BIOGRAPHY:

Childhood and youth:

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990 in Toronto, Canada to a couple of immigrants from Ethiopia. The performer’s father soon left the family, and his mother was forced to work several jobs at once to feed herself and her little son. Therefore, the grandmother was involved in raising the future star, who taught the boy the Ahmar language and instilled a love for Ethiopian culture. This influenced both the image and the artist’s work.

The lack of parental attention negatively affected the character of Abel, who grew up as a difficult teenager. He tried marijuana early on, which was later replaced by harder drugs. Later, the young man began to steal and skip school, and then dropped out of school altogether to devote himself to creativity. Fate was favorable to Tesfaye, so his dream eventually became a reality. But for this we had to overcome many difficulties.

The result of joint creativity was 3 tracks published on the Internet under the name xoxxxoooxo. It was not sonorous, so the artist thought about changing his pseudonym. At first he wanted to call his project The Weekend, which was symbolic for Abel, because he left home on the weekend. But since a group with the same name already existed, it was decided to remove one letter, which resulted in the word The Weeknd.

The artist’s debut singles quickly attracted the attention of the Internet community, but their further promotion was greatly facilitated by the attention of rapper Drake. During this period, Tesfaye continued to work in the store, but later made contacts in the music industry and co-founded the XO Records label. It released the House of Balloons mixtape.

The release was warmly received by the public, and soon the singer became a hot topic. He continued to collaborate with Drake, not only opening for him, but also participating in the recording of his tracks. The Weeknd contributed to the Take Care album as a songwriter and performer.

In the same 2011, the artist demonstrated enviable productivity, delighting listeners with two more mixtapes – Thursday and Echoes of Silence. The singer later recalled in an interview that at that time he was creating non-stop. His tracks were both the results of the implementation of a precisely thought-out idea, and the product of improvisation. Sometimes Abel stood at the microphone and created, alternating between singing and muttering. An example of this method is Gone – a freestyle recorded in one take and lasting a full 8 minutes.

The following fall, The Weeknd signed a contract with Republic Records, in collaboration with which he released the Trilogy collection. It contained mixtape materials and 3 new songs and quickly won the love of listeners, which inspired the star to start creating his debut album.

The presentation of Kiss Land took place in September 2013, but the release of the song Devil May Cry, which became the soundtrack to the film “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” attracted much more attention. After that, not only musicians, but also filmmakers wanted to work with Abel. Soon his track Earned It was featured in the film “50 Shades of Grey.”

Shortly before this, The Weeknd presented Love Me Harder – the result of a collaboration with the then rising star Ariana Grande. The track added popularity to both, but did not become a major hit for the singer. Soon, The Hills began playing on all radio stations and music venues, with which Abel’s name and style were associated for a long time. He allowed the singer to express himself not only in English-speaking countries, but throughout the world.

The song Can’t Feel My Face was no less listened to. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, entering the top 3 along with The Hills and Earned It, marking a new achievement in music history. Since then, Tesfaye has come to be considered not just a talented musician, but also a hitmaker whose work is worth watching.

All 3 singles were included in the track list of the album Beauty Behind the Madness, which topped the music charts in several countries around the world. Other songs from the record turned out to be equally successful, especially Often and Prisoner, recorded in collaboration with Lana Del Rey.

The Weeknd did not delay the next release, presenting Starboy a year later, in the fall of 2015. The single of the same name, in the recording of which the French duo Daft Punk participated, received the attention of listeners.

Subsequently, Tesfaye continued to delight fans with new tracks, recorded both solo and with the participation of other artists. He released the mini-album My Dear Melancholy, which featured the song Call Out My Name, and shared the result of his collaboration with DJ Gesaffelstein – the hit Lost in the Fire.

But all this time, The Weeknd remained under pressure, because listeners expected something truly extraordinary from him. The artist did not let them down by releasing the album After Hours. The release came at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and the performer later admitted that the producers convinced him to delay the presentation. Abel did not listen to them, because he did not want to let down his loyal fans, and they repaid him in full. The album, the release of which absolutely everyone was against, topped the music charts around the world and became more successful than all previous ones.

The sales were largely due to the success of the previous singles. It all started with Blinding Lights, whose popularity instantly skyrocketed and eclipsed even the legendary The Hills and Starboy. For it, Abel received several American Music Awards. The release of In Your Eyes and Save Your Tears helped cement his fame. The latter was later supplemented with vocals from Ariana Grande.

It seemed that such a successful album should not have gone unnoticed by the jury and other music awards, but fans were disappointed when they learned that the performer did not receive a single Grammy nomination. All this provoked a scandal, which resulted in a change in the voting policy at the competition.

In February 2021, Abel performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, performing a greatest hits medley that showcased the evolution of his work. To make the show turn out the way he intended, the singer even invested his own $7 million in it. Although critics had mixed reactions to the performance, fans called it proof that the singer does not need a Grammy, but the management of the award does.

Shortly after this, The Weeknd announced the release of his next album, thereby announcing the beginning of a new era of creativity. He also participated in the preparation of the release of Planet Her by singer Doja Cat, with whom he recorded the track You Right.

In the spring of the same year, the performer again received the attention of critics. This time his work was noted by representatives of the Billboard Music Awards. Abel was nominated in 16 categories and won in 10 of them.

The artist’s fifth studio album was released in January 2022. The album Dawn FMawn FM was recorded with the participation of such stars as The Creator and Lil Wayne. The album’s conceptual cover, featuring an older image of the artist himself, symbolized the new tracks’ overall theme of redemption and letting go of regrets.

