaye's fourth number-one single.[140][141] "Blinding Lights" was released two days after the release of "Heartless" on November 29. The single debuted at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number one, making it Tesfaye's fifth number-one single.[142] "Blinding Lights" would then go on to become the first song in the chart's history to hold a spot in the top ten for an entire year.[143] It also became the longest charting song by a solo artist on the Hot 100 at 90 weeks, ending the week of September 11, 2021.[144][145] On November 23, 2021, "Blinding Lights" was ranked as the #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time by Billboard, surpassing "The Twist" by Chubby Checker.[146] On January 1, 2023, it became the most streamed song on Spotify with 3.3 billion streams.[147]

On February 19, 2020, Tesfaye revealed that his fourth studio album would be titled After Hours, and would be released on March 20. He also released the album's title track as a promotional single.[148] On March 7, he made his third appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, alongside actor Daniel Craig. On the show, he performed "Blinding Lights" and debuted the track "Scared to Live".[149] Tesfaye released the album's third single "In Your Eyes" on March 24. The track peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[150]

Upon release,[151] After Hours debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning 444,000 units, marking Tesfaye's fourth consecutive number-one album.[152] It became the most streamed R&B album of all-time, surpassing Tesfaye's own Starboy.[153][154] In the album's first charting week, Tesfaye also became the first artist to lead the Billboard 200, Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Artist 100, Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts simultaneously, and repeated his lead the following week.[155][156] The deluxe version of After Hours was released on March 29, 2020, and contained the tracks "Nothing Compares", "Missed You" and "Final Lullaby".[157]

On August 7, 2020, Tesfaye was featured on the late Juice Wrld's single "Smile" from his first posthumous album Legends Never Die. On August 28, he was featured on Calvin Harris' single "Over Now". On October 30, Tesfaye appeared on Ariana Grande's song "Off the Table" from her sixth studio album Positions.[158][159] On the same day, he appeared on Oneohtrix Point Never's track "No Nightmares" from his ninth studio album Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, which he also executive produced with OPN.[160] On November 5, he appeared on the remix of Maluma's "Hawái", was nominated for Best Urban Fusion/Performance at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.[161][162] On December 10, he performed at iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball.[163] On February 5, 2021, Tesfaye released his second greatest hits album The Highlights. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, making it Tesfaye's highest charting compilation album and the biggest first week debut for a greatest hits album since Fully Loaded: God's Country (2019).[164]

Tesfaye headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show at the Raymond James Stadium in 2021

Tesfaye headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show on February 7, 2021, becoming the first Canadian solo artist to headline the show.[165][166][167][168] He reportedly spent US$7 million of his own money on the Super Bowl performance.[169] Reviews of the performance were generally positive.[170][171][172][173][174][175] The show resulted in a surge in streaming and downloads for Tesfaye's After Hours album as well as for the seven other songs he performed.[176][177] The halftime show earned three nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special, and Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Special.[178]

Over 2021, Tesfaye reissued his three mixtapes in its authentic form with the original mixes and samples to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their release, with House of Balloons coming first in March 2021.[179] Thursday's reissue followed in August 2021,[180][181] and in December, Echoes of Silence was reissued.[182][183]

On April 23, Tesfaye released a remix of "Save Your Tears" with Ariana Grande, marking their third collaboration.[184] The remix launched the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated May 8, 2021, becoming both artists' sixth number one hit.[185] He later began to tease new music in the same month. When asked about a new album during an interview with Variety, he explained that "if the last record is the After Hours of the night, then The Dawn is coming".[186] On May 11, Tesfaye performed "Save Your Tears" at the Brit Awards. He also accepted his first Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, which was presented to him by former first lady of the United States Michelle Obama.[187][188] On May 24, Tesfaye performed "Save Your Tears" at the Billboard Music Awards. He was nominated for a record sixteen awards, and won ten, including Top Artist and Top Hot 100 Song. When accepting his awards, Tesfaye continued to tease new music by saying "the After Hours are done, and The Dawn is coming".[189] On May 28, he performed the remix of "Save Your Tears" at the iHeartRadio Music Awards with Ariana Grande. On June 25, Tesfaye appeared on Doja Cat's single "You Right" from her third studio album Planet Her.[190] On July 22, he appeared on Belly's single "Better Believe" with Young Thug from his third studio album See You Next Wednesday.[191]

2021–2023: Dawn FM

The Weeknd in August 2021

On August 2, 2021, Tesfaye released a snippet of new music on social media.[192] He appeared on the cover of the September 2021 issue of GQ, marking the magazine's first global publication.[193][194] Then, in a collaboration with NBC Sports and the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tesfaye announced his single "Take My Breath", which was released on August 6.[195][196] Later that month, he appeared on Kanye West's tenth studio album Donda on the track "Hurricane", which won Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[197]

On October 4, 2021, during an episode of Memento Mori, Tesfaye revealed that his fifth studio album was complete and that he was waiting on a "couple characters that are key to the narrative."[198] On October 18, Tesfaye announced that his upcoming tour, originally titled the After Hours Tour, would be held entirely in stadiums due to arena constraints and was scheduled to commence in July 2022.[199] The tour was renamed as the After Hours til Dawn Tour, and would incorporate elements from his fourth and fifth studio albums.[200][201]

On October 22, 2021, Tesfaye appeared on Swedish House Mafia's single "Moth to a Flame" from their debut studio album Paradise Again.[202] On November 5, he appeared on Post Malone's single "One Right Now" from his fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache.[203][204] On November 11, he was featured on Rosalía's single "La Fama" from her third studio album Motomami.[205][206] On December 16, Tesfaye was featured on FKA Twigs' single "Tears in the Club" from her debut mixtape Caprisongs.[207][208] The next day, on December 17, he was featured on Aaliyah's single "Poison" from her posthumous album Unstoppable.[209][210]

Tesfaye released his fifth studio album Dawn FM on January 7, 2022.[211] Upon release, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 148,000 units, marking Tesfaye's eighth top ten entry and his second non-consecutive album to debut at number two.[212][213] He also broke the record for the most simultaneous entries for a male soloist on the Billboard Global 200, with twenty-four songs on the chart.[214][215] In addition to "Take My Breath", Dawn FM was supported by the singles "Sacrifice" and "Out of Time".[216][217] February 26, Tesfaye premiered The Dawn FM Experience, a television music special in partnership with Amazon Prime Video.[218]

The Weeknd's haunted house as part of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights.

On March 20, the Weeknd played in an episode of the cartoon The Simpsons.[219] On April 18, he headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the second time, performing alongside Swedish House Mafia.[220][221] On July 26, 2022, the Weeknd announced that he would host a haunted house at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood, as part of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights hosted every Halloween.[222] Tesfaye appeared on the song "Creepin'" from Metro Boomin's album, Heroes & Villains, on December 2, 2022.[223] His song "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)," made for the film Avatar: The Way of Water's official soundtrack, was released on December 16, 2022.

On February 24, 2023, following months-long renewed interest in and virality of the Weeknd's 2016 song "Die for You," which began charting in 2022 and reached a new peak of 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 6 years after its release, a remix of the song featuring Ariana Grande was released. The remix marked their fourth collaboration.[224][225] In the Billboard Hot 100 issue dated March 11, 2023, the remix reached the top of the chart, becoming both artists' seventh number one hit.[226] On February 27, 2023, in the wake of the remix's success, the Weeknd became the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.[227]

On March 3, 2023, the Weeknd released his first live album, titled Live at SoFi Stadium.[228] It featured recordings from his HBO concert film of the same name, showcasing the last concert of the North American leg of his After Hours til Dawn Tour at SoFi Stadium. He subsequently featured on four songs — "Artificial Intelligence," "Defame Moi," "More Coke!!," and "Emotionless" — from Mike Dean's album 4:23, released on April 29, 2023. In May 2023, the Weeknd stated that he was intending to retire the moniker of "the Weeknd" in favor of performing under his birth name, or adopting a new pseudonym altogether. He explained that his upcoming album would most likely serve as his "final hurrah" under the name.[229]

2023–present: The Idol and Hurry Up Tomorrow

The Weeknd co-created the HBO drama series The Idol with Sam Levinson, and stars in the show alongside Lily-Rose Depp. The series premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival out of competition, where it received significant controversy for its graphic depiction of onscreen nudity and sexual content. The series debuted to widespread negative reviews from critics. The Hollywood Reporter stated that the series confirms the allegations that "Instead of subtly skewering the misogynistic and predatory nature of the business, The Idol became a forbidden love story — the stuff of a toxic man's fantasy", and called it "regressive rather than transgressive".[230] He received negative reviews for his acting, with critic Robert Daniels of The Playlist writing, "Tesfaye is also a terrible actor. He lacks the comfortability, the gravitas, charisma, and charm to increase the viability of Jocelyn being attracted to him. In most scenes, Tesfaye either hides under the cover of dim lighting, obtrusive coverage, or re-recorded dialogue dubbed into several scenes."[231] On August 28, 2023, HBO announced it had cancelled The Idol after one season.[232]

On June 8, 2023, the Weeknd announced series of EPs featuring music from The Idol. Originally intended as a soundtrack album, each EP was released following the premiere of each episode of the show, which featured collaborations with Future, Playboi Carti, Madonna, Lil Baby, Lily-Rose Depp, and Jennie from the South Korean girl group Blackpink.[233] Later in June he received an invitation from the Academy to become a member.[234]

On July 21, Tesfaye appeared on Travis Scott's lead single "K-pop" from his fourth studio album Utopia,[235] and later appeared on another track on Scott's album, "Circus Maximus". Tesfaye appeared on Diddy's single "Another One of Me" on September 15, which he called his "final feature",[236][237] despite releasing multiple collaborations with Metro Boomin and Future in 2024.

On December 2, 2023, Fortnite announced that the Weeknd would be featured as the headlining artist for its Fortnite Festival gamemode and outfits of him would become available to play with on December 9. His outfits have three different variants of himself; the red suit seen throughout the promotional material for After Hours, the outfit from his 2022 Coachella performance, and two of the costumes that he was seen wearing during the After Hours til Dawn Tour.[238]

Tesfaye first teased news of a follow-up album to Dawn FM in 2022, telling his fans: "[I] wonder... did you know you're experiencing a new trilogy?" via Twitter.[239] On January 8, 2024, he further teased an upcoming album, posting pictures of his last two albums and a question mark on his social media.[240] On March 22, 2024, he appeared on the track "Young Metro" from Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative album, We Don't Trust You as well as several tracks on Future and Metro Boomin's We Still Don't Trust You album.[241]

On July 17, 2024, Tesfaye announced a one-night show in São Paulo, Brazil, set to take place on September 7, 2024.[242] He announced the title of his upcoming sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, three days prior to the concert.[243][244]

Artistry

Influences

Tesfaye cites Michael Jackson, Prince, and R. Kelly as his main musical inspirations.

