Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weeknd, is a highly influential Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. His distinctive falsetto, innovative musical style, and artistic reinventions have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards. His achievements include four Grammys, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, and a Latin Grammy Award. He has also received nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, was born on February 16, 1990.
In 2002, the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released, which The Weeknd credits with introducing him to 1980s music that would heavily inspire his sound.
The Weeknd started anonymously uploading music to YouTube in August 2009.
The Weeknd began releasing music anonymously online in 2009.
Songs uploaded by The Weeknd gained online attention and were mentioned by Drake in December 2010.
The Weeknd's mixtape "House of Balloons" was released in 2010.
The Weeknd began working with Drake in May 2011.
The Weeknd held his first live performance and appeared at Drake's OVO Fest in July 2011.
The original mixtapes that made up Trilogy were released in 2011.
The Weeknd co-founded XO and released his debut mixtape, House of Balloons, in 2011.
The Weeknd began growing out his signature hairstyle in 2011.
In 2011, The Weeknd released three mixtapes (House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence) and co-founded the record label XO.
The Weeknd performed at Coachella and various European festivals in April 2012.
The Weeknd's compilation album Trilogy, featuring remastered mixtapes, was released on November 13, 2012.
The Weeknd embarked on his first concert tour, the Fall Tour, in November 2012.
The Weeknd released his third mixtape, Echoes of Silence, in 2012.
The Weeknd's compilation album, Trilogy, which included remastered versions of his mixtapes, was released in 2012.
The title track for The Weeknd's debut album, Kiss Land, was released on May 17, 2013.
The Weeknd toured to promote Kiss Land and opened for Justin Timberlake in November 2013.
The Weeknd released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, in 2013.
The score for the science fiction film "The Machine" was composed, containing a piece that would later become the subject of a lawsuit over The Weeknd's song "The Hills".
In 2013, The Weeknd collaborated with ONE Condoms to distribute limited-edition condoms at his Kiss Land Fall Tour shows.
The Weeknd was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll.
The Weeknd received the Allan Slaight Honour from Canada's Walk of Fame in October 2014, recognizing his positive impact on the arts and philanthropy.
In 2014, after receiving the Bikila Award, The Weeknd donated CA$50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a Ge'ez language course.
The Weeknd engaged in various collaborations and contributed to film soundtracks in 2014.
In January 2015, The Weeknd was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly punching a police officer. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service.
The Weeknd's on-again, off-again relationship with model Bella Hadid began in April 2015.
In November 2015, The Weeknd partnered with Pax Labs to release a limited-edition vaporizer.
In December 2015, The Weeknd was sued by Cutting Edge Music, who claimed the bassline of "The Hills" was taken from a composition in the film "The Machine."
Bella Hadid starred in The Weeknd's music video for his single "In the Night" in December 2015.
Producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange released the track "Vibeking", which would later be the center of a copyright lawsuit involving The Weeknd's song "Call Out My Name".
In a 2015 interview with Time, The Weeknd discussed the alternative R&B label and its influence on his music and broader music trends.
Beauty Behind the Madness, The Weeknd's second studio album, was released in 2015.
In May 2016, The Weeknd donated CA$50,000 to St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral in Toronto.
In August 2016, The Weeknd funded a new Ethiopian studies program at the University of Toronto.
In August 2016, The Weeknd donated US$250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.
The Weeknd cut his signature long hair in 2016, before the release of his album "Starboy".
The original version of The Weeknd's song, "Die For You," was released in 2016.
The Weeknd's third studio album, Starboy, was released in 2016.
In 2016, The Weeknd became a creative collaborator and global brand ambassador for Puma, releasing several capsule collections.
In June 2017, The Weeknd donated US$100,000 to the Suubi Health Center in Uganda, inspired by French Montana's work with Global Citizen and Mama Hope.
The Weeknd's relationship with Selena Gomez ended in October 2017.
In 2017, The Weeknd partnered with H&M for their men's collection, but later cut ties with the company in 2018 due to a racist incident.
In 2017, The Weeknd purchased a home in Hidden Hills, California, for $18.5 million. He later sold this home to Madonna in 2021.
On February 2, 2018, The Weeknd collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on "Pray for Me," the third single from the Black Panther soundtrack. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Weeknd released his debut EP, My Dear Melancholy, on March 30, 2018. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his third consecutive number-one album.
In July 2018, The Weeknd collaborated with Marvel Comics to release a comic book inspired by his album "Starboy."
