Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, professionally known as The Weeknd, is a highly acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter and actor. He has garnered significant recognition throughout his career, evidenced by his impressive collection of awards. These include four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, and a Latin Grammy Award. Furthermore, he has received nominations for both an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, demonstrating his versatility and impact across different entertainment mediums.
On February 16, 1990, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, was born. He is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actor who has received numerous accolades.
In 2002, the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City opened Tesfaye's eyes to the music of the 1980s, which heavily influenced his sound.
In August 2009, The Weeknd began anonymously releasing music on YouTube, marking the start of his public music career.
In December 2010, The Weeknd uploaded the songs "What You Need", "Loft Music", and "The Morning" to YouTube under the username "xoxxxoooxo", gaining attention online.
In 2010, The Weeknd released songs from House of Balloons and people said he made R&B cool again. He's assuming that's when the Alternative R&B label was created.
In May 2011, The Weeknd began working with Drake.
In July 2011, The Weeknd had his first live performance at the Mod Club Theatre in Toronto and earned a spot at Drake's OVO Fest on July 31.
In 2011, Tesfaye began growing out his distinctive hairstyle, which he maintained with minimal effort.
In 2011, The Weeknd met Wassim "Sal" Slaiby and Amir "Cash" Esmailian, with whom he co-founded the XO record label. On March 21, 2011, he released his debut mixtape, House of Balloons, which featured production from Illangelo and Doc McKinney. House of Balloons was also nominated for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.
In April 2012, The Weeknd performed at the Coachella Festival and had two sold-out shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.
On November 13, 2012, The Weeknd released 'Trilogy', a compilation album comprising re-mixed and remastered versions of his 2011 mixtapes, and three additional tracks.
In November 2012, The Weeknd embarked on his first concert tour, The Fall Tour, in North America, which included headlining shows and opening shows for Florence and the Machine.
In 2012, The Weeknd's third mixtape, Echoes of Silence, was a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.
On May 17, 2013, The Weeknd released the title track to his debut studio album, Kiss Land, and announced the album's release date.
In November 2013, The Weeknd served as an opening act for Justin Timberlake during The 20/20 Experience World Tour. He also contributed two songs, "Devil May Cry" and "Elastic Heart" with Sia and Diplo, to the soundtrack for the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
In 2013, Tesfaye collaborated with the condom company ONE to give away limited-edition condoms during his Kiss Land Fall Tour.
In 2013, The Weeknd received a nomination for the Sound of 2013 poll award by BBC.
In February 2014, The Weeknd released a remix of "Drunk in Love" from Beyoncé's eponymous studio album, and Ty Dolla Sign's "Or Nah".
In June 2014, The Weeknd announced the King of the Fall Tour, a 4-city tour of North America supported by Schoolboy Q and Jhené Aiko.
In October 2014, Tesfaye was awarded the Allan Slaight Honour by Canada's Walk of Fame for making a positive impact in music, film, literature, visual or performing arts, sports, innovation, or philanthropy.
In 2014, Tesfaye was presented with a Bikila Award for Professional Excellence and subsequently donated CA$50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a new course on Ge'ez, the classic language of Ethiopia, showcasing his commitment to education and philanthropy.
In January 2015, Tesfaye was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer in Las Vegas after police intervened to break up a fight. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to complete fifty hours of community service.
In April 2015, Tesfaye began an on-again, off-again relationship with American model Bella Hadid.
On May 27, 2015, The Weeknd released "The Hills" as the second single from Beauty Behind the Madness. The single eventually reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In June 2015, The Weeknd performed "Earned It" with Alicia Keys at the BET Awards after winning the Centric Award. On June 8, he released "Can't Feel My Face" as the third single from Beauty Behind the Madness. It became his first number-one song in the United States.
On August 28, 2015, The Weeknd's second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness, was released and debuted atop the Billboard 200, earning 412,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album was promoted through various summer music festivals and The Madness Fall Tour.
On September 4, 2015, The Weeknd was featured on Travis Scott's debut album Rodeo, on the track "Pray 4 Love".
In November 2015, Tesfaye partnered with Pax Labs, an electronic vaporizer company, to release a limited-edition vaporizer.
In December 2015, Bella Hadid starred in the music video for Tesfaye's single "In the Night".
In December 2015, The Weeknd was sued by Cutting Edge Music, alleging that the bassline for "The Hills" was taken from the film The Machine.
In 2015, The Weeknd shared his thoughts on the Alternative R&B label, stating "Alternative R&B is in my soul."
In 2015, The Weeknd's song "Earned It", from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The song later won Best R&B Performance at the Grammy Awards.
On February 14, 2016, The Weeknd was featured on Kanye West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo, on the track "FML".
In May 2016, Tesfaye donated CA$50,000 to the St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral in Toronto, Canada, a church he attended during his childhood.
In August 2016, Tesfaye donated US$250,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, supporting the movement against police brutality.
In August 2016, Tesfaye funded a new Ethiopian studies program at the University of Toronto, supporting education and cultural preservation.