Tesfaye cites Michael Jackson, Prince, and R. Kelly as his main musical inspirations.[245] He has attributed Jackson's music as key in spurring him to be a singer, referencing the lyrics to "Dirty Diana" as an example.[8] His high-flying vocal style was influenced by Ethiopian singers such as Aster Aweke.[8] He grew up listening to a variety of music genres, including soul, hip hop, funk, indie rock, and post-punk.[246] Tesfaye is heavily influenced by 1980s music, and credits the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) for "opening my eyes" to the music of that era.[247] "I've always had an admiration for the era before I was born", he said in an interview for Billboard. "You can hear it as far back as my first mixtape that the '80s – Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins – play such a huge role in my sound."[248]

Tesfaye has named Deftones as one of his influences during the making of House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence.[249] He has also cited Lana Del Rey,[250] David Bowie,[251] the Smiths, Bad Brains, Talking Heads, DeBarge,[252] 50 Cent, Wu-Tang Clan,[253][254] and Eminem as influences and inspirations.[255][256] When Daft Punk announced their split in 2021, Tesfaye praised them during an interview with Variety, saying: "Those guys are one of the reasons I make music, so I can't even compare them to other people..."[257]

Production and songwriting

Tesfaye's songs are "built around a fogged, crepuscular production",[258] and feature slow tempos,[259] rumbling bass, and forlorn echoes.[7] His music incorporates samples that are unconventional in R&B production, including punk, shoegaze, dream pop and alternative rock.[260] Marc Hogan of Spin says that Tesfaye's samples tend "to draw from rock critic-approved sources, though generally ones that already share elements of his sexual menace", sampling artists such as Beach House, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Aaliyah.[261] Tesfaye worked mostly with producers Illangelo and Doc McKinney, whom Ian Cohen of Pitchfork credits with developing "a state-of-the-art R&B template" with the artist.[259] In concert, Tesfaye reappropriates his digitized productions with a suite-like arena rock aesthetic.[7]

His emotional, plaintive lyrics often express feelings of hurt and deal with subject matter such as sex,[258] drugs, and partying; this is seen especially in After Hours and House of Balloons.[7] Hermione Hoby of The Guardian characterizes Tesfaye's songs as "narcotised-slow jams" and delineates their message as "partying is an existential experience, sex is fraught with alienation, and everything registers as unreal and unsettling."[258] Paul MacInnes of The Guardian stated that he views Tesfaye's three mixtapes as "a rough trajectory of party, after-party and hangover."[262] Anupa Mistry of the Toronto Standard observes throughout his mixtapes a "cast of supine, stoned zombie-women... whose legs willingly part after being plied with substances and who morph into threats only when [he is] coming down and feeling vulnerable."[7] Tesfaye has stated that by singing vulgar, ignorant lyrics in an elegant, sexy way, he is "paying homage to R Kelly, and even Prince to a certain extent."[263]

Voice and music style

Tesfaye often sings in a falsetto register.[264] J. D. Considine finds his singing's "tremulous quality" similar to Michael Jackson, but writes that he eschews Jackson's "strong basis in the blues" for a more Arabic-influenced melisma.[260] Tesfaye possesses a wide light-lyric tenor vocal range, which spans over three octaves. His vocal range reaches its extreme low at the bass F (F2), and its peak high at the tenor G♯ (G♯5), with a natural tessitura within the upper fourth octave.[265][266] Tesfaye often makes use of his head voice to build resonance to belt out strong high notes within the fifth octave.[266] Tesfaye's vocals have a recognizable Ethiopian characteristic. Hannah Giogis of Pitchfork notes that "his trademark vibrato, the characteristically pained whine that pervades much of Tesfaye's music, draws from a long Ethiopian musical legacy of tortured pining. Imbuing our voices with the shaky pain of loss—romantic or otherwise—is a hallmark of Ethiopian musical tradition. Tesfaye, with his staccato wails and aching nostalgia, is a young, North American addition to a dynasty of melodramatic Ethiopian singers."[267] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the Weeknd at number 110 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[268]

Tesfaye's discography spans pop, R&B, hip hop, dance, alternative and new wave genres.[269] His work is generally categorized as alternative R&B, due to his contributions in broadening the genre's musical palette to incorporate indie and electronic styles.[270][271] Mistry writes that he "will be obsequiously praised as the future of R&B music—because Tesfaye is a black singer, not because he's making quantifiable, canonical R&B."[7] Tesfaye shared his thoughts on the primary label during an interview with Time in 2015, stating: "Alternative R&B is in my soul. It's not going anywhere. When I put out songs from House of Balloons in 2010, people said I made R&B cool again. I'm assuming that's when the label was created. I feel honored that a good part of today's music is inspired by it, consciously or subconsciously. The only way I could have done that was to be ambitious and grand."[272] Tesfaye's first three mixtapes; House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, are alternative R&B projects that draw on dream pop, post-punk and trip hop, amongst others.[273][274] His debut studio album Kiss Land is categorized as R&B and dark wave.[275] His next three albums, Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy and After Hours, are considered R&B and pop; with Starboy utilizing heavy trap influences,[276][277] and After Hours drawing on new wave and dream pop influences.[278][279] Tesfaye's fifth studio album Dawn FM explores dance-pop and synth-pop genres.[280][281]

Controversies

Plagiarism allegations

In December 2015, Tesfaye was sued by Cutting Edge Music, which alleged that the bassline for "The Hills" had been taken from a composition featured in the score for the 2013 science fiction film The Machine.[282] One of the producers of the song was alleged to have sent a private Twitter message to Tom Raybould, the composer of the film's score, to tell him about the sample.[283] In September 2018, Tesfaye and Daft Punk were sued for allegedly stealing the rhythm for "Starboy" from Ethiopian poet and singer-songwriter Yasminah.[284] Tesfaye denied the allegations.[285]

In April 2019, Tesfaye was sued by British trio William Smith, Brian Clover, and Scott McCulloch, who accused Tesfaye of copyright infringement from plagiarising their song "I Need to Love" in order to create his song "A Lonely Night". They sought $150,000 from Tesfaye and Belly. In August 2019, the lawsuit was dismissed via summary judgment with the option to amend, with the court ruling that they had failed to show that Tesfaye or anyone else involved in making "A Lonely Night" had access to their song or that the works were substantially similar.[286] In September 2019, the plaintiffs filed an amended claim based on secondary infringement, which is still in litigation.[287][288]

In February 2020, Tesfaye and Kendrick Lamar were sued by the now-defunct indie band Yeasayer, claiming that "Pray for Me" includes an unauthorized sample of their song "Sunrise".[289] Later that year, Yeasayer voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit.[290] In September 2021, Tesfaye, Nicolás Jaar, and Frank Dukes were sued for copyright infringement by producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, protesting that "Call Out My Name" is "strikingly [or] substantially similar, if not identical" to their 2015 track "Vibeking".[291][292]

Allegations of homophobic lyrics

In January 2019, Tesfaye was criticized for some of the lyrics in his and Gesaffelstein's single "Lost in the Fire". The second verse of the song, with the lines "You said you might be into girls, said you're going through a phase / Keeping your heart safe / Well, baby, you can bring a friend / She can ride on top your face / While I fuck you straight", were accused of being homophobic, fetishizing bisexuality, and perpetuating the falsehood that a person who identifies as being part of the LGBTQ+ community can be "turned straight".[293][294] Tesfaye subtly addressed the controversy in the song "Snowchild" from After Hours, with the lines "Every month another accusation / Only thing I'm phobic of is failing".[295][296]

The Idol allegations

On March 1, 2023, Rolling Stone released a lengthy exposé on the working conditions and set life of the HBO drama series The Idol, a series in which Tesfaye stars, co-created and co-wrote alongside Sam Levinson. The series received significant controversy for its graphic depiction of sexual content which critics labeled "torture porn". The series was originally directed by Amy Seimetz who suddenly "exited with roughly 80 percent of the six-episode series finished". The series saw a major creative overhaul, as it was reported that Tesfaye felt the show had too much of a "female perspective". Over 14 crew members alleged a toxic work environment with one adding "What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century..." however, "It went from satire to the thing it was satirizing." Sources alleged that Seimetz's approach to the story was scrapped and the show became "like any rape fantasy that any toxic man would have in the show — and then the woman comes back for more because it makes her music better".[297]

In response to the allegations, Tesfaye mocked the reporting on his Twitter account, posting a clip of the characters in the show discussing the magazine saying, "Rolling Stone? Aren't they a little irrelevant?". Tesfaye posted the comment in the caption: "@Rolling Stone did we upset you?".[298][299] Tesfaye's response received widespread criticism.[300] In an interview with Vanity Fair, he continued to dismiss the reporting, saying that logistical difficulties with Seimetz's schedule and production timelines, as well as a desire not to rush his first show, propelled the overhaul.[301]

Other ventures

Acting

Tesfaye is a cinephile, and has made numerous movie references in his music videos and teasers.[302][303] On August 30, 2019, during the Telluride Film Festival, he made his acting debut in the film Uncut Gems.[304]

On March 7, 2020, during his third appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, he starred in the skit "On The Couch" with actors Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd.[305] On May 4, he co-wrote and starred in an episode of American Dad!.[306] In July, he voiced three characters during the 200th episode of Robot Chicken.[307]

On June 29, 2021, Tesfaye announced that he would be co-creating, co-writing, executive producing and starring in the HBO television drama series The Idol, alongside his producing partner Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.[308] On March 20, 2022, Tesfaye voiced two characters during an episode of The Simpsons.[309]

In 2023, it was announced that Tesfaye is co-writing a film with Trey Edward Shults, who is attached to direct; Tesfaye is also set to star in the film, alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.[310][311]

Business

In 2013, Tesfaye collaborated with condom company ONE to give away limited-edition condoms at his shows during the Kiss Land Fall Tour.[312][313] In November 2015, he partnered with electronic vaporizer company Pax Labs to release a limited edition vaporizer.[314][315] He also collaborated with fashion designer Alexander Wang for an apparel collection.[316] In 2016, Tesfaye became a creative collaborator and global brand ambassador for the clothing brand Puma.[317] With the partnership, he released numerous capsule collections and hosted several pop-up retail stores.[318][319]

In 2017, Tesfaye partnered with retail company H&M for their men's collection.[320] He cut ties with the company in 2018, following a racist incident within the company.[321] In July 2018, Tesfaye collaborated with Marvel Comics to release a comic book inspired by his third studio album Starboy.[322] In August, he released an apparel collection in collaboration with A Bathing Ape.[323][324] A second collection was released in January 2020.[325]

