The Weeknd

The architect of dark alternative R&B who turned anonymous YouTube uploads into the highest-grossing solo tour in history.

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor born on February 16, 1990. Regarded as an influential figure in popular music, he is celebrated for his light-lyric tenor vocal range, falsetto, alternative R&B sound, and dark aesthetics. His career began with anonymous releases in 2009, leading to the 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. He has since achieved massive commercial success, becoming one of the best-selling artists of all time with eight diamond-certified singles from the RIAA.

Quick Facts

Other names

Kin Kane; • Gene Hackerman

Birth name

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

Born

16 February 1990

Birthplace

Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Occupation

Singer-songwriter
record producer
actor

Years active

2009–present

Lore & Background

Tesfaye began his journey by dropping out of school at seventeen and moving to Parkdale with friends, including La Mar Taylor. He adopted the name 'the Weeknd' after leaving home on a weekend, removing the final 'e' to avoid trademark issues with a local band. During this time, he experienced homelessness and incarceration while engaging in drug use, which he later described as a 'crutch' for writing music. In 2010, he met producer Jeremy Rose, creating dark R&B tracks before uploading them anonymously to YouTube under the username 'xoxxxoooxo'. These early songs, including 'What You Need', gained traction after being acknowledged by Drake. By March 2011, Tesfaye co-founded the XO record label with Slaiby and Esmailian, releasing his first mixtape, House of Balloons, which featured production from Illangelo and Doc McKinney.

Reader's Guide

To understand The Weeknd's impact, one must trace his evolution from anonymous mixtapes to global superstardom. His 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness blended alternative R&B with pop, featuring number-one singles like 'Can't Feel My Face' and 'The Hills'. This was followed by Starboy in 2016, which also topped the Billboard 200 and included hits such as 'Starboy' and 'Die for You'. His 2020 album After Hours spawned 'Blinding Lights', the best-performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history. The subsequent Dawn FM (2022) and Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) completed an album trilogy centered on three time points. Beyond music, Tesfaye co-created and starred in the HBO series The Idol (2023) and the film Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025). He also hosted the Apple Music 1 radio show Memento Mori from 2018 to 2022.

Did You Know?

Tesfaye legally removed his middle name 'Makkonen' in 2024.
He released three mixtapes anonymously in 2011 before compiling them into Trilogy in 2012.
The song 'Blinding Lights' is the most-streamed song on Spotify and the best-performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history.
Tesfaye's After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022–2026) set the record for the highest-grossing tour by a male soloist.