In September 2016, The Weeknd, also known as Tesfaye, announced his third studio album, Starboy, which would be released on November 25 and include collaborations with Daft Punk.
In 2016, Tesfaye became a creative collaborator and global brand ambassador for the clothing brand Puma, launching capsule collections and hosting pop-up retail stores.
In 2016, The Weeknd released his album Starboy.
In 2016, prior to the release of Starboy, Tesfaye cut his signature hairstyle.
On February 17, 2017, The Weeknd commenced his fifth concert tour, named Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour, promoting his third studio album Starboy.
In June 2017, Tesfaye donated US$100,000 to the Suubi Health Center, a maternity and children's medical facility in Budondo, Uganda, inspired by French Montana's work with Global Citizen and Mama Hope.
In October 2017, Tesfaye's relationship with American singer-actress Selena Gomez ended after dating since January 2017.
In 2017, Tesfaye partnered with retail company H&M for their men's collection, marking another collaboration in the fashion industry.
In 2017, Tesfaye purchased a home in Hidden Hills, California, for $18.5 million, later selling it to Madonna in 2021 for $19.3 million.
In 2017, The Weeknd 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.
On February 2, 2018, The Weeknd contributed to the Black Panther soundtrack with the song "Pray for Me", featuring Kendrick Lamar.
On March 30, 2018, Tesfaye released his debut extended play My Dear Melancholy,. 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.
On June 6, 2018, Tesfaye announced his new Apple Music 1 radio show Memento Mori.
In July 2018, Tesfaye collaborated with Marvel Comics to release a comic book inspired by his third studio album Starboy.
On August 3, 2018, The Weeknd featured on two tracks from Travis Scott's third studio album, Astroworld, which were "Skeletons" and "Wake Up".
In September 2018, The Weeknd and Daft Punk were sued for allegedly stealing the rhythm for "Starboy" from Ethiopian poet and singer-songwriter Yasminah.
On January 11, 2019, Tesfaye was featured on Gesaffelstein's song "Lost in the Fire", the second single from his second studio album Hyperion.
In January 2019, The Weeknd faced criticism for some of the lyrics in his and Gesaffelstein's single "Lost in the Fire", which were accused of being homophobic and fetishizing bisexuality.
In April 2019, Tesfaye became an owner and global ambassador of the esports company OverActive Media, which owns Splyce and the Overwatch League team Toronto Defiant, entering the esports industry.
In April 2019, Tesfaye was sued by William Smith, Brian Clover, and Scott McCulloch, who accused Tesfaye of copyright infringement from plagiarizing their song "I Need to Love" in order to create his song "A Lonely Night".
In June 2019, "The Hills" was certified diamond by the RIAA, marking The Weeknd's first diamond-certified record.
In August 2019, Tesfaye's on-again, off-again relationship with Bella Hadid ended.
In August 2019, the lawsuit against Tesfaye regarding "A Lonely Night" was dismissed via summary judgment, with the option to amend.
On August 30, 2019, Tesfaye made his acting debut in the film Uncut Gems during the Telluride Film Festival, showcasing his interest and involvement in cinema.
In September 2019, the plaintiffs filed an amended claim based on secondary infringement regarding the song "A Lonely Night", which is still in litigation.
On November 24, 2019, Tesfaye teased his single "Blinding Lights" through a Mercedes-Benz commercial.
In January 2020, Tesfaye released a second apparel collection in collaboration with A Bathing Ape, continuing his ventures into fashion.
In February 2020, The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar were sued by Yeasayer, claiming that "Pray for Me" includes an unauthorized sample of their song "Sunrise".
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.
On March 7, 2020, Tesfaye appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest and also starred in the skit "On The Couch" alongside actors Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd.
On March 29, 2020, The Weeknd released the deluxe version of After Hours, which contained the tracks "Nothing Compares", "Missed You" and "Final Lullaby".
In April 2020, Tesfaye launched a line of non-medical face masks, with proceeds going to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donated US$500,000 to MusiCares and CA$500,000 to the Scarborough Health Network, supporting COVID-19 relief efforts.
In May 2020, 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 following the murder of George Floyd, and urged music executives to donate as well.
On August 7, 2020, The Weeknd was featured on the late Juice Wrld's single "Smile" from his first posthumous album Legends Never Die.
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, supporting Black Canadian entrepreneurs.
In 2020, Tesfaye discussed his religious views, stating to Variety that everything is a test and if you are religious or spiritual, you have to go through things.
On February 5, 2021, Tesfaye released his second greatest hits album The Highlights.
On February 7, 2021, Tesfaye headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show, becoming the first Canadian solo artist to headline the show.
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, exploring the digital art and blockchain space.
In March 2021, The Weeknd reissued his mixtape House of Balloons in its authentic form with the original mixes and samples to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its release.
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.
On May 8, 2021, the remix of "Save Your Tears" with Ariana Grande launched the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, becoming both artists' sixth number one hit.