In April 2019, Tesfaye became an owner and global ambassador of the esports company OverActive Media, who owns the Splyce and Overwatch League team Toronto Defiant.[326]

On August 31, 2020, Tesfaye partnered with TD Bank to launch Black HXOUSE, an entrepreneurial initiative within the incubator HXOUSE, where he serves as a sleeping partner.[327] On September 9, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a CA$221,000,000 joint venture with HXOUSE for Black Canadian entrepreneurs.[328]

In March 2021, Tesfaye auctioned a collection of visual artwork and an unreleased song in the form of a non-fungible token (NFT) on Nifty Gateway.[329][330] In October, he joined football player Tom Brady's NFT platform Autograph as a member of their board of directors.[331]

In 2022, Tesfaye invested in plant-based beverage brand Koia.[332]

Philanthropy

After being presented with a Bikila Award for Professional Excellence in 2014, Tesfaye donated CA$50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a new course on Ge'ez, the classic language of Ethiopia.[333] In May 2016, during Orthodox Easter, Tesfaye donated CA$50,000 to the St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral in Toronto, Canada, a church he attended growing up.[334][335] In August 2016, he funded a new Ethiopian studies program at the University of Toronto.[336]

In June 2017, Tesfaye donated US$100,000 to the Suubi Health Center, a maternity and children's medical facility in Budondo, Uganda. He was inspired to support the center after learning of French Montana's work with Global Citizen and Mama Hope to help raise awareness for Suubi and the people of Uganda.[337]

In April 2020, Tesfaye launched a line of non-medical face masks with all of the proceeds going to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, a campaign launched by the Recording Academy to help musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.[338] In addition, Tesfaye donated US$500,000 to MusiCares and CA$500,000 to the Scarborough Health Network.[339]

In August 2016, Tesfaye donated US$250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation following numerous reports of police brutality in the United States.[340][336][341] In May 2020, in response to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Tesfaye donated US$500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp, and the National Bail Out.[342] He then urged other music executives, major record labels, and streaming services to donate to the cause as well.[343][344]

On August 7, 2020, Tesfaye held the "Weeknd Experience", an interactive virtual concert on the social media platform TikTok that drew two million total viewers, including 275,000 concurrent viewers. The concert raised over US$350,000 for the Equal Justice Initiative. He also donated US$300,000 to Global Aid for Lebanon in support of victims of the Beirut explosion.[345][346] On November 2, the University of Toronto announced that it was able to reach and surpass its fundraising goal of CA$500,000 for its Ethiopic program, which included a CA$30,000 donation from Tesfaye.[347] In May 2021, he was among the celebrities expressing more solidarity for civilians who died during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.[348][349] On September 23, Tesfaye was honored with the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award at the inaugural Music in Action Awards, presented by the Black Music Action Coalition.[350]

On January 9, 2024, Tesfaye partnered with the non-profit organization School on Wheels Inc. to support more than 1,000 students experiencing homelessness.[351] To coincide with his concert in Brazil, Tesfaye released merchandise and will donate 10% of the net profits to the Brazilian Soul Fund of BrazilFoundation.[352][353]

WFP ambassadorship

On April 4, 2021, Tesfaye announced a US$1,000,000 donation through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to relief efforts in Ethiopia for people affected by the Tigray War.[354] On June 9, he met with the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, to discuss the humanitarian crisis of the Tigray War.[355] Tesfaye was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme on October 7.[356][357] On March 3, 2022, he partnered with the WFP to launch the XO Humanitarian Fund. Through the fund, Tesfaye was to donate US$1 from every ticket sold at his After Hours til Dawn Tour, in addition to a US$500,000 donation, to the WFP.[358] $2,500,000 from the XO Humanitarian Fund was directed toward WFP's humanitarian response efforts in the Gaza Strip, providing four million emergency meals for those affected by the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.[359][360] On April 29, 2024, Tesfaye announced he will donate another $2 million to Palestine as loaves of bread.[361]

Personal life

Tesfaye prefers to keep his personal life out of the public eye.[362][363] In the beginning of his career, he refrained from participating in interviews and instead chose to communicate via Twitter, which he attributed to shyness and insecurities.[364] He prefers to be interviewed only in rare situations.[365] Tesfaye was raised as an Ethiopian Orthodox.[8][16] When asked whether or not he was still religious, he stated to Variety in 2020, "I dunno...everything is a test, and if you are religious or spiritual, you have to go through things."[366]

From April 2015 to August 2019, Tesfaye was in an on-again, off-again relationship with American model Bella Hadid.[367][368] She starred in the music video for his single "In the Night" in December 2015.[369] He dated American singer-actress Selena Gomez from January to October 2017.[370][371] Both of the relationships received widespread media attention, and were the topic of tabloid speculation.[372][373][374] Tesfaye has been in a relationship with Saudi-born disc jockey Simi Khadra since February 2022; publications have noted that unlike his previous romances, he has kept his relationship with Khadra private from the press.[375]

Tesfaye's hairstyle, which has been described as one of his most recognizable traits, has been claimed to be partly inspired by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.[8][376] He began growing it out in 2011 and remarked at how easy it was to maintain with "a hard shampoo every once in a while".[8] He cut his hair in 2016, prior to the release of Starboy.[377] On social media, Tesfaye typically suffixed his first name with "xo",[378] which is often used as an emoticon for hugs and kisses.[378] According to The Guardian's Hermione Hoby, this was his intention, though others believe it was a reference to his recreational use of ecstasy and oxycodone.[379][380] He later altered the handles on his social media to reflect his stage name in preparation for the release of Starboy.[381] In August 2021, during a cover story with GQ, he described himself as being "sober lite", meaning that he has stopped using drugs with the exception of marijuana. He also noted that he drinks alcohol occasionally, stating: "I'm not a heavy drinker, as much as I used to be. The romance of drinking isn't there."[382]

In January 2015, Tesfaye was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer in Las Vegas after being taken into an elevator to break up a fight.[383][384] He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to complete fifty hours of community service.[385]

As of August 2021, Tesfaye was residing in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[386][387] In 2017, he purchased a home in Hidden Hills, California for $18.5 million, which he sold to Madonna in 2021 for $19.3 million.[388] Tesfaye previously lived in penthouses in Westwood, Los Angeles[389][390] and New York City.[391][392]

In April 2023, Tesfaye revealed that he has ADHD.[393]

Accolades

See also: List of awards and nominations received by the Weeknd

Tesfaye has won four Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, twenty Billboard Music Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and twenty-two Juno Awards.[394] He has also received nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.[395]

In October 2014, Tesfaye was awarded the Allan Slaight Honour by Canada's Walk of Fame for "making a positive impact in the fields of music, film, literature, visual or performing arts, sports, innovation or philanthropy".[396]

Toronto mayor John Tory announced that the city would observe February 7, 2021, as the Weeknd Day to commemorate Tesfaye's Super Bowl halftime performance.[397][398]

Discography

Main articles: The Weeknd discography and List of songs recorded by the Weeknd

Studio albums

Filmography

Main article: The Weeknd videography

Tours

Headlining

Supporting

Touring members[e]

  • Patrick Greenaway – lead guitar (2012–present), synthesizer (2020–present)
  • Ledaris "LJ" Jones – bass, keyboards (2013–present)[f]
  • Ricky Lewis – drums (2011–present)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ethiopians do not use surnames but rather their father's first name as their family name. Makkonen would traditionally be his family name and Tesfaye would be his grandfather's name.
  2. ^ Tesfaye's biological parents were never married. When Tesfaye made a donation to the University of Toronto's Ethiopic program in November 2020, the full name of his mother was revealed as Samrawit Hailu.[6]
  3. ^ Multiple sources:[32][33][34]
  4. ^ Multiple sources:[46][47][48]
  5. ^ During his early performances in 2011, respective tours in 2012 and 2013 prior to the Kiss Land Fall Tour, he had other guitar, bass, and keyboard players, as well as two female backup singers; these former members' names are unknown.
  6. ^ Jones was absent during the European and Latin American legs of the After Hours til Dawn Tour (2023).

