The Weeknd

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known worldwide as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer‑songwriter, record producer and actor whose career has reshaped contemporary popular music. Born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, he grew up in the Scarborough neighbourhood with Ethiopian immigrant parents and developed fluency in Amharic and French before dropping out of high school at seventeen to pursue music. He first emerged anonymously on YouTube in 2009, releasing three critically acclaimed mixtapes—House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence—that introduced an atmospheric, alternative R‑B sound and earned him a reputation for mystery and artistic depth. In 2011 he co‑founded the XO label with Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, Amir “Cash” Esmailian and his longtime friend La Mar Taylor, and shortly thereafter signed with Republic Records, which re‑issued the mixtapes as the compilation Trilogy in 2012. His debut studio album Kiss Land (2013) cemented his place in the industry, while subsequent releases Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) and Starboy (2016) propelled him into mainstream pop with chart‑topping singles such as “Can’t Feel My Face,” “The Hills,” and “Starboy.” The 2020 album After Hours showcased a darker, new‑wave‑infused direction, spawning the record‑breaking hit “Blinding Lights,” the longest‑charting song in Billboard Hot 100 history. Dawn FM (2022) explored synth‑pop textures, and his ambitious sixth album Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) completed a thematic trilogy while also accompanying a controversially received film of the same name. Beyond music, Tesfaye has acted in films such as Uncut Gems and co‑created the HBO series The Idol (2023). A multiple Grammy, Juno and Billboard award winner, he is also a noted philanthropist and UN World Food Programme goodwill ambassador, using his platform to advocate for racial equity, food security and humanitarian relief worldwide.