All-Time Best The Weeknd Songs

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990) was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is professionally known as the Weeknd. He is renowned for his unique sonic versatility and dark lyricism that explores themes of escapism, romance, and melancholia. His music is often inspired by personal experiences, and his distinctive style of contemporary and alternative R&B has garnered him a loyal fan base.

Tesfaye's career began in 2009 when he anonymously released music on YouTube. Two years later, he co-founded the XO record label and released the mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The mixtapes gained recognition for their unique sound and the air of mystery surrounding Tesfaye's identity. In 2012, he signed with Republic Records and released a compilation album titled Trilogy, which included the three mixtapes.

In 2013, Tesfaye debuted his first studio album, Kiss Land, which explored dark wave music and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. Following its release, he began contributing to film soundtracks, with his single "Earned It" from the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance and receiving a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.