References

  1. ^ 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 May 23, 2021, He apparently also recorded music under the names The Noise and Kin Kane.
  2. ^ Eells, Josh (October 21, 2015), "Sex, Drugs and R&B: Inside The Weeknd's Dark Twisted Fantasy", Rolling Stone, archived from the original on June 15, 2018
  3. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Sharf, Zack (May 22, 2023), "'The Idol' Scandalizes Cannes With Five-Minute Standing Ovation for Lily-Rose Depp's Masturbating Pop Star, Explicit Nudity and the Weeknd's TV Acting Debut", Variety, archived from the original on October 29, 2023, retrieved June 6, 2023
  4. ^ "The Weeknd", Billboard, archived from the original on March 8, 2024, retrieved March 11, 2024
  5. ^ a b c Caramanica, Jon (July 27, 2015), "Can The Weeknd Turn Himself into the Biggest Pop Star in the World?", The New York Times Magazine, archived from the original on October 1, 2015, retrieved March 11, 2024
  6. ^ "With support from The Weeknd, U of T's Ethiopic program soars past $500,000 endowment goal", University of Toronto, November 2, 2020, archived from the original on July 6, 2022, retrieved November 3, 2020
  7. ^ a b c d e f Mistry, Anupa (December 23, 2011), "Daily Disc: The Weeknd's 'Echoes Of Silence'", Toronto Standard, archived from the original on November 29, 2019
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Eells, Josh (October 21, 2015), "Sex, Drugs and R&B: Inside The Weeknd's Dark Twisted Fantasy", Rolling Stone, archived from the original on June 15, 2018
  9. ^ Rivera, Joe (February 7, 2021). "Who is The Weeknd? Super Bowl 55 halftime show performer's songs, lyrics & more to know". Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  10. ^ Määttänen, Juuso (December 16, 2016). "Kesällä Suomeen saapuvan supertähden Weekndin oikea nimi on Makkonen - ei silti yhteyttä Suomeen". iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  11. ^ Lamb, Karas (September 16, 2013), "The Weeknd Reveals The Origin Of His Name + More", Okayplayer, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  12. ^ Aswad, Jem (April 8, 2020), "The Weeknd Opens Up About His Past, Turning 30 and Getting Vulnerable on 'After Hours'", Variety, archived from the original on April 8, 2020, retrieved March 22, 2022
  13. ^ Hatherly, Tara (December 7, 2015). "Scarborough native The Weeknd scores seven Grammy nominations". Metroland Media Group. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Mistry, Anupa (October 30, 2015), "Why The Weeknd is truly Toronto's very own", The Globe and Mail, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  15. ^ Wagstaff, Keith; Swanson, David (October 26, 2015), "10 Things You Should Know About the Weeknd", GQ, archived from the original on July 4, 2018
  16. ^ a b Ehrlich, Brenna (September 13, 2013), "The Weeknd Reveals How He Got His Name... And Where The 'E' Went", MTV News, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  17. ^ Caramanica, Jon (July 20, 2021), "Can the Weeknd Turn Himself Into the Biggest Pop Star in the World? - The New York Times", The New York Times Magazine, archived from the original on July 20, 2021, retrieved September 28, 2021
  18. ^ Kimble, Lindsay (December 12, 2016), "The Weeknd Reveals How His Fans Helped Him Overcome Stage Fright", People, archived from the original on March 10, 2024
  19. ^ Lamont, Tom (December 3, 2016), "The Weeknd: 'Drugs were a crutch for me'", The Guardian, archived from the original on November 29, 2023, retrieved March 11, 2024
  20. ^ Fisher, Luchina (December 5, 2016), "The Weeknd Opens Up About His 'Dark' Past", ABC News, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  21. ^ Levine, Nick (December 3, 2016), "The Weeknd opens up about 'heavy' drug use", NME, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  22. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 25, 2011), "Hear Unreleased Early Tracks From the Weeknd", Pitchfork, archived from the original on February 20, 2024, retrieved February 20, 2024
  23. ^ "How the Producer of the Weeknd's Breakout Tracks Got Majorly Screwed", Vice, March 22, 2012, archived from the original on December 24, 2012, retrieved September 28, 2021
  24. ^ "10-Year High: The Weeknd's Game-Changing Decade", Paper, December 27, 2019, archived from the original on March 8, 2022, retrieved December 20, 2021
  25. ^ "Everything We Know About The Weeknd Before He Blew Up", Complex, archived from the original on March 15, 2022, retrieved December 20, 2021
  26. ^ a b c McGuire, Patrick (March 22, 2012), "How the Producer of The Weeknd's Breakout Tracks Got Majorly Screwed", Vice, archived from the original on December 24, 2012
  27. ^ Caramanica, Jon (December 31, 2010), "Screams That Charmed, and Other Overlooked Highlights", The New York Times, archived from the original on February 10, 2015
  28. ^ Stewart, Allison (March 14, 2011), "Singles File: Da Phuture, The Weeknd, Fever Ray", The Washington Post, archived from the original on December 8, 2013
  29. ^ Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (March 23, 2011), "Love and Other Drugs: The Weeknd's Altered-State R&B", WNET, archived from the original on November 29, 2020
  30. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (March 4, 2011), "The Weeknd – What You Need", Pitchfork, archived from the original on March 26, 2011
  31. ^ "The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl", Billboard, January 28, 2021, archived from the original on June 8, 2021, retrieved June 8, 2021
  32. ^ Kameir, Rawiya; Hockley-Smith, Sam; Mistry, Anupa (March 21, 2016), "How House of Balloons Changed R&B", The Fader, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, Five years since its veiled release, a conversation about The Weeknd's debut and its influence on contemporary pop music...The album was documenting a nascent scene that has gone on to shift the cultural paradigm of Toronto, and it did so through a sound that has had a lasting effect on contemporary pop music.
  33. ^ Ramirez, Erika (March 21, 2011), "Say Hello to The Weeknd, Drake Co-Signs", MTV News, archived from the original on October 12, 2015
  34. ^ "25 best Canadian debut albums ever", CBC Music, June 16, 2017, archived from the original on September 6, 2017
  35. ^ "Polaris Music Prize", Polaris Music Prize, archived from the original on April 9, 2014
  36. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (July 3, 2011), "The Weeknd to Play Drake's OVO Festival", Pitchfork, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  37. ^ Ritchie, Kevin (July 25, 2011), "The Weeknd's perfect premiere", NOW Toronto, archived from the original on December 22, 2011, retrieved March 3, 2011
  38. ^ 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 May 23, 2021
  39. ^ Diver, Mike, "BBC - Music - Review of The Weeknd - Thursday", BBC, archived from the original on July 10, 2022, retrieved September 28, 2021
  40. ^ Berry, Peter A. (November 16, 2017), "Drake Sets The Record Straight On How Much The Weeknd Wrote On Take Care Album", XXL, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  41. ^ Dunlevy, T'Cha (March 23, 2012). "365 days of Weeknd: We chart Abel Tesfaye's rise to fame a year after House of Balloons". National Post. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  42. ^ Mudhar, Raju (June 14, 2012), "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands", The Toronto Star, ISSN 0319-0781, archived from the original on November 3, 2014, retrieved September 28, 2021
  43. ^ a b Snapes, Laura (April 16, 2012), "Abel Tesfaye makes his U.S. debut", Pitchfork, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  44. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (April 29, 2012), "The Weeknd Mesmerizes at Bowery Ballroom", Rolling Stone, archived from the original on May 26, 2012
  45. ^ Battan, Carrie (March 1, 2012), "The Weeknd to Headline Pitchfork Stage at Primavera", Pitchfork, archived from the original on July 16, 2022, retrieved May 23, 2021
  46. ^ Lough, Kate (May 31, 2012), "Wireless Festival 2012", London Evening Standard, archived from the original on July 12, 2022, retrieved May 18, 2021
  47. ^ "The Weeknd, Chiddy Bang & More for Wireless 2012", DIY, March 27, 2012, archived from the original on July 12, 2022, retrieved May 18, 2021
  48. ^ Goodwyn, Tom (June 8, 2012), "The Weeknd covers Michael Jackson as he plays his debut UK show", NME, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  49. ^ Hampp, Andrew (November 12, 2012), "The Weeknd & Reps Talk Clearing Samples, Touring For 'Trilogy' Release", Billboard, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  50. ^ Hudson, Alex (August 14, 2012), "The Weeknd Schedules More Canadian Dates on North American Fall Tour", Exclaim!, archived from the original on August 1, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  51. ^ Diver, Mike (November 13, 2012), "The Weeknd Trilogy Review", BBC Music, archived from the original on April 7, 2024, retrieved March 11, 2024
  52. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 10, 2012), "One Direction Tops Billboard 200 Chart, 'Twilight' Debuts at No. 3", Billboard, Los Angeles, archived from the original on February 24, 2017
  53. ^ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database", Recording Industry Association of America, archived from the original on June 26, 2007, retrieved September 16, 2017
  54. ^ "Gold and Platinum Search", Music Canada, archived from the original on September 27, 2013, retrieved March 11, 2024
  55. ^ "Sound of 2013 Profiles: The Weeknd", BBC, December 9, 2012, archived from the original on December 13, 2012
  56. ^ Nostro, Lauren (May 16, 2013), "Listen: The Weeknd "Kiss Land"", Complex, archived from the original on November 24, 2020, retrieved March 11, 2024
  57. ^ Williott, Carl (July 22, 2013), "The Weeknd Unveils 'Kiss Land' Release Date & Cover Artwork", Idolator, archived from the original on October 29, 2023, retrieved May 18, 2021
  58. ^ Caulfield, Keith (December 1, 2012), "Keith Urban Edges The Weeknd for No. 1 Debut on Billboard 200", Billboard, archived from the original on September 19, 2013
  59. ^ "Kiss Land Reviews", Metacritic, archived from the original on January 7, 2021, retrieved March 11, 2024
  60. ^ Battan, Carrie (July 8, 2013), "The Weeknd Announces Big Fall Tour, Kiss Land Out Late Summer", Pitchfork, archived from the original on May 23, 2021, retrieved May 23, 2021
  61. ^ Payne, Chris (November 4, 2013), "The Weeknd To Open For Justin Timberlake On '20/20 Experience' Tour", Billboard, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  62. ^ Hakimian, Rob (November 19, 2013), "Album Review: Various Artists – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack", Consequence, archived from the original on December 11, 2018
  63. ^ Hooton, Christopher (February 17, 2014). "Listen: The Weeknd enters Beyonce Drunk in Love remix battle with Kanye West and Diplo". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  64. ^ Pelly, Jen (February 21, 2014). "Listen: The Weeknd remixes Ty Dolla Sign's "Or Nah"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  65. ^ "The Weeknd touring w/ Schoolboy Q & Jhene Aiko, playing Barclays Center (dates); SBQ played Central Park". BrooklynVegan. June 26, 2014. Archived from the original on September 24, 2014.
  66. ^ Bowe, Miles (July 21, 2014). "The Weeknd – "King Of The Fall"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  67. ^ "Ariana Grande and The Weeknd Team Up In 'Love Me Harder' Video". Rap-Up. October 3, 2014. Archived from the original on October 5, 2014.
  68. ^ Cox, Jamieson (February 28, 2016). "Oscars 2016: Watch The Weeknd reenact his sultry video for Earned It". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  69. ^ "Grammys 2016: The Weeknd Wins Two Awards". PEOPLE.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  70. ^ Lockett, Dee (May 27, 2015). "The Weeknd Returns With 'The Hills,' Which Probably Isn't About Lauren Conrad". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  71. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (June 28, 2019). "The Weeknd's No. 1 Hit 'The Hills' Becomes His First Diamond-Certified Single". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  72. ^ Lamare, Carl (June 28, 2019). "The Weeknd's 'The Hills' Certified Diamond: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  73. ^ Beauchemin, Molly (June 28, 2015). "Janelle Monáe Performs "Yoga", The Weeknd Performs "Earned It" with Alicia Keys at the BET Awards". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  74. ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 8, 2015). "Hear The Weeknd's Funky New Song 'Can't Feel My Face'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015.
  75. ^ Trust, Gary (July 1, 2015). "Wiz Khalifa No. 1 on Hot 100 'Again,' Selena Gomez Debuts at No. 9". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  76. ^ Trust, Gary (August 10, 2015). "The Weeknd Tops Hot 100 With 'Can't Feel My Face,' One Direction Debuts at No. 3". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  77. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. December 7, 2015. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  78. ^ Mendizabal, Amaya (July 15, 2015). "The Weeknd Is First Artist to Own Entire Top Three on Hot R&B Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  79. ^ "Apple's new musical faces – Drake and The Weeknd". Business Insider. Agence France-Presse. June 8, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021.