Tesfaye became the performer of the Nothing Is Lost soundtrack for James Cameron’s box-office project Avatar 2: The Way of Water.

Appearance:

The Weeknd gained recognition not only due to his vocals, but also due to his public image. According to the artist, at the beginning he planned to keep his identity a secret. Abel was in no hurry to post photos online and avoided interviews, considering himself too boring. But such mystery only fueled interest in his person, which allowed him to increase the number of admirers.

Later, the singer still had to go out into the world, but he appeared before the public with a hairstyle consisting of dreadlocks gathered on the top and back of his head. Internet users immediately began to argue what she looked more like – a palm tree or a pineapple, which again drew attention to the star.

According to The Weeknd, he did not intend to change his image throughout his career, because it emphasized his individuality, but suddenly everyone around him began to copy his hairstyle, and this forced him to reconsider his views. Soon the artist cut his hair, and then appeared in public with a mustache, which is why people began to compare him to a Mexican mafioso.

But the most noticeable changes in the performer’s appearance occurred during the After Hours era. He turned the album release into a one-man show, but at the same time played his role with talent, sticking to the storyline from video to video. Abel stayed in character even during public appearances, invariably preferring a bright red suit.

If in the video for Blinding Lights the star’s character was bruised, then he came out with bruises. Later, the musician continued this line by appearing at the American Music Awards with a bandaged head. Therefore, fans did not even have time to get scared when the singer posted on his Instagram account (the social network is banned in the Russian Federation, it belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation) a photo with makeup simulating the consequences of plastic surgery on the face. In this form he appeared in the video for the track Save Your Tears, which became the point in this story.

Such transformations were not the artist’s whim, but a way of dialogue with the public. With this, The Weeknd publicly expressed disapproval of musicians who resort to manipulation of appearance in an attempt to gain attention.

Business and charity:

Since the singer became popular, many companies and brands wanted to collaborate with him. In 2015, he signed a contract with Pax Labs and participated in the development of the design of electronic cigarettes. They were used on shows during The Madness Fall Tour.

The following year, Abel and his company XO announced a collaboration with Puma, releasing 3 capsule collections. Later, items developed together with A Bathing Ape and H&M were also released. The artist terminated his contract with the latter brand due to a conflict.

The singer spends the money earned from business projects not only for personal needs, but also for charity. He does not forget about his roots, helping the people of Ethiopia, collaborating with medical centers and donating to educational needs.

During the coronavirus pandemic, The Weeknd did not stand aside, donating about $1 million to fight the disease. Also in 2020, the performer allocated funds to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Personal life:

In the past, Abel dated model Bella Hadid. The girl starred in the video for the song In The Night, after which the lovers repeatedly appeared in public together. But the romance did not last long, the stars broke up. Later they tried to renew their relationship, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

In between unsuccessful romances with Hadid, The Weeknd dated popular singer Selena Gomez. Fans barely had time to rejoice for the couple before a breakup followed. The reason given was the busy schedule of the performers.

Although it was not possible to find happiness in his personal life, his relationships with Bella and Selena had a positive impact on the artist’s work. Fans are still wondering whether the track Save Your Tears was dedicated to Gomez, because a girl very similar to her starred in the video.

In 2021, the Network was rocked by unexpected news: Abel was suspected of having an affair with Angelina Jolie. First, they were caught having dinner together, and then they attended a closed event, accompanied by the actress’s children. The stars did not rush to comment on this matter.
After the release of the Dawn FM album in 2022, fans believed that in the song Here We Go… Again, the singer indirectly confirmed his relationship with the Hollywood actress with lines about his love for a “movie star girl.” However, insiders reported that there is now a connection between the celebrities, but it is of an inspiring nature. Abel considered Jolie his muse.

The Weeknd now:

In March 2023, news outlets reported that a performer with Ethiopian roots managed to repeat Michael Jackson’s record for the number of hits released. According to the data provided, The Weeknd’s compositions reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart 7 times.

Later, the musician’s name was again in the news due to the fact that Abel was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular performer. According to statistics from the Spotify platform, his works have the highest number of plays.

During the same period, the performer decided to abandon his pseudonym and perform under his real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye.

In the summer, the series “Idol” premiered with The Weeknd in the title role. Lily-Rose Depp reincarnated as his chosen one.

The Weeknd, without exaggeration, can be called a star of the modern era, because he knows exactly how to attract attention to his work. His songs become hits, his performances become discussed events, and the release of a new album turns into a whole show, thought out to the smallest detail. All this brought the artist the love and respect of listeners who follow the news of his biography with interest.

Music:

At the age of 17, Abel left home and moved in with friends. During this period, he worked part-time in a clothing store, and devoted all his free time to music. In 2009, the artist uploaded his debut track Do It to YouTube, using his name as a pseudonym. Later he met producer Jeremy Rose, who proposed cooperation.

Discography:

2013 – Kiss
2015 — Beauty Behind the Madness
2016 – Starboy
2020 – After Hours
2022 – Dawn FM

Interesting Facts:

The artist’s work was influenced by Michael Jackson and Prince Rogers Nelson.
The Weeknd not only sings, but also acts in films. In the past, he appeared in the film “Uncut Diamonds.”
The singer’s favorite TV series is Game of Thrones. He was inspired by him when recording the track Power Is Power with SZA and Travis Scott.