In May 2021, Tesfaye was among the celebrities expressing solidarity for civilians who died during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.
On June 29, 2021, Tesfaye announced his involvement in the HBO television drama series The Idol as a co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star.
On August 2, 2021, Tesfaye released a snippet of new music on social media.
As of August 2021, Tesfaye was residing in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
In August 2021, Thursday's reissue followed House of Balloons to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its release.
In August 2021, during a cover story with GQ, Tesfaye described himself as being "sober lite", meaning that he had stopped using drugs with the exception of marijuana, and noted that he drinks alcohol occasionally.
As of the week of September 11, 2021, "Blinding Lights" became the longest charting song by a solo artist on the Hot 100 at 90 weeks.
In September 2021, Tesfaye appeared on the cover of the September 2021 issue of GQ, marking the magazine's first global publication.
In September 2021, Tesfaye, Nicolás Jaar, and Frank Dukes were sued for copyright infringement by Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, claiming "Call Out My Name" is similar to their 2015 track "Vibeking".
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."
On October 22, 2021, Tesfaye appeared on Swedish House Mafia's single "Moth to a Flame" from their debut studio album Paradise Again.
On November 23, 2021, Billboard ranked "Blinding Lights" as the #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time, surpassing "The Twist" by Chubby Checker.
In 2021, after Daft Punk announced their split, The Weeknd praised them, saying they were one of the reasons he makes music.
On January 7, 2022, Tesfaye released his fifth studio album Dawn FM.
Since February 2022, Tesfaye has been in a relationship with Saudi-born disc jockey Simi Khadra, which he has kept private.
On March 3, 2022, Tesfaye partnered with the WFP to launch the XO Humanitarian Fund, donating US$1 from every ticket sold at his After Hours til Dawn Tour, in addition to a US$500,000 donation, to the WFP.
On March 20, 2022, Tesfaye lent his voice to two characters during an episode of The Simpsons.
In July 2022, Tesfaye's upcoming tour, originally titled the After Hours Tour, was scheduled to commence, being held entirely in stadiums due to arena constraints. The tour was renamed as the After Hours til Dawn Tour, and would incorporate elements from his fourth and fifth studio albums.
On December 2, 2022, Tesfaye appeared on the song "Creepin'" from Metro Boomin's album, Heroes & Villains.
On December 16, 2022, The Weeknd's song "Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)", made for the film Avatar: The Way of Water's official soundtrack, was released.
In 2022, Tesfaye invested in plant-based beverage brand Koia, diversifying his investment portfolio.
On January 1, 2023, "Blinding Lights" became the most streamed song on Spotify with 3.3 billion streams.
On February 24, 2023, a remix of The Weeknd's 2016 song "Die for You" featuring Ariana Grande was released, marking their fourth collaboration.
On February 27, 2023, The Weeknd became the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
On March 1, 2023, Rolling Stone published an exposé detailing the alleged toxic working environment on the set of The Idol, an HBO drama series co-created and starring Tesfaye. The article cited concerns over the show's graphic sexual content and a creative overhaul that shifted the series' focus, resulting in a controversy and backlash.
On March 3, 2023, The Weeknd released his first live album, titled Live at SoFi Stadium. It featured recordings from his HBO concert film of the same name.
On March 11, 2023, the "Die for You" remix reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming both The Weeknd's and Ariana Grande's seventh number one hit.
In April 2023, Tesfaye revealed that he has ADHD.
On April 29, 2023, The Weeknd was featured on four songs—"Artificial Intelligence", "Defame Moi", "More Coke!!", and "Emotionless"—from Mike Dean's album 4:23.
In May 2023, The Weeknd announced his intention to retire the moniker of "The Weeknd" in favor of performing under his birth name or a new pseudonym, stating his upcoming album would likely be his "final hurrah" under the name.
On June 8, 2023, The Weeknd announced a series of EPs featuring music from The Idol, released after each episode and featuring collaborations with various artists.
On August 28, 2023, HBO announced it had cancelled The Weeknd's show "The Idol" after one season, following significant controversy and negative reviews.
On December 2, 2023, Fortnite announced that The Weeknd would be featured as the headlining artist for its Fortnite Festival gamemode.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked The Weeknd at number 110 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
In 2023, it was announced that Tesfaye will co-write and star in a film with Trey Edward Shults directing, alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
On January 8, 2024, Tesfaye teased an upcoming album, posting pictures of his last two albums and a question mark on his social media.
On January 9, 2024, Tesfaye partnered with the non-profit organization School on Wheels Inc. to support more than 1,000 students experiencing homelessness.
On March 22, 2024, Tesfaye 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.
On April 29, 2024, Tesfaye announced he will donate another $2 million to Palestine as loaves of bread, continuing his humanitarian efforts.
On July 17, 2024, Tesfaye announced a one-night show in São Paulo, Brazil, set to take place on September 7, 2024.
On September 7, 2024, Tesfaye is set to perform in a one-night show in São Paulo, Brazil.
On January 31, 2025, Tesfaye's sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, was released.
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