Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (Amharic: አቤል መኮንን ተስፋዬ; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Recognized for his unconventional musical production, artistic reinventions, and signature falsetto register, Tesfaye is one of the most innovative and influential artists of his generation.
Early life
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to parents Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu. His father left when Abel was young. His mother worked several jobs and, as a result, was taken care of by his grandmother. She took Abel to their Ethiopian Orthodox church services.
At age 11, Abel tried marijuana for the first time and moved onto harder drugs.
Career
On March 21, 2011, the Weeknd released his first mixtape, House of Balloons, to public and critical approval. The record contains several successful songs, including "Wicked Games" and "High for This". Also, the title track is based on the hit "Happy House" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The latter has been recognized by the music magazine Pitchfork. The eclectic music of Tesfaye combines samples of other artists like Beach House and Aaliyah. He also released two other albums the same year, with singles named "Thursday" and "Echoes of Silence". With Drake’s help, he performed the popular song "The Zone".
In addition, the Weeknd gave his first performance in London in June 2012, and was surprised that among the spectators were famous singers like Katy Perry and Florence Welch. At this first show, he sang a unique interpretation, the reprise of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson. In November 2012, at the age of 22, The Weeknd released Trilogy, comprising the last three albums remixed with Universal Music Group. The Recording Industry Association of America certified Trilogygold in the U.S. shortly after its release. In 2013, he gave a concert in the Trianon Room in Paris. The audience during the presentation consisted mainly of young adults aged between the ages of 17 and 30.
The Weeknd's songs are known for being rhythmic and sensual. In addition, he had the opportunity to start his career singing alongside rapper Wiz Khalifa with the hit "Remember Me". He has also worked with the artists Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Frank Ocean.
The Weeknd's fourth album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), spawned the number-one hit singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills", along with the top-three song "Earned It", which was used in the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. On September 22, 2016, The Weeknd released a single, "Starboy", which features French electronic duo Daft Punk. They helped produce the song, and it has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100 charts. The third and fourth singles, "I Feel It Coming" (also featuring Daft Punk) and "Party Monster", were released on November 18. The Weeknd's fifth studio album, also called Starboy, was released on November 25, 2016. The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, and all 18 songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. Only Drake has more entries from one album, with the 20 songs from his album Views entering the chart.[source?]
On March 30, 2018, he released the EP, My Dear Melancholy, which contains six songs. The first track and first single, "Call Out My Name", entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number four, with the EP entering at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart with 169,000 copies sold and streamed in its first week.
On March 20, 2020, the Weeknd released his fourth studio album and first part of an album trilogy, After Hours. Most of the visuals of the album features the Weeknd in a red suit, mustache and a typical afro hairstyle, while taking inspiration from dark 1980's music. Alongside its controversial album art, the album helmed a variety of hit singles such as Blinding Lights and Save Your Tears, both of which topped the Billboard charts. Blinding Lights also broke various records such as being the most-streamed song in Spotify history, with 5 billion streams accumulated, as well as being named the best Hot 100 song of all time by Billboard in 2021.
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)
Notes
↑Ethiopians do not use surnames but rather their father's first name as their family name. Makkonen would traditionally be his family name and Tesfaye would be his grandfather's name.
↑Tesfaye's biological parents were never married. When Tesfaye made a donation to the University of Toronto's Ethiopic program in November 2020, the full name of his mother was revealed as Samrawit Hailu.
↑Guest musician during the Weeknd's co-headlining Coachella performance
↑Other former members include those part of his early performances in 2011 and tours in 2012 and 2013 (prior to the Kiss Land Fall Tour), during which he had other guitar, bass, and keyboard players, as well as two female backup singers; these former members' names are unknown.
↑Neyland, Nick, «The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons» [archive], Pitchfork
↑Soriano, Kristen; Solomon, Michael; Stern, Claire (May 11, 2012). "The Weeknd, 22, recording artist - 30 Under 30: The Essential Names to Know". Elle (New York). Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013
