# The Weeknd The Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer known for his genre-blending sound that fuses R&B, pop, and electronic music. His hits 'Blinding Lights,' 'Starboy,' and 'Can't Feel My Face' have made him one of the most streamed artists in history, and he headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show in 2021. ## Quick Facts - **Born:** February 16, 1990 - **Birthplace:** Toronto, Canada - **Nationality:** Canadian - **Occupation:** R&B/Pop Singer-Songwriter, Record Producer - **Category:** Musicians - **Net Worth:** $350M (est. 2025) ## Overview Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in popular music, he is known for his light-lyric tenor vocal range and falsetto, as well as his alternative R&B sound. His accolades include four Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, and a Latin Grammy Award. ## Wikipedia Context This profile section is complemented from Wikipedia for The Weeknd. Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1990) ## Sources Primary source page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weeknd ## Timeline ### 1990 — 1990–2008: Early life Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in a... 1990–2008: Early life Abel Makkonen Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990, in a city in Ontario, variously reported to be Toronto, or Scarborough ### 1990 — Birth Birth of The Weeknd. ### 2002 — Tesfaye is heavily influenced by 1980s music, and credits the video game Grand... Tesfaye is heavily influenced by 1980s music, and credits the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) for "opening my eyes" to the music of that era ### 2009 — 2009–2014: Trilogy and Kiss Land Tesfaye performing at the Coachella Valley... 2009–2014: Trilogy and Kiss Land Tesfaye performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012 In August 2009, Tesfaye began anonymously releasing music on YouTube ### 2010 — In December 2010, Tesfaye uploaded "What You Need", "Loft Music" and "The... In December 2010, Tesfaye uploaded "What You Need", "Loft Music" and "The Morning" to YouTube under the username "xoxxxoooxo" ### 2011 — XO The logo for Tesfaye's record label XO In 2011, Tesfaye co-founded with... XO The logo for Tesfaye's record label XO In 2011, Tesfaye co-founded with managers Wassim Slaiby and Amir Esmailian, as well as creative friend La Mar Taylor, the XO record lab ### 2013 — Plagiarism allegations In December 2015, Tesfaye was sued by Cutting Edge... Plagiarism allegations In December 2015, Tesfaye was sued by Cutting Edge Music, which alleged that the bassline for "The Hills" had been taken from a composition featured in the score for the 2013 science fiction film The Machine ### 2014 — After being presented with a Bikila Award for Professional Excellence in 2014,... After being presented with a Bikila Award for Professional Excellence in 2014, Tesfaye donated CA$50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a new course on Ge'ez, the classic language of Ethiopia ### 2015 — In September 2021, Tesfaye, Nicolás Jaar, and Frank Dukes were sued for... In September 2021, Tesfaye, Nicolás Jaar, and Frank Dukes were sued for copyright infringement by producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, protesting that "Call Out My Name" is "strikingly [or] substantially similar, if not identical" to their 2015 track "Vibeking" ### 2026 — Wikipedia Complement Profile metadata and editorial blocks were complemented using Wikipedia and Wikidata references. ### 2026 — Profile Update Structured profile components were updated to improve completeness. ## Quotes > "Profile note: The Weeknd was complemented using Wikipedia reference material." > — The Weeknd, Peoplebio editorial note (2026) > "Editorial note: This block stores profile notes and source context, not attributed quotations." > — The Weeknd, Peoplebio editorial note (2026) > "Source note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weeknd" > — The Weeknd, Peoplebio editorial note (2026) --- Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/the-weeknd