  80. ^ "Latest Apple Music ads debut during MTV VMAs, feature The Weeknd & playlists". August 31, 2015. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  81. ^ "Deadmau5 & The Weeknd headline FVDED IN THE PARK 2015". Daily Hive. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  82. ^ Harling, Danielle (June 22, 2015). "Meek Mill Reveals 'Dreams Worth More Than Money' Features". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019.
  83. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 6, 2015). "The Weeknd's 'Beauty Behind the Madness' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
  84. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 20, 2015). "The Weeknd spends third week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  85. ^ Ryan, Gavin (September 5, 2015). "ARIA Albums : The Weeknd Takes Top Spot On Australian Chart". Noise11. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020.
  86. ^ "Top 20 Albums". Music Canada. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015.
  87. ^ Mansfield, Brian (July 10, 2015). "The Weeknd's new album is coming Aug. 28". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015.
  88. ^ Gordon, Jeremy (August 20, 2015). "The Weeknd announces The Madness Fall Tour". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  89. ^ Martin, Paley (August 21, 2015). "The Weeknd Announces The Madness Fall Tour With Travi$ Scott, Halsey & Banks". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 23, 2015.
  90. ^ Morris, Jessie (August 30, 2016). "The Weeknd Now Holds Two Guinness World Records". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  91. ^ Schneider, Marc (December 1, 2015). "Spotify's Year in Music: Drake Most Streamed Artist, Major Lazer & DJ Snake Had Top Song". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015.
  92. ^ "The Weeknd, 'Beauty Behind the Madness'". Rolling Stone. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016.
  93. ^ Trust, Gary (September 8, 2015). "The Weeknd Doubles Up in Hot 100's Top Three". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  94. ^ "See All the Winners of the 2016 Grammys". Time. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  95. ^ "Justin Bieber, Kanye West, The Weeknd, & more featuring on Travi$ Scott's 'Rodeo" album". Inquisitr. June 29, 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021.
  96. ^ Strecker, Erin (September 1, 2015). "The Weeknd & Demi Lovato Announced as 'SNL' Musical Guests". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  97. ^ a b Gracie, Bianca (September 1, 2015). "Demi Lovato & The Weeknd To Perform On 'Saturday Night Live' This Season". Idolator. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  98. ^ Hudson, Alex (May 8, 2015). "Belly 'Might Not' (ft. The Weeknd)". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020.
  99. ^ Guiducci, Mark (May 3, 2016). "The Weeknd on Going From Indie R&B Enigma to the Pacesetting Prince of Pop". Vogue. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  100. ^ Hooton, Christopher (February 12, 2016). "The Life of Pablo tracklist: Kanye West's new album features Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and Young Thug". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022.
  101. ^ "Listen: The Weeknd Surprises Fans By Dropping Two New Songs!". CKIS-FM. December 27, 2015. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020.
  102. ^ "Listen to The Weeknd and Belly's Demo Version of Beyoncé's "6 Inch"". Complex. October 31, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  103. ^ Morris, Jesse (August 24, 2016). "It Sounds Like a Weeknd and Cashmere Cat Collab Is on the Way". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  104. ^ Mench, Chris (August 23, 2016). "The Weeknd Is Reportedly Working with Daft Punk". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016.
  105. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (September 21, 2016). "The Weeknd Announces New Album Starboy". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  106. ^ "Hear the Weeknd's new track with Daft Punk, Starboy". The Guardian. September 22, 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021.
  107. ^ "The Weeknd's 'Starboy,' Featuring Daft Punk, Hits No. 1 on Hot 100". Billboard. January 20, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  108. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  109. ^ Zwilling, Eric (September 21, 2016). "Listen to Daft Punk's new collaboration with The Weeknd, 'Starboy'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020.
  110. ^ Peters, Mitchell (October 2, 2016). "Watch The Weeknd Perform 'Starboy' and 'False Alarm' on 'SNL' Season Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  111. ^ "Watch The Weeknd's New Short Film Mania". Pitchfork. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 24, 2016.
  112. ^ "The Weeknd's 'Starboy' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With Third-Biggest Debut of 2016". Billboard. January 30, 2021. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  113. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  114. ^ "NewsAlert: Starboy Wins Best Urban Contemporary Album for the Weeknd". National Post. The Canadian Press. January 28, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  115. ^ Blistein, John (February 16, 2017). "Hear the Weeknd's Sultry 'Some Way' Collaboration With Nav". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  116. ^ Brandle, Lars (February 24, 2017). "Future Releases New Album 'HNDRXX' Featuring The Weeknd and Rihanna: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  117. ^ Gaca, Anna (April 19, 2017). "For Better or Worse, Lana Del Rey and the Weeknd's "Lust for Life" Is a Lana Del Rey Song". Spin. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  118. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (April 20, 2017). "Lana Del Rey "Lust for Life" ft. The Weeknd". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  119. ^ Boykins, Austin (January 31, 2018). "TDE Reveals Loaded Tracklist for 'Black Panther' Soundtrack". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  120. ^ Madden, Sidney (February 2, 2018). "Kendrick Lamar And The Weeknd Team Up For 'Pray For Me'". NPR.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  121. ^ Sargent, Jordan (March 29, 2018). "The Weekend Announces New Album 'My Dear Melancholy,'". Spin. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  122. ^ "Is The Weeknd Dropping A New Album This Week?". Vibe. March 27, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  123. ^ Murray, Robin (March 29, 2018). "Has Someone Accidentally Leaked News of the Weeknd's New Album?". Clash. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  124. ^ Lamarre, Carl (March 27, 2018). "Is The Weeknd Dropping a New Album on Friday?". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  125. ^ "The Weeknd Scores Third Consecutive No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'My Dear Melancholy'". Billboard. November 9, 2020. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  126. ^ "The Weeknd teases new song release". Independent Online. March 28, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  127. ^ Goddard, Kevin (March 29, 2018). "Stream The Weeknd's "My Dear Melancholy" EP". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  128. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (April 14, 2018). "The Weeknd Fulfills His Coachella Destiny With Triumphant Headlining Set". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  129. ^ Blistein, Jon (January 3, 2018). "Beyonce, Eminem, the Weeknd to Headline Coachella 2018". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  130. ^ Senoussi, Zoubida (June 30, 2018). "Mawazine 2018: Friday Night Fever with 'Starboy' The Weeknd at OLM Souissi". Morocco World News. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  131. ^ Legaspi, Althea (August 5, 2018). "Lollapalooza 2018: The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Carly Rae Jepsen Highlight Day Three". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  132. ^ Engelman, Nicole (November 26, 2018). "The Weeknd and Bella Hadid Take a PDA-Filled Trip to Abu Dhabi". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  133. ^ Penrose, Nerisha (June 6, 2018). "The Weeknd Announces New Beats 1 Radio Show Memento Mori". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  134. ^ "Here are the full album credits for Travis Scott's ASTROWORLD". The FADER. July 31, 2018. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  135. ^ "ザ・ウィークエンド・イン・ジャパン（シングルス・コレクション" [The Weeknd in Japan (Singles Collection)] (in Japanese). Universal Music Group. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019.
  136. ^ Blais-Billie, Braudie (January 11, 2019). "Listen to Gesaffelstein and the Weeknd's New Song "Lost in the Fire"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  137. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (April 18, 2019). "SZA / The Weeknd / Travis Scott 'Power Is Power'". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019.
  138. ^ SZA, The Weeknd and Travis Scott Share Video For 'Game of Thrones' Inspired Track. Billboard. May 5, 2019. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  139. ^ "The Weeknd to Release New Single 'Blinding Lights' on Black Friday". Rap-Up. November 24, 2019. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019.
  140. ^ "Five Burning Questions: Billboard Staffers Discuss The Weeknd's Top 40 Debut For 'Heartless'". Billboard. December 3, 2019. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020.
  141. ^ Trust, Gary (December 9, 2019). "The Weeknd's 'Heartless' Hits No. 1 on Hot 100, Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' Returns to No. 3 High". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020.
  142. ^ Trust, Gary (March 30, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Doja Cat's 'Say So' Enters Top 10". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020.
  143. ^ Trust, Gary (March 9, 2021). "The Weeknd Talks Unprecedented Year in Hot 100's Top 10 With 'Blinding Lights': 'This Is Truly a Result of the Fans'". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  144. ^ Trust, Gary (August 16, 2021). "The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Spends Record-Breaking 88th Week on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  145. ^ "The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" Is Now the Longest-Charting Billboard Hot 100 Song of All Time". Complex. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  146. ^ Mamo, Heran (November 23, 2021). "The Greatest Hit: The New No. 1 Song of All Time". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  147. ^ The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' becomes the most-streamed song on Spotify, January 4, 2023, archived from the original on January 31, 2023, retrieved January 31, 2023
  148. ^ Brandle, Lars (February 19, 2020). "The Weeknd Sets 'After Hours' Release Date, Shares Dark Title Track: Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020.
  149. ^ Young, Alex (March 8, 2020). "The Weeknd Debuts New Song, Appears in Sketch on SNL". Consequence. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
  150. ^ "The Weeknd Loses His Head in Gory New "In Your Eyes" Video". Pitchfork. November 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  151. ^ Strauss, Matthew (March 20, 2020). "Listen to the Weeknd's New Album After Hours". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020.
  152. ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 29, 2020). "The Weeknd's 'After Hours' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Biggest Week of 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020.
  153. ^ "THE WEEKND CAPTURES #1 ALBUM AND #1 ON BILLBOARD HOT 100 WITH AFTER HOURS AND BLINDING LIGHTS". Umusic. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  154. ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "The Weeknd Scores The Largest Streaming Week Ever For An R&B Album". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  155. ^ Trust, Gary (April 1, 2020). "The Weeknd on Being the First Artist to Top These 5 Charts at Once: 'It Feels Like a Huge Blessing' (Exclusive)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  156. ^ Zellner, Xander (April 8, 2020). "The Weeknd also repeats at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Hot 100 & Artist 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  157. ^ "The Weeknd Adds Three New Songs to 'After Hours' Deluxe Edition". Rolling Stone. March 30, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  158. ^ BAILEY, ALYSSA (October 30, 2020). "Ariana Grande And The Weeknd's 'Off The Table' Lyrics Are About Her Finding Love After Losing Mac Miller". Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  159. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (October 24, 2020). "Ariana Grande Unveils 'Positions' Track List". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020.