The Weeknd featured on two tracks, "Skeletons" and "Wake Up," on Travis Scott's album Astroworld, released August 3, 2018.
In September 2018, The Weeknd and Daft Punk faced a lawsuit alleging they stole the rhythm for "Starboy" from Yasminah.
The Weeknd released his debut EP, My Dear Melancholy, in 2018.
On January 11, 2019, The Weeknd was featured on Gesaffelstein's song "Lost in the Fire" from the album Hyperion.
The lyrics of "Lost in the Fire," a collaboration with Gesaffelstein, sparked controversy in January 2019 due to accusations of homophobia and bisexual fetishization.
A British trio sued The Weeknd in April 2019, accusing him of plagiarising their song "I Need to Love" to create "A Lonely Night".
In April 2019, The Weeknd became an owner and global ambassador of the esports company OverActive Media.
In August 2019, The Weeknd and Bella Hadid ended their on-again, off-again relationship.
The lawsuit regarding "A Lonely Night" was dismissed in August 2019, but with an option for the plaintiffs to amend their claim.
On August 30, 2019, The Weeknd made his acting debut in the film "Uncut Gems" at the Telluride Film Festival.
An amended claim, based on secondary infringement, was filed in September 2019 concerning the "A Lonely Night" lawsuit and remains in litigation.
The Weeknd teased his single "Blinding Lights" through a Mercedes-Benz commercial on November 24, 2019.
In January 2020, The Weeknd released a second apparel collection with A Bathing Ape.
In February 2020, The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar were sued by Yeasayer, claiming unauthorized sampling of their song "Sunrise" in "Pray for Me".
The Weeknd revealed the title and release date (March 20) of his fourth studio album, After Hours, on February 19, 2020, and released the title track.
On March 7, 2020, The Weeknd made his third musical guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he also performed in the skit "On The Couch" alongside Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd.
The deluxe version of After Hours, including bonus tracks, was released on March 29, 2020.
In April 2020, The Weeknd launched a line of non-medical face masks, donating proceeds to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and also donated to MusiCares and Scarborough Health Network.
In May 2020, The Weeknd donated to various social justice organizations, including Black Lives Matter, Know Your Rights Camp, and National Bail Out, following the murder of George Floyd.
The Weeknd featured on Juice Wrld's posthumous single "Smile" released on August 7, 2020.
On August 31, 2020, The Weeknd partnered with TD Bank to launch Black HXOUSE, an entrepreneurial initiative supporting Black Canadian entrepreneurs.
The Weeknd's fourth studio album, After Hours, was released in 2020.
The Weeknd was listed as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2020.
In 2020, during an interview with Variety, The Weeknd discussed his views on religion and spirituality, stating that "everything is a test."
In 2020, The Weeknd collaborated with NBC Sports and the 2020 Summer Olympics, which led to the later announcement of his single, "Take My Breath".
The Weeknd's second greatest hits album, The Highlights, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 on February 5, 2021.
The Weeknd headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show on February 7, 2021, becoming the first Canadian solo artist to do so.
In March 2021, The Weeknd auctioned artwork and an unreleased song as an NFT and later joined Tom Brady's NFT platform Autograph as a board member.
The Weeknd reissued his mixtape House of Balloons in its original form in March 2021.
On April 4, 2021, The Weeknd donated US$1 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support relief efforts in Ethiopia for people affected by the Tigray War.
The remix of "Save Your Tears" with Ariana Grande reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 on May 8, 2021.
In May 2021, The Weeknd expressed solidarity with Palestine and later in September, he received the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award.
On June 29, 2021, The Weeknd announced his involvement in the HBO drama series "The Idol" as co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star.
On August 2, 2021, The Weeknd teased new music on social media and appeared on the cover of GQ's September 2021 issue, marking the magazine's first global publication.
In August 2021, The Weeknd described himself as "sober lite" in a GQ interview, indicating that he had mostly stopped using drugs, with the exception of marijuana, and only occasionally drank alcohol.
The Weeknd reissued his mixtape Thursday in its original form in August 2021.
As of August 2021, The Weeknd resided in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
On September 11, 2021, "Blinding Lights" ended its 90-week run on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the longest charting song by a solo artist at the time.
A copyright infringement lawsuit was filed against The Weeknd, Nicolás Jaar, and Frank Dukes in September 2021, claiming substantial similarity between "Call Out My Name" and "Vibeking".
