The Weeknd
| The Weeknd | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Abel Makkonen Tesfaye February 16, 1990 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Partner(s) | Bella Hadid (2015–16)[1] Selena Gomez (2016–present) |
| 'Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | |
| Website | theweeknd |
This short article about a person or group of people can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known by the stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, he is a Canadian citizen of Ethiopian descent. He performs a mixture of R&B, rock and hip hop. On March 6, 2011, the rapper Drake spoke about this new artist on Twitter with the intent to arouse the curiosity of the public.[2][3]
Contents
Early life[change | change source]
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to parents Samra and Makkonen. His father left when he was young. His mother worked several jobs and, as a result, was taken care of by his grandmother. She took Abel to their Ethiopian Orthodox church services.[4]
At age 11, Abel tried marijuana for the first time and moved onto harder drugs.
Career[change | change source]
During that summer, Tesfaye released his first album, House of Balloons, to public and critical approval. This record contains several successful songs, including "Wicked Games" and "High for This". Also the title track is based on the hit "Happy House" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The latter has been recognized by the music magazine Pitchfork.[5] The eclectic music of Tesfaye combines samples of other artists like Beach House and Aaliyah. He also released two other albums the same year with singles named "Thursday" and "Echoes of Silence". With Drake’s help, he performed the popular song "The Zone".
In addition, Tesfaye gave his first performance in London in June 2012, and was surprised that among the spectators were famous singers like Katy Perry and Florence Welch. At this first show, he sang a unique interpretation, the reprise of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson.[6] In November 2012, at the age of 22 years, The Weeknd released Trilogy, comprising the last three albums remixed with Universal Music Group. The Recording Industry Association of America, certified Trilogy gold in the U.S. shortly after its release. In 2013, he gave a concert in the Trianon room in Paris. The audience during the presentation consisted mainly of young adults aged between 17 and 30 years.
The Weeknd's songs are known for being rhythmic and sensual. In addition, he has had the opportunity to start his careersinging alongside Wiz Khalifa with the hit "Remember Me". He has also worked with the artists Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Frank Ocean.
The Weeknd's fourth album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), spawned the number-one hit singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills", along with the top-three song "Earned It", which was used in the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. On September 22, 2016, The Weeknd released a single, "Starboy", which features French electronic duo Daft Punk. They helped produce the song, and it has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100 charts. The followup singles, "I Feel It Coming" (also featuring Daft Punk) and "Party Monster", were released on November 18. The Weeknd's fifth studio album, also called Starboy, was released on November 25, 2016.[7] The album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number one, and all 18 songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. Only Drake has more, with the 20 songs from his album Views entering the chart.[source?]
Awards and nominations[change | change source]
Grammy Awards[change | change source]
| Year | Award | Work | Status | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Record of the Year | "Can't Feel My Face" | Nominated | [8] |
| Best Pop Solo Performance | Nominated | |||
| Best Urban Contemporary Album | Beauty Behind the Madness | Won | ||
| Album of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best R&B Performance | "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" | Won | ||
| Best R&B Song | Nominated | |||
| Best Song Written for Visual Media | Nominated |
Personal life[change | change source]
The Weeknd dated American model Bella Hadid from September 2015 until November 2016.[9]
Since late 2016, he has been dating American singer-actress Selena Gomez.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ http://mashable.com/2016/11/30/the-weeknd-bella-hadid-victoria-secret/#mox.AGVzakq4
- ↑ Erika Ramirez, « Artist to Watch: The Weeknd » [archive], Rolling Stone, March 29, 2011.
- ↑ Joseph Brannigan Lynch, « Drake-approved R&B upstart The Weeknd: Why all the blog frenzy over an unknown? » [archive], Entertainment Weekly, March 29,2011
- ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/sex-drugs-and-r-b-inside-the-weeknds-dark-twisted-fantasy-20151021
- ↑ Neyland, Nick, « The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons » [archive], Pitchfork
- ↑ Soriano, Kristen; Solomon, Michael; Stern, Claire (May 11, 2012). "The Weeknd, 22, recording artist - 30 Under 30: The Essential Names to Know". Elle (New York). Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013
- ↑ "Starboy by The Weeknd on Apple Music". https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/starboy/id1156172520?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ↑ "58th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees | GRAMMY.com". https://www.grammy.com/nominees. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ↑ http://mashable.com/2016/11/30/the-weeknd-bella-hadid-victoria-secret/#mox.AGVzakq4