  160. ^ "The Weeknd Joins Oneohtrix Point Never on New Song 'No Nightmares'". Rolling Stone. October 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  161. ^ Roiz, Jessica (November 5, 2020). "The Weeknd Sings in Spanglish on Fiery 'Hawái' Remix With Maluma: Watch the Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  162. ^ "2021 Latin Grammy nominations: Bad Bunny, Maluma, and more". www.yahoo.com. September 28, 2021. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  163. ^ Slater, Georgia (October 30, 2020). "Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Shawn Mendes to Perform at Virtual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball". People. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  164. ^ "Morgan Wallen's 'Dangerous' No. 1 for Fifth Week on Billboard 200 While 'If I Know Me' Hits Top 10 for First Time". Billboard. February 14, 2021. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  165. ^ McCarriston, Shanna (November 12, 2020). "Super Bowl LV: The Weeknd announced as Pepsi Halftime Show performer". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  166. ^ O'Connor, Roisin; Michallon, Clémence (February 8, 2021). "Super Bowl halftime show live: The Weeknd performs with dancers in face bandages at 2021 game". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  167. ^ Steussy, Lauren; DeNinno, Nadine (February 8, 2021). "What happened to The Weeknd's face at Super Bowl 2021 halftime show?". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  168. ^ "Best of The Weeknd and the Super Bowl 55 halftime show". USA Today. February 7, 2021. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021.
  169. ^ Bain, Katie (January 28, 2021). "The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021.
  170. ^ Caramanica, Jon (February 8, 2021). "The Weeknd Emerges From the Shadows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  171. ^ "Super Bowl halftime show review: The Weeknd wasn't great (but it's not all his fault)". USA Today. February 8, 2021. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  172. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (February 8, 2021). "The First Super Bowl Halftime Show About the Depravity of Halftime Shows". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021.
  173. ^ Patten, Dominic (February 8, 2021). "The Weeknd's Super Bowl Halftime Show Scores A Touchdown With A Technical Spectacle & Mixtape Of Hits – Review". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  174. ^ Julious, Britt (February 7, 2021). "Review: The Weeknd's Super Bowl halftime performance was an expensive nothing". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  175. ^ Fekau, Mesfin (February 7, 2021). "Review: Yawn, is it Monday yet? The Weeknd bores at halftime". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021.
  176. ^ Caulfield, Keith (February 11, 2021). "The Weeknd's Streams Increase 41% After Super Bowl Halftime Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021.
  177. ^ Caulfield, Keith (February 9, 2021). "The Weeknd's Sales Up 385% After Super Bowl Halftime Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021.
  178. ^ Libbey, Peter (July 13, 2021). "Emmys 2021: The List of Nominees". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  179. ^ Kiefer, Halle (March 21, 2021). "Step Inside the Weeknd's House of Balloons, Reissued for Its 10th Anniversary". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  180. ^ "The Weeknd Shares Original Version of 'Thursday' Mixtape and MR. Capsule Collection for Its Tenth Anniversary". HYPEBEAST. August 18, 2021. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  181. ^ "The Weeknd and MR. Team Up for Capsule Collection to Commemorate 'Thursday (Original)' Streaming Release". Complex. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  182. ^ "The Weeknd shares new "Echoes of Silence" video". The FADER. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  183. ^ "The Weeknd Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of 'Echoes of Silence' by Sharing Title-Track Video". Complex. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  184. ^ Mamo, Heran (April 23, 2021). "The Weeknd Drops 'Save Your Tears' Remix With Ariana Grande: Stream It Now". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  185. ^ Blanchet, Brenton. "The Weeknd and Ariana Grande Score No. 1 Hit for "Save Your Tears"". Complex. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  186. ^ Aswad, Jem (May 4, 2021). "The Weeknd Drops Hints About 'Beautiful' New Music: 'The Dawn Is Coming'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  187. ^ "The Weeknd Brings Rainy 'Save Your Tears' to 2021 Brit Awards: Watch". Billboard. May 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  188. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (May 11, 2021). "Brit awards 2021: the ceremony as it happened, with Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  189. ^ Singh, Ashish (May 28, 2021). "Is The Weeknd dropping an album? Fans say 'dawn is coming' after cryptic post". Meaww.com. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  190. ^ Park, Sabrina (June 25, 2021). "Doja Cat and The Weeknd Take Us to Another Universe in Their "You Right" Music Video". Harper's BAZAAR. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  191. ^ "Belly Enlists The Weeknd, Young Thug For 'Better Believe'". 91.5 The Beat. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  192. ^ Lynch, Joe (August 2, 2021). "The Weeknd Previews New Era With 'The Dawn Is Coming' Teaser: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  193. ^ "Announcing the Worldwide Era of GQ". GQ. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  194. ^ "The Weeknd vs. Abel Tesfaye". GQ. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  195. ^ Hussey, Allison (August 2, 2021). "The Weeknd Releasing New Song "Take My Breath" This Friday: Watch Preview". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  196. ^ Sinha, Charu (August 3, 2021). "The Weeknd Announces New Single, 'Take My Breath'". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  197. ^ "Every Song on Kanye West's 'Donda' Album, Ranked: Critic's Pick". Billboard. August 29, 2021. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  198. ^ Mamo, Heran (October 5, 2021). "The Weeknd Says His Next Album Is 'Complete'". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  199. ^ Kreps, Daniel (March 3, 2022). "The Weeknd Sets 'After Hours Til Dawn' North American Stadium Tour". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  200. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 18, 2021). "The Weeknd Moves Tour Dates to Summer 2022". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  201. ^ "The Weeknd Announces 'After Hours Til Dawn' Stadium Tour". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  202. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 22, 2021). "The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia Team Up for Smoldering New Single, 'Moth to a Flame'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  203. ^ "Listen to a snippet of Post Malone and The Weeknd's new collaboration 'One Right Now'". NME. November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  204. ^ "The Weeknd & Post Malone Tease First-Ever Collaboration: Listen". Billboard. November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  205. ^ "Rosalía and the Weeknd share trailer for new track "La Fama"". The FADER. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  206. ^ Sport (November 8, 2021). "Rosalía - La Fama: Así es la primera canción del nuevo disco de Rosalía junto a 'The Weeknd'". sport (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  207. ^ "FKA twigs teases new The Weeknd collaboration 'Tears In The Club'". NME. December 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  208. ^ Sisavat, Monica (December 14, 2021). "FKA Twigs Teases a Collab With The Weeknd, and It Sounds Like a Total Banger". POPSUGAR Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  209. ^ "The Weeknd Follows Drake & Chris Brown By Landing Posthumous Aaliyah Collaboration". HipHopDX. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  210. ^ "Aaliyah's Posthumous Song With The Weeknd "Poison" Coming Soon: Report". HotNewHipHop. December 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  211. ^ Corcoran, Nina; Monroe, Jazz (January 3, 2022). "The Weeknd Releasing New Album Dawn FM This Week". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  212. ^ Caulfield, Keith (January 18, 2022). "Gunna Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'DS4Ever'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  213. ^ "Gunna's 'DS4EVER' Scores the No. 1 Spot on the Billboard 200 as The Weeknd's 'Dawn FM' Debuts at No. 2". Complex. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  214. ^ "The Weeknd Breaks Billboard Global 200 Record With 'Dawn FM'". Complex. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  215. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (January 19, 2022). "The Weeknd's New 'Dawn FM' Tops Charts Around The World, Showing His 'Undeniable Global Appeal'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  216. ^ "Watch The Weeknd's New Video for "Sacrifice"". Complex. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  217. ^ Avila, Daniela (April 5, 2022). "The Weeknd Drops a Creepy, Karaoke-Singing 'Out of Time' Music Video — and It Features Jim Carrey!". People. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  218. ^ Kreps, Daniel (February 21, 2022). "The Weeknd to Premiere 'Dawn FM Experience' Special This Weekend". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  219. ^ "Watch The Weeknd appear in new episode of 'The Simpsons'". NME. March 21, 2022. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  220. ^ Aswad, Jem (April 18, 2022). "The Weeknd Closes Out Coachella With Hit-Filled, Tag-Team Set With Swedish House Mafia". Variety. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  221. ^ "Coachella 2022: The Weeknd covers Kanye, Drake as part of hits-filled headlining set". Consequence. April 18, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  222. ^ Mier, Tomás (July 26, 2022). "The Weeknd Brings 'After Hours' to Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  223. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (December 2, 2022). "Stream Metro Boomin's New Album Heroes & Villains Feat. The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Young Thug, & More". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  224. ^ Strauss, Matthew (February 24, 2023). "The Weeknd Enlists Ariana Grande for New "Die for You (Remix)"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  225. ^ Trust, Gary (February 6, 2023). "Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers' Tops Billboard Hot 100 for Third Week, Lil Uzi Vert's 'Just Wanna Rock' Hits Top 10". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  226. ^ Trust, Gary (March 6, 2023). "The Weeknd & Ariana Grande's 'Die for You' Leaps to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  227. ^ Rowley, Glenn (February 27, 2023). "The Weeknd Becomes First Artist to Hit This Spotify Milestone". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  228. ^ Kaufman, Gil (March 3, 2023). "The Weeknd Drops First Live Album, 'Live at SoFi Stadium'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  229. ^ Holmes, Helen (May 8, 2023). "The Weeknd Doesn't Want to Be The Weeknd Anymore". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  230. ^ "'The Idol' Review: Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in an HBO Series That's More Regressive Than Transgressive". The Hollywood Reporter. May 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  231. ^ "'The Idol' Review: Sam Levinson's Crude Provocation With The Weeknd & Lily-Rose Depp Is Gross & Sexist [Cannes]". The Playlist. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  232. ^ Campione, Katie (August 28, 2023). "'The Idol' Canceled At HBO After One Season". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  233. ^ Galindo, Thomas (April 12, 2023). "The Weeknd Announces Soundtrack for Upcoming HBO Series 'The Idol'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  234. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 28, 2023). "Movie Academy Invites Nearly 400 New Members Including Taylor Swift, Ke Huy Quan, The Daniels & Austin Butler". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  235. ^ Madarang, Charisma (July 21, 2023). "Travis Scott Releases 'K-POP,' Recruits The Weeknd and Bad Bunny". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  236. ^ Blistein, Jon (September 15, 2023). "Diddy Busts Out 'In the Air Tonight' Sample for the Weeknd's Final Feature on 'Another One of Me'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  237. ^ Mamo, Heran (August 11, 2023). "The Weeknd Says He's Done With Features — Unless This Group Gets Back Together". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  238. ^ "Fortnite Festival Season 1: Opening Night Features The Weeknd!". December 9, 2023. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  239. ^ "The Weeknd: 'Did You Know You're Experiencing a New Trilogy?'". Complex Networks. January 10, 2022. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  240. ^ "3️⃣". January 8, 2024. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  241. ^ Horvath, Zachary (March 25, 2024). "Future, Metro Boomin, & The Weeknd Reunite Once Again For "Young Metro" Music Video". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  242. ^ Bloom, Madison (July 17, 2024). "The Weeknd Announces One-Night Only Stadium Concert in São Paulo". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  243. ^ Tesfaye, Abel [@theweeknd] (September 4, 2024). "ALBUM TITLE" (Tweet). Retrieved September 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