In September 2021, The Weeknd appeared on the cover of GQ's global issue. He also partnered with NBC Sports and the 2020 Summer Olympics to announce his single "Take My Breath".
On October 4, 2021, during an episode of Memento Mori, The Weeknd revealed that his fifth studio album was finished and awaiting final touches.
On October 22, 2021, The Weeknd was featured on Swedish House Mafia's single "Moth to a Flame".
Billboard ranked "Blinding Lights" as the #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time on November 23, 2021.
The Weeknd was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme in 2021.
Following Daft Punk's split in 2021, The Weeknd praised the duo during a Variety interview, citing them as a major reason for making music.
The Weeknd's fifth studio album, Dawn FM, was released on January 7, 2022, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and breaking records on the Billboard Global 200.
The Weeknd began dating Simi Khadra in February 2022, keeping the relationship largely private.
On March 3, 2022, The Weeknd partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) and launched the XO Humanitarian Fund. He committed to donating $1 from every ticket sold on his "After Hours til Dawn Tour," along with an initial donation of US$500,000, to support the WFP's efforts.
On March 20, 2022, The Weeknd lent his voice to two characters in an episode of "The Simpsons."
The After Hours til Dawn Tour, incorporating music from The Weeknd's fourth and fifth studio albums, was scheduled to begin in July 2022 in stadiums.
On July 26, 2022, The Weeknd announced a haunted house collaboration with Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights.
On December 2, 2022, The Weeknd appeared on the song "Creepin'" from Metro Boomin's album Heroes & Villains.
The Weeknd's song "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)", for the Avatar: The Way of Water soundtrack, was released on December 16, 2022.
One of The Weeknd's Fortnite outfits was inspired by his 2022 Coachella performance.
In 2022, The Weeknd's 2016 song "Die for You" experienced a resurgence in popularity and began charting again.
In 2022, The Weeknd invested in the plant-based beverage brand Koia.
The Weeknd released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, in 2022.
"Blinding Lights" became the most streamed song on Spotify on January 1, 2023, with 3.3 billion streams.
On February 24, 2023, a remix of The Weeknd's "Die for You" featuring Ariana Grande was released, marking their fourth collaboration.
On February 27, 2023, The Weeknd became the first artist to exceed 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
On March 1, 2023, Rolling Stone published an exposé detailing the controversial production of HBO's "The Idol," co-created by and starring The Weeknd. The article highlighted allegations of a toxic work environment, graphic sexual content, and a shift in creative direction after director Amy Seimetz's departure.
The Weeknd's first live album, Live at SoFi Stadium, was released on March 3, 2023.
On March 11, 2023, The Weeknd's "Die for You" remix with Ariana Grande reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In April 2023, The Weeknd publicly revealed that he has ADHD.
On April 29, 2023, The Weeknd was featured on four songs from Mike Dean's album 4:23.
In May 2023, The Weeknd expressed his intention to potentially retire his stage name and perform under his birth name or a new alias.
On June 8, 2023, The Weeknd announced a series of EPs related to The Idol and received an invitation to join the Academy.
On August 28, 2023, HBO announced the cancellation of The Idol after one season.
On December 2, 2023, Fortnite announced The Weeknd as the headlining artist for its Fortnite Festival gamemode, with outfits based on his various looks becoming available on December 9.
The Weeknd was recognized as the "world's most popular artist" by Guinness World Records in 2023.
In 2023, it was announced that The Weeknd is co-writing and starring in a film directed by Trey Edward Shults, also featuring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked The Weeknd at number 110 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
In 2023, The Weeknd co-created and starred in the HBO series The Idol, and released its accompanying soundtrack.
On January 9, 2024, The Weeknd partnered with School on Wheels to support homeless students and pledged to donate a portion of merchandise profits from his Brazil concert to the Brazilian Soul Fund.
On April 29, 2024, The Weeknd announced a $2 million donation to Palestine, to be distributed as loaves of bread.
On July 17, 2024, The Weeknd announced a concert in São Paulo, Brazil, scheduled for September 7, 2024. He also revealed the title of his upcoming sixth album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow."
On September 7, 2024, The Weeknd performed a one-night show in São Paulo, Brazil.
In 2024, The Weeknd collaborated with Travis Scott on "K-pop" and "Circus Maximus" from Utopia, and with Diddy on "Another One of Me".
The Weeknd's sixth studio album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow," was released on January 31, 2025.