The Weeknd who is with no doubt a legendary pop-star has severally been referred to as the songbird of his generation.

The Weeknd holding a phone — PHOTO COURTESY/ FACEBOOK

He distinguished himself from other arrivals with his extensive musical knowledge. His birth name is Abel Tesfaye and was born in February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario. He grew up listening to a wide range of musical genres, such as soul, quiet storm, hip hop, funk, indie rock, and post-punk.

The Weeknd together with some of his buddies, “left one weekend and never came home”, after dropping out of high school while he was only 17. Hence his name came out of the incident.

Why did The Weeknd change his name?

The Weekend was the intended stage name that the musician had picked even before entering into the commercial music industry, but it was later changed to The Weeknd to prevent a copyright conflict with a Canadian band who had the same name.

The popstar recorded two brand-new Guinness World Records. As of March 20, he had 111.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the artist with the highest monthly listeners overall. He was also the first to exceed 100 million monthly listeners.

Now, he is one of the most successful musician in the industry and according to statistics, the songwriter is the world’s most popular musician, according to Guinness world records (GWR), which made the announcement in March 2023.

The Weeknd before fame

The Weeknd, an Ethiopian-born child of immigrants, was raised outside of Toronto in a diverse community that included residents from other East African nations as well as those from India, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

In a past interview, The Weeknd told Variety that he first learned to make words in Amharic, an Ethiopia language, because his granny, who raised him together with his mother, would not speak English. “I learnt English too thanks to television and living in Canada, but I went to a French-immersion school where speaking English would get you in trouble, and I couldn’t say it to my grandmother, so it’s almost like English is my third language, even though it’s now my first.”

His inspiration in the musical journey come from traditional Ethiopian music to legendary pop musician, the late Michael Jackson. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Abel Tesfaye specifically pointed out on the impact of Jackson’s 1979 hit “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough,” describing it as “the song that helped me find my voice. It’s the reason I sing.”

How he rose to success

The success of “Kiss Land,” his first studio album, was both critically and commercially acclaimed. He has hit many major milestones in his career. He is now one of the most honored men in music industry in this century, according to sources.

The singer is the alleged new Pop King, according to Gen-Z. He appears on the list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World compiled by Time. The Weeknd has worked with well-known musicians including Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Sia, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Diplo, Swedish House Mafia, Drake, and Travis Scott.