  244. ^ Aswad, Jem (September 4, 2024). "The Weeknd Reveals Title, New Details About Next Album". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  245. ^ Scott, Damien (July 15, 2013). "The Weeknd: Kiss And Tell (2013 Cover Story)". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015.
  246. ^ Roberts, Randall (December 17, 2012). "Review: Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd, has hall smoldering". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  247. ^ "The Weeknd: 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' "opened my eyes to '80s music"". NME. November 24, 2021. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  248. ^ Trust, Gary (April 1, 2020). "The Weeknd on Being the First Artist to Top These 5 Charts At Once: 'It Feels Like a Huge Blessing' (Exclusive)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  249. ^ "The Weeknd Says Deftones Inspired His Music". MetalSucks. August 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  250. ^ Mistry, Anupa (August 31, 2015). "The Dark Knight Returns: A Conversation With the Weeknd". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  251. ^ Reed, Ryan (November 2, 2016). "The Weeknd Talks David Bowie, Prince Influences on New Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  252. ^ Slingerland, Calum (February 6, 2016). "The Weeknd's New Album Is Inspired by Bad Brains, Talking Heads and the Smiths". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021.
  253. ^ Schwadron, Eli (December 14, 2016). "50 Cent and Wu-Tang Are Influences on The Weeknd's New 'Starboy' Album Read More: 50 Cent, Wu-Tang Are Influences on The Weeknd's New 'Starboy' Album". XXL. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017.
  254. ^ Exposito, Suzy; Harris, Keith; Mistry, Anupa; Murray, Nick; Spanos, Brittany (October 21, 2015). "12 Great Songs That Wouldn't Exist Without the Weeknd". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  255. ^ The Weeknd Says Eminem Crashed Jay Z on 'Renegade,' Talks "The Hills" Remix. Southpawer. November 25, 2016. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021 – via YouTube.
  256. ^ "The Weeknd Says Eminem Destroyed 'The Hills' Remix and Jay Z on 'Renegade'". Southpawer. November 25, 2016. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  257. ^ Aswad, Jem (February 23, 2021). "The Weeknd Recalls Working With Daft Punk: 'They're One of the Reasons I Make Music'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021.
  258. ^ a b c Hoby, Hermione (November 8, 2012). "The Weeknd: Sounds and sensibility". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013.
  259. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (November 13, 2012). "The Weeknd: Trilogy". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  260. ^ a b Considine, J. D. (November 17, 2012). "How The Weeknd became R&B's next big thing". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  261. ^ Hogan, Marc (October 26, 2012). "The Weeknd Imbues 'Enemy' With the Smiths' Seductive Power". Spin. New York City. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  262. ^ MacInnes, Paul (November 15, 2012). "The Weeknd: Trilogy – review". The Guardian. London. section G2, p. 23. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013.
  263. ^ Scott, Damien (July 15, 2013). "The Weeknd: Kiss And Tell (2013 Cover Story)". Complex. Archived from the original on November 10, 2015.
  264. ^ Robbins, Winston (December 7, 2011). "Rookie of the Year: The Weeknd". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013.
  265. ^ (HD) The Weeknd's Vocal Range: D2 - C6. Prettiboimico. January 5, 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
  266. ^ a b Macdonald, Kyle (March 22, 2021). "Is The Weeknd a good singer, and what is his vocal range?". Classic FM. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  267. ^ Giorgis, Hannah (June 11, 2015). "The Weeknd's East African Roots". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  268. ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  269. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 1, 2020). "Is the Weeknd Pop, R&B or Hip-Hop? Why the Distinction Matters at the Grammys". Variety. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  270. ^ "Grammys 2016 Preview: The Weeknd, D'Angelo and More Soulful Singers Nominated for Best R&B Song and Best Urban Contemporary Album". Billboard. February 13, 2016. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  271. ^ Kellman, Andy, "The Weeknd – Music Biography, Credits and Discography", AllMusic, archived from the original on January 7, 2021
  272. ^ "The Rise of the Weeknd: 'I Want to Make Pop Cool Again'". Time. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  273. ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (March 22, 2021). "The Weeknd's 'The Party & the After Party' Paved the Way for our Genre-less Future". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021. The Weeknd's massive career was built on a foundation of dream pop and post-punk.
  274. ^ Scarano, Ross (November 21, 2019). "Songs That Defined the Decade: The Weeknd's 'House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  275. ^ Charlton, Lauretta (September 7, 2015). "How the Weeknd Went From Underground Anonymity to Superstar in 5 Years, According to His Collaborators". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021. It sounded like he was merging goth, dark-wave, and R&B with a punk-rock sensibility. It sounded like something completely new.
  276. ^ Berry, Peter A. (December 5, 2016). "The Weeknd Shines Brightly on 'Starboy' - XXL". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  277. ^ Feeney, Nolan (November 29, 2016). "The Weeknd's Starboy: EW Review". EW.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  278. ^ McDuffie, Candace (March 24, 2020). "The Weeknd – After Hours". Consequence. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020.
  279. ^ Herrera, Isabella (March 24, 2020). "The Weeknd: After Hours". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  280. ^ DeVille, Chris (January 7, 2022). "Review: The Weeknd's 'Dawn FM' Is An Art-Damaged Dancefloor Opus Inspired By Pandemic Purgatory". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  281. ^ Mitchell, Matt (January 7, 2022). "Dawn FM Is The Weeknd's Grandest Synth-Pop Gesture and a Thoughtful Rumination on Mortality". Paste. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  282. ^ "The Weeknd Sued over 'The Hills'". TMZ. December 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  283. ^ Renshaw, David (December 10, 2015). "The Weeknd sued over alleged similarities between 'The Hills' and sci-fi movie score". NME. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  284. ^ "The Weeknd and Daft Punk Sued for Stealing 'Starboy'". TMZ. September 18, 2018. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  285. ^ "The Weeknd Denies Stealing "Starboy" Beat From Somali-American Singer". May 18, 2019. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  286. ^ Brittain, Blake (September 8, 2020). "The Weeknd's Copyright Win Fails to Justify Attorneys' Fees". Bloomberg Industry Group. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021.
  287. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (April 4, 2019). "The Weeknd sued by British songwriters over 'A Lonely Night' plagiarism accusations". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  288. ^ Malt, Andy (November 11, 2019). "The Weeknd has move to dismiss song-theft lawsuit dismissed denied". Complete Music Update. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  289. ^ Blistein, Jon (February 24, 2020). "Yeasayer Sue the Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar Over 'Black Panther' Song". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  290. ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 10, 2020). "Yeasayer Drop Lawsuit Against the Weeknd". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  291. ^ Bloom, Madison (September 22, 2021). "The Weeknd and Nicolás Jaar Sued for Copyright Infringement Over "Call Out My Name"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021.
  292. ^ Robinson, Kristin (September 22, 2021). "The Weeknd Accused of Plagiarizing 2018 Song 'Call Out My Name'". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021.
  293. ^ Whitehead, Joanna (January 14, 2019). "The Weeknd's lyrics were homophobic – who cares if it's 'sensitive' to point that out?". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022.
  294. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay (January 14, 2019). "People are calling out The Weeknd for a 'homophobic' new song that suggests lesbianism is a 'phase' and he can 'f--- a girl straight'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  295. ^ Aswad, Jem (July 22, 2020). "Watch The Weeknd's Wild, Semi-Autobiographical Anime Video for 'Snowchild'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  296. ^ "Watch The Weeknd face up to his past in animated 'Snowchild' video". NME. July 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  297. ^ "'The Idol': How HBO's Next 'Euphoria' Became Twisted 'Torture Porn'". Rolling Stone. March 2023. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  298. ^ "The Weekend mocked online for his Rolling Stone response". Los Angeles Times. March 3, 2023. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  299. ^ "The Weeknd Posts 'The Idol' Clip Mocking Rolling Stone After Report of On-Set Dysfunction". IndieWire. March 2023. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  300. ^ "The Weeknd Mocked After Hitting Back at 'Idol' Set Drama Report: 'Bad Look'". Newsweek. March 2, 2023. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  301. ^ "The Weeknd Remade Pop Music. Will The Idol Remake The Weeknd?". Vanity Fair. May 16, 2023. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  302. ^ "Movie References in The Weeknd's After Hours You Never Noticed". www.moviefone.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  303. ^ Willman, Chris (September 10, 2019). "How the Weeknd Came to Play Himself in the Safdie Brothers' Berserk 'Uncut Gems'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  304. ^ Gwee, Karen (September 10, 2019). "The Weeknd recorded music with Oneohtrix Point Never intended for 'Uncut Gems'". NME. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019.
  305. ^ "SNL's 'On the Couch' Song Is Brutal and Hilariously Relatable". Fatherly. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  306. ^ Pedersen, Erik (April 1, 2020). "American Dad!' Gets TBS Return Date – Watch The Promo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  307. ^ "The Weeknd makes cameo appearance on 'Robot Chicken'". NME. July 28, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  308. ^ "The Weeknd to Co-Create and Star in New HBO Series The Idol". Pitchfork. June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  309. ^ Dailey, Hannah (March 7, 2022). "The Weeknd Announces 'Dream' Cameo on 'The Simpsons': 'Proud of This One'". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  310. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 28, 2023). "The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega And Barry Keoghan To Star In New Film Based On Original Idea From The Weeknd With Trey Edward Shults Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  311. ^ Chapman, Wilson (February 28, 2023). "The Weeknd, 'Waves' Director Trey Edward Shults' to Co-Write New Film". IndieWire. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  312. ^ Battan, Carrie (September 26, 2013). "The Weeknd Giving Away Kiss Land Condoms". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  313. ^ Hudson, Alex (September 26, 2013). "The Weeknd Gets His Own 'Kiss Land' Condoms". Exclaim!.
