The Weeknd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Weeknd
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Tesfaye at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
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Abel Makkonen Tesfaye
February 16, 1990 |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
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| Awards | Full list |
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Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (Amharic: አበል መኮነን ተስፋዬ; born February 16, 1990), known as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is famous for his unique music style, always changing his sound, and using a high singing voice called falsetto. He has won many awards, including 4 Grammy Awards and 20 Billboard Music Awards. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy Award.
Born and raised in Toronto, Tesfaye started his music journey in 2009. He posted songs on YouTube without anyone knowing who he was. In 2011, he helped start the XO music label. He then released three mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. These mixtapes became popular for their new style of R&B music.
In 2012, he signed with Republic Records. He re-released his mixtapes as a collection called Trilogy. His first studio album, Kiss Land (2013), explored a darker music style. It reached number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. After this, Tesfaye started making music for movies. His song "Earned It" from the movie Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) won a Grammy Award. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Tesfaye became very successful with his second album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). This album had more pop songs and reached number one in the US. It included hit songs like "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills". The album won a Grammy Award. His third album, Starboy (2016), also did very well. It featured the popular songs "Starboy" and "Die for You". This album also won a Grammy Award.
His fourth album, After Hours (2020), explored new wave and dream pop music. It featured the record-breaking song "Blinding Lights". This song became the most-streamed song in Spotify history. It also became the best-performing song in the Billboard Hot 100's history. His fifth album, Dawn FM (2022), was inspired by dance-pop music. In 2023, he helped create and starred in the TV show The Idol. His sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is set to be released in 2025.
The Weeknd is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. He has sold over 75 million records. He holds many records for music streaming and on the Billboard charts. He was named one of the world's most influential people by Time in 2020. In 2023, Guinness World Records called him the "world's most popular artist." He supports racial equality and food security. In 2021, he became a World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Abel Tesfaye was born in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in Scarborough, a part of the city. His parents, Makkonen and Samra Tesfaye, moved to Canada from Ethiopia in the late 1980s.
Tesfaye's father left when he was very young. His grandmother and mother raised him. Living with his grandmother, he learned Amharic, the language he also spoke with his mother. He attended Ethiopian Orthodox church services.
Tesfaye went to West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute. He left school in 2007 when he was 17. Soon after, he moved into an apartment in Parkdale, Toronto, with friends. He says his stage name, "the Weeknd," came from him leaving home one weekend and never coming back. The spelling was changed to avoid problems with a Canadian band called The Weekend.
Music Career Highlights
Early Music and First Mixtapes
In 2010, Tesfaye met producer Jeremy Rose. Rose had an idea for a dark R&B music project. Tesfaye sang over Rose's music, and they started working together. Rose produced three songs: "What You Need," "Loft Music," and "The Morning." Tesfaye uploaded these songs to YouTube in December 2010.
His identity was a secret at first. The songs gained attention online and were shared by rapper Drake. This helped the songs get noticed by major media like Pitchfork and The New York Times. Before "the Weeknd," he used names like "The Noise" and "Kin Kane."
On March 21, 2011, Tesfaye released his first mixtape, House of Balloons. It received good reviews. He started touring Toronto in July, performing his first live show at the Mod Club. Drake attended this show and later asked Tesfaye to work together. Tesfaye contributed to five songs on Drake's album Take Care.
Tesfaye avoided interviews early in his career. He preferred to communicate through Twitter. He released his second mixtape, Thursday, on August 18, 2011. His third mixtape, Echoes of Silence, came out on December 21, 2011. All three mixtapes were known as the Balloons Trilogy.
Trilogy and Kiss Land Era
In April 2012, Tesfaye started his first US tour, performing at the Coachella Festival. The tour included sold-out shows in New York City. He also toured Europe, playing at festivals in Spain, Portugal, and London. By June, the Balloons Trilogy had been downloaded over 8 million times.
In September 2012, Tesfaye signed with Republic Records and his own label, XO. The compilation album Trilogy was released two months later. It had new versions of songs and three new ones. Trilogy reached number four on the US Billboard 200 chart.
On May 16, 2013, Tesfaye announced his first studio album, Kiss Land. It was released on September 10. The album included singles like "Belong to the World" and "Live For" with Drake. Kiss Land debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.
In November, Tesfaye joined Justin Timberlake on his tour for six shows. He also contributed songs to the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013). In 2014, he released the single "Often" and collaborated with Ariana Grande on "Love Me Harder". He also released "Earned It" for the movie Fifty Shades of Grey.
Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy Success
In 2015, after winning an award for "Earned It," Tesfaye performed the song and debuted "The Hills". "The Hills" became his first number-one single. Another song, "Can't Feel My Face", also reached number one. He became the first artist to have three songs in the top three spots on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart at the same time.
His second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness, was released on August 28, 2015. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. The album was very popular and was the most-streamed album in 2015.
