The Weeknd

Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, is a Canadian music wizard who started dropping mysterious beats back in 2009, uploading tracks to YouTube. The singer quickly gained popularity due to his unique voice and mysterious aura. With his three classic mixtapes, Thursday, Echoes of Silence, and House of Balloons, many were left wondering, "Who is this guy?"

By 2013, the R&B star became popular with his debut album, Kiss Land. However, it was pop hits like "Can't Feel My Face" and "Starboy" that really put him in prominence. Since then, he has broken numerous records. Songs like "Blinding Lights" have been topping charts and establishing records for Spotify streaming.

With a net worth of $300 million, four Grammys, and countless other accolades, this former American Apparel worker has gone from uploading songs anonymously to being one of the biggest global icons in music. Safe to say, The Weeknd has a total vibe.

Adopting the name “The Weeknd,” Tesfaye spiraled into drugs, wild nights, and even spent time homeless and behind bars. Yet, out of that chaos, his music was born. 

• Before settling with the current name The Weeknd operated as “Kin Kane” for some time while he was part of the production team “The Noise”. He was also one of the hip-hop duo “Bulleez n Nerdz”.
• Tesfaye left his home to live with his friend at the age of 17. It was a weekend when he left which worked as an inspiration behind his current stage name. However, he dropped the last ‘e’ from his name to avoid any trademark issues since there is a Canadian pop-rock band called “The Weekend”. 
• Weeknd's enigmatic charm originally caught the attention in 2009, and shortly after, Drake acknowledged his eerie music. 
• Tesfaye made his stage debut at Toronto's Mod Club Theatre in July 2011. 
• Released his mixtape House of Balloons in 2011, which quickly gained him popularity.  
• Released his album Trilogy in 2013, that featured at no. 4 on Billboard 200 with 86K copies sold in just one week. 
• His career reached its peak with the release of Beauty Behind the Madness, his second studio album, in 2015. 

Born in the chilly yet vibrant city of Toronto, this musical powerhouse comes from Ethiopian Amhara roots. 

• Makkonen Tesfaye and Samrawit Hailu, separated shortly after his birth, and young Abel was raised in Scarborough by his mom and grandma.
• His middle name might have a curious twist. Makkonen, which might have come from his grandfather
• He was from an orthodox family and raised by Makkonen and Samrawit, and when asked about his faith in 2020, he gave a classic mysterious response: "I dunno...everything is a test".
• On the romance front, his relationships have fueled enough tabloid headlines to fill a library. From his whirlwind affair with Bella Hadid to his much-talked-about romance with Selena Gomez, Abel’s love life kept the rumor mills spinning.