Basic Info
Real Name: Abel Makkonen Tesfaye
Stage Name: The Weeknd
Date of Birth: February 16, 1990
Age: 35 (as of 2025)
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality: Canadian
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
Religion: Raised Ethiopian Orthodox, but not publicly religious
π§ Early Life
Born to Ethiopian immigrant parents, Abel was raised by his mother and grandmother in Toronto’s Scarborough area. His father left early, and he grew up listening to Ethiopian music.
He dropped out of high school at 17 and lived with friends while pursuing music, often referencing his early struggles and drug use in his lyrics.
πΆ Career Beginnings (2010–2012)
In 2010, Abel anonymously uploaded songs to YouTube as The Weeknd.
In 2011, he released a trilogy of mixtapes:
House of Balloons
Thursday
Echoes of Silence
These mixtapes gained critical acclaim for their moody, dark R&B sound.
π Rise to Fame (2012–2015)
Signed to Republic Records in 2012 and re-released the mixtapes as Trilogy.
His debut studio album Kiss Land (2013) was a moderate success.
He gained worldwide fame in 2015 with:
Earned It – Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack
The Hills
Can't Feel My Face
These tracks topped charts globally and came from his album Beauty Behind the Madness.
πΏ Major Albums and Hits
1. Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)
The Hills,
Can't Feel My Face
2. Starboy (2016)
Starboy (feat. Daft Punk),
I Feel It Coming
3. After Hours (2020)
Blinding Lights,
Heartless,
Save Your Tears
4. Dawn FM (2022)
Take My Breath,
Sacrifice
π¬ Acting and Media
Film: Uncut Gems (2019)
Super Bowl LV Halftime Show (2021)
π Awards and Achievements
- π΅ 4 Grammy Awards
- π 20+ Billboard Music Awards
- π 6 American Music Awards
- π Oscar Nominee for "Earned It"
- π Guinness World Record: Most-streamed song ("Blinding Lights")
π Philanthropy
- π COVID-19 Relief
- ✊ Black Lives Matter
- π UN World Food Programme – $1M (2021)
- πͺπΉ Support for Ethiopia (Tigray conflict)
❤️ Personal Life
Dated Bella Hadid (2015–2019)
Briefly dated Selena Gomez (2017)
Known for privacy and introspective lyrics
π§ Interesting Facts
- Stage name "The Weeknd" came from dropping out and leaving one weekend — removed “e” to avoid trademark issue.
- His sound evolved from R&B to synthwave and pop.
- Often compared to Michael Jackson in vocal tone and influence.
- _______________
- Social Handles & Top Music Service
- ___________
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