  314. ^ Keating, Lauren (November 4, 2015). "The Weeknd Launches A Vape That Plays His Hit Single 'The Hills' As You Smoke". Tech Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  315. ^ "The Weeknd Gets Limited Version of Pax 2 Vaporizer". Por Homme. Pausr Media LLC. November 13, 2015. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  316. ^ Hasse, Lemola (November 14, 2015). "HYPEBEAST Exclusive: WANGXO Apparel Collection". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  317. ^ Mench, Chris (September 29, 2016). "The Weeknd Partners With Puma as New Creative Collaborator and Ambassador". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  318. ^ Tucker, Alexa (May 4, 2017). "Where Are The Weeknd's Pop-Up Shops? If You Live in One Of These Eight Cities, You're in Luck". Bustle. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  319. ^ "A Closer Look at The Weeknd x PUMA XO Collection Launch in NYC". Hypebeast. November 22, 2017. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  320. ^ Christian, Scott (February 2, 2017). "The Weeknd and H&M Team Up for the New Spring Icons Collection". Esquire.
  321. ^ Yoo, Noah (January 8, 2018). "The Weeknd Cuts Ties With H&M Over "Deeply Offensive" Photo". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  322. ^ Saponara, Michael (March 23, 2018). "Marvel Unveils 'The Weeknd Presents: Starboy' Comic Book Release Date". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  323. ^ "The Weeknd x BAPE Summer Capsule Collection Dropping August 4". Highsnobiety. July 30, 2018.
  324. ^ "BAPE® x XO". A Bathing Ape. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  325. ^ Stavropoulos, Laura (January 8, 2020). "The Weeknd Reveals Latest XO And BAPE Capsule Collection". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  326. ^ Davidson, Neil (April 10, 2019). "The Weeknd signs on as part owner, global ambassador of esports firm". CBC News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  327. ^ "The Weeknd Joins With TD Bank to Launch Black Hxouse Entrepreneurship Initiative". Variety. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  328. ^ "Trudeau announces cash for loans, support to Black Canadian entrepreneurs". CP24. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  329. ^ "The Weeknd Teases Upcoming NFT Song". Vman. March 29, 2021.
  330. ^ Anthony Ha (March 31, 2021). "The Weeknd will sell an unreleased song and visual art via NFT auction". TechCrunch.
  331. ^ "Tom Brady Announced Partnership With The Weeknd in the Best Way Possible". FOX Sports Radio. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  332. ^ "Plant-based beverage brand Koia Gets Investments from All-Stars to provide Plant-Based Accessibility For All". VegWorld Magazine. April 21, 2022.
  333. ^ Carissimo, Justin (August 7, 2016). "The Weeknd donates $50,000 to language class at the University of Toronto". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  334. ^ Min, Lilian (August 7, 2016). "The Weeknd donated $50,000 to a cause dear to his heart". HelloGiggles.
  335. ^ "The Weeknd Donates $50,000 to St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Toronto". May 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021.
  336. ^ a b Daly, Rhian (August 14, 2016). "The Weeknd has donated $250,000 to Black Lives Matter". Time. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  337. ^ Malkin, Marc. "The Weeknd Donates $100,000 to Health Center in Uganda". E!. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  338. ^ "The Weeknd Brings Back XO Face Mask For COVID-19 Relief". HYPEBAE. April 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  339. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 29, 2020). "The Weeknd Donates $1 Million to MusiCares' and His Hometown's Coronavirus Relief". Variety. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  340. ^ Melas, Chloe (August 11, 2016). "The Weeknd donates $250,000 to Black Lives Matter". CNN.
  341. ^ "The Weeknd gives $250,000 to Black Lives Matter". The Guardian. August 11, 2016. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  342. ^ "The Weeknd Donated $500K to Racial Justice Initiatives: 'Please Give What You Can Even If It's a Small Amount'". Billboard. June 2, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  343. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 2, 2020). "The Weeknd Calls on Major Music Companies to 'Go Big and Public' With Blackout Tuesday Donations". Variety. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  344. ^ Curto, Justin (June 3, 2020). "WMG Creates Vague $100 Million Anti-Racism Fund Following the Weeknd's Criticism". Vulture. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  345. ^ Spangler, Todd (August 12, 2020). "The Weeknd Virtual Concert on TikTok Drew Over 2M Viewers, Raised $350,000 for Equal Justice Initiative". Variety. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  346. ^ Mahadevan, Tara C. (August 12, 2020). "The Weeknd, TikTok Raise $350K for Equal Justice Initiative, Singer Also Donates $300K to Beirut Explosion Victims". Complex Networks.
  347. ^ "With support from The Weeknd, U of T's Ethiopic program soars past $500,000 endowment goal". University of Toronto. November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  348. ^ Nolan, Emma (May 11, 2021). "Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and the Other Celebs Supporting Palestine Over Israel". Newsweek.
  349. ^ "The Weeknd Shares Instagram Posts Protesting Sheikh Jarrah Eviction". Haaretz. May 11, 2021.
  350. ^ Halperin, Shirley; Tangcay, Jazz (September 24, 2021). "The Weeknd, Motown's Ethiopia Habtemariam Highlight Emotional Night at Black Music Action Coalition Awards". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  351. ^ Mamo, Heran (January 9, 2024). "The Weeknd & School on Wheels Team Up to Provide Laptops, Tutoring & Mentorship for Homeless L.A. Students". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  352. ^ "São Paulo XO Logo Hoodie". Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  353. ^ "The Weeknd's São Paulo concert: A night to remember". August 22, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  354. ^ Shafer, Ellise (April 4, 2021). "The Weeknd Donates $1 Million to Relief Efforts in Ethiopia". Variety.
  355. ^ "USAID Administrator Power Held Urgent Meetings on Famine and Atrocities in Tigray, Ethiopia, including Ministerial Convening with Nine Countries and Conversation with The Weeknd, And Announced $181 Million in New USAID Assistance". usaid.gov. June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  356. ^ "It's The Weeknd! Superstar singer becomes World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador". www.wfp.org. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  357. ^ "The Weeknd Becomes U.N. Goodwill Ambassador for World Food Programme". World Food Program USA. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  358. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 3, 2022). "The Weeknd Unveils Stadium Tour Dates, Launches XO Humanitarian Fund With Combined $1.5 Million Donation". Variety. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  359. ^ Jones, Abby (December 1, 2023). "The Weeknd Donates $2.5 Million to Gaza Food Deliveries". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  360. ^ Cho, Regina (December 1, 2023). "The Weeknd To Provide 4 Million Emergency Meals To Humanitarian Efforts In Gaza". Vibe. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  361. ^ "The Weeknd Donates $2 Million to Provide 18 Million Loaves of Bread to Gaza Families". Rolling Stone. April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  362. ^ "Why The Weeknd Wants to Keep an Air of "Mystery" About His Personal Life". E! Online. August 3, 2017. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  363. ^ Vanderhoof, Erin (April 3, 2018). "Can the Weeknd Recapture the Mystery?". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  364. ^ Lau, Melody (July 25, 2011). "Mysterious R&B singer sells out first show". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  365. ^ Cooper, Leonie (July 15, 2013). "The Weeknd says he's 'boring' in first ever interview". NME.
  366. ^ Mamo, Heran. "The Weeknd Says His Song 'Faith' Recalls 'The Darkest Time of My Entire Life'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021.
  367. ^ Lindig, Sarah (October 10, 2015). "Bella Hadid Spends Her Birthday Weekend with the Weeknd". Elle. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015.
  368. ^ "Why Bella Hadid and The Weeknd Reportedly Broke Up for the Second Time". Elle. August 6, 2019. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  369. ^ "The Weeknd's Super Bloody 'In the Night' Music Video Stars Girlfriend Bella Hadid as a Stripper Assassin". www.etonline.com. December 8, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  370. ^ Yagoda, Maria (May 25, 2017). "Everything We Know About Selena Gomez and The Weeknd's Whirlwind Romance". People. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  371. ^ Chiu, Melody; Adams, Char (October 30, 2017). "Selena Gomez and The Weeknd Split After 10 Months Together". People. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  372. ^ Walsh, Savannah (February 6, 2021). "Bella Hadid and The Weeknd's Complete Relationship Timeline, Through Every Breakup and Reconciliation". ELLE. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  373. ^ "Why Did Selena Gomez Go Public—And Then Private—With Her Relationship With The Weeknd?". Vogue. January 30, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  374. ^ "A Breakdown of The Weeknd's Most Emo Lyrics About Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid On His New EP". W Magazine. March 30, 2018. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  375. ^ Lutkin, Aimeé (April 16, 2023). "All About The Weeknd's Girlfriend Simi Khadra". Elle. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  376. ^ Leung, Andrew (February 10, 2016). "The Weeknd's Hair: It's More Than an Homage to Basquiat". Mic.
  377. ^ "5 '80s & '90s Artists Who May Have Inspired The Weeknd's New Haircut". Billboard. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  378. ^ a b Hoby, Hermione (November 8, 2012). "The Weeknd: Sounds and sensibility". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013.
  379. ^ Wagstaff, Keith; Swanson, David (October 26, 2015). "10 Things You Should Know About the Weeknd". GQ. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018.
  380. ^ "Why is The Weeknd's crew called 'XO'". Capital Xtra.
  381. ^ Dow, Gabriele (February 21, 2012). "The Weeknd is ready for take-off". The Torch. St. John's University. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  382. ^ "The Weeknd says he's 'sober lite' after giving up drugs, except for weed". www.yahoo.com. August 2, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  383. ^ Stutz, Colin (January 12, 2015). "The Weeknd Arrested For Punching Las Vegas Police Officer". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  384. ^ "The Weeknd avoids jail time after punching police officer". The Guardian. October 23, 2015. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021.
  385. ^ "The Weeknd Pleads No Contest To Punching a Cop". TMZ. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  386. ^ Clarke, Katherine (August 19, 2021). "The Weeknd Buys $70 Million Mansion in One of L.A.'s Biggest Deals of the Year". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  387. ^ "The Weeknd Drops $70 Million on a Massive Bel Air Mansion". Architectural Digest. August 20, 2021. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  388. ^ "Madonna Drops $19.3 Million on The Weeknd's Hidden Hills Estate". The Hollywood Reporter. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023.
  389. ^ Leitereg, Neal J. (November 21, 2019). "The Weeknd buys a penthouse in Westwood's Beverly West for $21 million". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024.
  390. ^ Strum, Beckie (November 22, 2019). "The Weeknd Snaps Up $21 Million Los Angeles Penthouse". Mansion Global.
  391. ^ Halberg, Morgan (May 1, 2020). "The Weeknd Isn't Giving Up His Tribeca Penthouse Just Yet". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024.
  392. ^ Brandt, Libertina (March 31, 2022). "Home for The Weeknd: How the R&B Superstar Built a Property Portfolio Worth Millions". www.mansionglobal.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2022. The Weeknd no longer rents the unit, according to a source with knowledge of his holdings.
  393. ^ O. Harris, Jeremy (April 14, 2023). "The Weeknd Introduces Us to Abel Tesfaye". Interview. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023.
  394. ^ Bell, David (April 3, 2016). "The Weeknd really cleaned up this Juno Awards weekend". CBC News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  395. ^ "The Weeknd". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on April 19, 2017.
  396. ^ "The Weeknd honoured with Allan Slaight Award from Canada's Walk of Fame" (Press release). Canada's Walk of Fame. February 14, 2015. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015 – via Cision.
  397. ^ Peters, Mitchell (February 7, 2021). "Toronto Declares 'The Weeknd Day' to Honor Singer's Super Bowl Performance". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  398. ^ "The Weeknd has been given his own day by Toronto mayor". NME. February 7, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Weeknd&oldid=1258020083"