The Weeknd
Canada- Early Life and Influences
- Teenage Struggles and Substance Abuse
- The Weeknd Is Born
- Musical Career
- Musical Style
- Lyrical Content
- Personal Life
- Drug Use and Personal Style
- Other Interests and Controversies
Early Life and Influences
Abel Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd or Weeknd, was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario. His Ethiopian parents emigrated to Canada in the late 1980s. Growing up, Tesfaye's mother worked multiple jobs, including as a nurse and banquet server, while attending night school to learn English. His father left the family when Tesfaye was a toddler, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandmother, who taught him Amharic. "I can faintly remember seeing my father when I was six," Tesfaye recalled. "Then again when I was 11 or 12. He had a new family and kids..." He added, "I'm sure he's a great guy. I never judged him. He didn't abuse us, he wasn't an alcoholic, he wasn't a jerk. He just wasn't around."
Teenage Struggles and Substance Abuse
Tesfaye has compared his teenage years to those depicted in the controversial 1995 film "Kids," minus the AIDS epidemic. He began smoking marijuana at age 11 and later progressed to hard drugs. He shoplifted to fuel his addictions to ecstasy, oxycodone, Xanax, cocaine, psilocybin, and ketamine. During his youth, Tesfaye listened to a wide range of genres, including soul, quiet storm, hip-hop, funk, indie rock, and post-punk. His primary musical inspirations were Michael Jackson, Prince, and R. Kelly.
The Weeknd Is Born
The Weeknd's stage name emerged after he and a friend "just dropped out of high school one weekend [in 2007] and never went back home." However, his producer Jeremy Rose claims to have come up with the moniker. The final vowel was removed to avoid potential legal issues with a Canadian band called The Weekend. The Weeknd uploaded his early tracks to YouTube in 2010 and subsequently released three successful mixtapes, "House of Balloons," "Thursday," and "Echoes of Silence," in 2011. The material was later remastered and released as a compilation titled "Trilogy."
Musical Career
The Weeknd worked with Republic Records and founded his own label, XO. Three of his albums, 2015's "Beauty Behind the Madness," 2016's "Starboy," and 2018's "My Dear Melancholy," topped the US Billboard 200 chart. His 2013 album "Kiss Land" peaked at number two. Ten of The Weeknd's songs, including "I Feel It Coming," "Call Out My Name," and "Love Me Harder," have reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2015, Abel became the first artist to simultaneously occupy the top three positions on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart with "Can't Feel My Face," "Earned It," and "The Hills." He has won three Grammy Awards and nine Juno Awards.
Musical Style
The Weeknd's music is characterized by "hazy, nocturnal production," featuring slow tempos, rumbling basslines, and mournful echoes. Tesfaye sings in a falsetto register. Music critic J.D. Considine notes the "tremulous quality" in The Weeknd's voice, similar to Michael Jackson's approach but "without the strong blues base," which is displaced by melismas found in Arabic vocalizing. Abel's songwriting often draws from samples, a technique uncommon in R&B, borrowing from rock and alternative sources. Marc Hogan of Spin magazine states that The Weeknd's samples are "plucked from rock-crit-approved touchstones" such as Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, with R&B singer Aaliyah as another influence.
Lyrical Content
The Weeknd's emotionally charged and plaintive lyrics frequently revolve around themes of heartbreak and indulgence, exploring topics such as sex, drugs, and partying. Hermione Hoby of The Guardian describes his songs as "narcotized slow jams" that suggest "partying is an existential experience, sex is alienating and unreal, and everything feels unreal and unnerving."
Personal Life
Tesfaye began dating model Bella Hadid in 2015; they made their first public appearance as a couple at the Coachella Festival in April. Hadid later appeared in the Weeknd's music video for the song "In the Night." They attended the Grammy Awards in 2016 as a couple. In November 2016, it was reported that they had broken up, citing their busy schedules and lack of time for each other.
Abel began dating Selena Gomez in January 2017, but their relationship ended by October. The Weeknd reportedly attempted to win Hadid back and even dedicated the single "Wasted Times" to her, but the model was not receptive.
Drug Use and Personal Style
The Weeknd previously relied on drug use to help him overcome "writer's block" when working on his early albums, "self-medicating" with mushrooms, cough syrup, and MDMA. In December 2013, he stated that drugs had been "a crutch" for him in terms of songwriting.
Abel's signature hairstyle for many years was a "disheveled" haircut, partly inspired by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. In an interview, The Weeknd explained how he began growing his hair in 2011, noting that he kept it relatively low-maintenance, "shampooing it every now and then." He eventually cut his hair in 2016, prior to the release of his album "Starboy."
Other Interests and Controversies
Tesfaye is an avid fan of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" and video games such as "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" and "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe." In May 2016, Abel and Palestinian rapper Belly canceled their scheduled performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" due to Donald Trump's appearance on the show.
In January 2015, The Weeknd was arrested for punching a Las Vegas police officer. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service.
Abel Tesfaye continues to work on new music, delighting his fans with regular releases. In 2017, he collaborated with Future on the song "Comin' Out Strong" and with Lana Del Rey on the single "Lust for Life." His fourth studio album, "After Hours," was released on March 20, 2020.