In 2016, Tesfaye worked with French electronic music duo Daft Punk. His third album, Starboy, was released on November 25. The title track with Daft Punk reached number one in the US and other countries. He also released a short film called M A N I A with music from the album. Starboy won a Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
My Dear Melancholy and After Hours Era
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On February 2, 2018, Tesfaye contributed to the Black Panther movie soundtrack with the song "Pray for Me" with Kendrick Lamar. On March 30, 2018, he released his first extended play (EP) called My Dear Melancholy. This EP reached number one on the Billboard 200. He also headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time.
In November 2019, Tesfaye teased his song "Blinding Lights" in a Mercedes-Benz commercial. On November 27, he released "Heartless" as the first single from his fourth album. "Heartless" became his fourth number-one single. "Blinding Lights" was released two days later and became his fifth number-one single. "Blinding Lights" set a record for staying in the top ten of the charts for a whole year. It also became the longest-charting song on the Hot 100. In 2023, it became the most streamed song on Spotify.
On February 19, 2020, Tesfaye announced his fourth album, After Hours, which was released on March 20. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. It became the most streamed R&B album ever.
Dawn FM and Recent Projects
On August 2, 2021, Tesfaye shared a preview of new music. He announced his single "Take My Breath", which was released on August 6. He also appeared on Kanye West's album Donda on the song "Hurricane".
Tesfaye released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, on January 7, 2022. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. He also broke a record for having the most songs on the Billboard Global 200 chart at once.
On March 20, the Weeknd appeared in an episode of The Simpsons. In April, he headlined the Coachella Festival again. In July 2022, he announced that he would host a haunted house at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood for Halloween. In February 2023, a remix of his 2016 song "Die for You" with Ariana Grande reached number one. This made him the first artist to have over 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
On March 3, 2023, the Weeknd released his first live album, Live at SoFi Stadium. In May 2023, he said he might stop using "the Weeknd" as his stage name.
The Idol and Hurry Up Tomorrow
The Weeknd helped create the HBO drama series The Idol and starred in it. The show premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. HBO later canceled The Idol after one season.
In June 2023, the Weeknd announced a series of EPs with music from The Idol. These EPs featured collaborations with artists like Future, Playboi Carti, and Madonna. He also received an invitation to join the Academy.
He announced his upcoming sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is set to be released on January 31, 2025.
Personal Life
Tesfaye is a very private person. He likes to keep his personal life out of the public eye. Early in his career, he avoided interviews because of shyness. He still rarely agrees to interviews.
His unique hairstyle was once one of his most recognizable features. He started growing it in 2011 and cut it in 2016 before his album Starboy was released. On social media, he often used "xo" after his name, which means hugs and kisses. He later changed his social media names to "the Weeknd."
As of August 2021, Tesfaye lives in Bel Air, Los Angeles. In April 2023, he shared that he has attention deficit disorder.
Giving Back
Tesfaye is known for his charity work. In 2016, he donated $50,000 to a class at the University of Toronto that teaches Ge'ez, an ancient Ethiopian language. He also donated $250,000 to Black Lives Matter.
In December 2015, he visited Children's Hospital in Atlanta through Ryan Seacrest's foundation. In May 2016, he gave $50,000 to the St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Toronto, which he attended as a child.
In June 2017, Tesfaye donated $100,000 to the Suubi Health Center in Uganda. This helped the center build more space for mothers and children. He was inspired to help after learning about his friend French Montana's work there.
Awards and Recognition
Tesfaye has won many awards, including four Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, twenty Billboard Music Awards, and twenty-two Juno Awards. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
In October 2014, he received the Allan Slaight Honour from Canada's Walk of Fame. This award recognizes people who make a positive impact in music, film, and other arts.
The Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, declared February 7, 2021, as "The Weeknd Day." This was to celebrate Tesfaye's Super Bowl halftime performance.
Discography
Studio albums
- Kiss Land (2013)
- Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)
- Starboy (2016)
- After Hours (2020)
- Dawn FM (2022)
- Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)
Filmography
- Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
- Uncut Gems (2019)
- The Show (2021)
- Live at SoFi Stadium (2023)
- The Idol (2023)
- Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)
- Rolling Loud (2026)
Tours
Headlining
- The Fall Tour (2012)
- The Kiss Land Fall Tour (2013)
- King of the Fall Tour (2014)
- The Madness Fall Tour (2015)
- Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour (2017)
- The Weeknd Asia Tour (2018)
- After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022–2025)
Supporting
- Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials Tour (2012)
- Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013)
- Drake – Would You Like a Tour? (2014)
Current touring members
- Patrick Greenaway – lead guitar (2012–present), synthesizer (2020–2022)
- Ricky Lewis – drums (2011–present)
- Mike Dean – synthesizer, guitar, bass, keyboards, saxophone (2022, 2023–present)
Former touring members
- Nathaniel James – bass, keyboards (2012)
- Ledaris "LJ" Jones – bass, keyboards (2013–2022)
Images for kids
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Tesfaye at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival
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The Weeknd's signature
See also
In Spanish: The Weeknd para niños
