demos to YouTube in 2011, few could have predicted the seismic shift he would bring to pop culture. From the depths of downtown Toronto’s music underworld to the pinnacle of international superstardom, Tesfaye has rewritten the rules of modern music with cinematic flair and unmatched sonic innovation.

 A Whisper That Became a Roar

Born on February 16, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, to Ethiopian immigrant parents, Tesfaye’s early life was steeped in culture, contrast, and complexity. Raised by his mother and grandmother in the Ethiopian Orthodox faith, he grew up speaking Amharic at home and absorbing a diverse range of musical influences—from Ethiopian jazz to Michael Jackson’s pop genius.

But the quiet home life didn’t last. His father left when Abel was young, and by 17, he had dropped out of high school and moved to Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood. It was there, in near-anonymity, that Tesfaye began sculpting what would soon be the foundation of his genre-bending legacy.

 2011: The Year R&B Changed Forever

Without a name, without a face, but with three spellbinding tracks—“What You Need,” “Loft Music,” and “The Morning”—The Weeknd was born on YouTube. What followed was a trilogy of mixtapes that would upend the conventions of R&B:
House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The gritty textures, moody production, and nihilistic storytelling created an entirely new emotional language in alternative R&B.

By the time Trilogy was repackaged and released in 2012 via Republic Records, the world knew the name and the mystery behind it. But Abel Tesfaye was just getting started.

 Crossing Over—And Taking Over

Kiss Land (2013) introduced Tesfaye’s affinity for concept albums—dark, cinematic, and deeply personal. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, but it was just a prelude to his Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) breakout. With hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills”, Abel embraced pop without diluting his edge. The album swept award shows, including two Grammy wins, and crowned him as pop’s newest antihero.

Then came Starboy (2016). Teaming up with Daft Punk, Tesfaye delivered a sleek, robotic reinvention, earning yet another Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The title track became a generational anthem, and the man in red took his artistry to the stratosphere.

 Numbers Don't Lie—And Neither Does “Blinding Lights”

By 2020, The Weeknd had matured into a multimedia architect of sound and vision. With After Hours, he painted a Las Vegas fever dream of heartbreak and hedonism. The album’s lead single, “Blinding Lights,” shattered Billboard Hot 100 records, eventually becoming the longest-charting song in the chart’s history. A year later, he headlined the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, becoming the first solo Canadian artist to do so.

2022’s Dawn FM brought another bold evolution—an existential, synth-drenched broadcast from the other side of life. With narration by Jim Carrey and aesthetics inspired by 1980s dance-pop, it reinforced his position not just as a singer, but a full-fledged auteur.

 From Mic to Monitor: The Weeknd, Actor & Auteur

Tesfaye’s foray into film began in earnest with 2023’s The Idol, an HBO drama he co-created and starred in. Though polarizing, it marked a major step into the visual storytelling world. But it was 2025’s Hurry Up Tomorrow that solidified his cinematic ambitions. A psychological thriller that parallels his own 2022 vocal health crisis, the film was released alongside a companion album—a final chapter, perhaps, under “The Weeknd” alias.

 The Weeknd No More?

In 2023, Tesfaye began signaling an artistic rebirth. “I’m ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he revealed in interviews, hinting that Hurry Up Tomorrow may be his last album under the moniker. Now, as “Abel,” the artist is exploring deeper spiritual and personal terrains—less icon, more human.

 A Legacy in Motion

  • 75M+ records sold worldwide

  • 27 tracks with 1B+ streams on Spotify

  • 100M+ monthly listeners — the first artist in Spotify history to do so

  • Multiple Grammy wins, Super Bowl Halftime Show, and Time’s 100 Most Influential People (2020)

  • Appointed Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2021

 Discography Snapshot

  • House of Balloons (2011)

  • Thursday (2011)

  • Echoes of Silence (2011)

  • Kiss Land (2013)

  • Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)

  • Starboy (2016)

  • After Hours (2020)

  • Dawn FM (2022)

  • Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025)

From anonymous mixtapes to topping every chart imaginable, Abel Tesfaye’s musical odyssey has been as unpredictable as it is unforgettable. As he steps out from behind the curtain of The Weeknd, one thing is certain: the world is still listening—and waiting—for what Abel does next.