50 Fun Facts About The Weeknd

What is The Weeknd's real name?

His middle name Makkonen is an unusual spelling of the Ethiopian name Makonnen, possibly a typo that stuck.

In which Toronto suburb was The Weeknd raised by his mother and grandmother?

His parents, Ethiopian immigrants, separated shortly after his birth; he grew up speaking Amharic.

Why is 'Weeknd' spelled without the second 'e'?

The Canadian pop-rock band the Weekend already had the name.

Under what YouTube username did Tesfaye anonymously upload 'What You Need' and 'The Morning' in December 2010?

He had met producer Jeremy Rose at a party that year; Rose received production credits on their early songs.

Which three mixtapes did The Weeknd release in 2011?

He has named the metal band Deftones as an influence on all three.

How was House of Balloons originally released on March 21, 2011?

It was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize; Doc McKinney and Illangelo were its primary producers.

What is the motto of The Weeknd's XO label?

He co-founded it in 2011 with managers Wassim Slaiby and Amir Esmailian and creative director La Mar Taylor; 'XO' may nod to ecstasy and oxycodone.

What was the 2012 compilation that packaged the three mixtapes for a major label called?

Released on November 13 via Republic Records, it added three new tracks to remixed and remastered versions of the mixtapes.

What was The Weeknd's debut studio album, released in September 2013?

It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 95,000 copies sold in its first week.

'Earned It', The Weeknd's only Oscar-nominated song, was recorded for which film's soundtrack?

It peaked at number three, his first top-five hit, and won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance.

Which 2015 song was The Weeknd's first Hot 100 number one, drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson?

Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2015, and it went diamond; 'The Hills' followed it to number one.

Which Swedish hitmaker co-wrote and produced his first number one and later 'Blinding Lights'?

The Weeknd has called him 'literally the best of friends', something he says he does not do with many people.

How many first-week units did Beauty Behind the Madness earn debuting at number one in 2015?

Kanye West wrote and produced 'Tell Your Friends' on it; the album won the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

Which robot-helmeted electronic duo features on the title track of Starboy (2016)?

It was the duo's only Hot 100 number one and The Weeknd's third; they also appear on the album's closer 'I Feel It Coming'.

In which 2019 film did The Weeknd make his acting debut, playing himself?

It premiered at the Telluride Film Festival; the Safdie brothers' Josh Safdie later narrated on Dawn FM.

'Blinding Lights' was first teased in November 2019 in a commercial for which car brand?

The ad showed him driving an EQC SUV and asking the car to play his new song; the single arrived two days after 'Heartless'.

How many weeks did 'Blinding Lights' spend on the Billboard Hot 100, a then-record for a solo artist?

It was the first song ever to spend a full year in the top ten, and Billboard named it the chart's best-performing song of all time in November 2021.

'Blinding Lights' displaced which 1960 hit as Billboard's best-performing Hot 100 song of all time?

Chubby Checker's song had held the title; 'Blinding Lights' is also the first track to pass four and five billion Spotify streams.

How many first-week units did After Hours sell, on its way to his fourth straight number-one album?

It became the most-streamed R&B album of all time, overtaking his own Starboy.

Which of these singles is NOT from After Hours?

'Take My Breath' launched Dawn FM in a partnership with NBC's Olympic coverage in August 2021.

Which guest features on the deluxe edition of After Hours?

The standard edition has no guests at all; the remixes edition adds Chromatics and Lil Uzi Vert.

The Weeknd headlined the Super Bowl LV halftime show in 2021, becoming the first what to do so?

The show was in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium and produced by Roc Nation; his dancers wore face bandages in the After Hours style.

How much of his own money did The Weeknd reportedly put into the Super Bowl LV halftime show?

The performance drew slightly more viewers than the game itself and lifted his catalog streams 42% over the two days.

Which actor narrates the 2022 album, alongside Quincy Jones and Josh Safdie?

The Weeknd described the album as a reflection of purgatory; Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne guest.

Which 2022 single peaked highest for him that year, reaching number six on the Hot 100?

He first announced the album was complete on his Apple Music 1 show Memento Mori in October 2021.

Which 2022 album sits in the middle of the three-album arc that Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025) completes?

After Hours (2020) opened it; he has hinted this may be his last album under the Weeknd name.

What on-stage event in 2022 partly inspired Hurry Up Tomorrow?

Development of the companion film began that September after psychological stress caused the voice loss.

Which of these artists does NOT appear on the standard edition of Hurry Up Tomorrow?

Swedish House Mafia only appear on the bonus edition; Anitta, Justice, Travis Scott, Florence and the Machine and Future are also on the standard cut.

Who directed the 2025 film Hurry Up Tomorrow, co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan?

Lionsgate released it in May 2025; it was widely called a vanity project and grossed only about $7 million.

In the HBO series The Idol, The Weeknd played Tedros, described as a sleazy nightclub owner and what?

Sam Levinson took over directing from Amy Seimetz mid-shoot; the show premiered at Cannes, was widely panned and cancelled after one season.

Who played the pop star Jocelyn opposite The Weeknd in The Idol?

The show aired on HBO and Max from June 4 to July 2, 2023.

What record did his 2022-2026 world trek set?

It ran from 2022 to 2026, with a co-headlining leg alongside Playboi Carti added in 2025.

In February 2023, The Weeknd became the first artist ever to pass what milestone on Spotify?

Time had already named him among the world's 100 most influential people in 2020.

How many Grammy Awards has The Weeknd won?

He also holds 22 Juno Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards and a Latin Grammy for the 'Hawái' remix with Maluma.

Which of The Weeknd's singles was his first to be certified diamond by the RIAA?

It reached diamond within four years of its 2015 release; 'Can't Feel My Face' and 'Starboy' followed.

In 2023 The Weeknd launched Samra Origins, a specialty brand named after his mother, with which company?

Samra Origins is inspired by his Ethiopian heritage; he had invested in the plant-based drink brand Koia the year before.

The 2011 mixtape House of Balloons was shortlisted for which Canadian award?

Its lyrics chronicle drugs, sex and parties in Toronto; songs on it were made with Cirkut, Illangelo and Jeremy Rose.

In which year did The Weeknd sign with Republic Records, making XO a subsidiary label?

Trilogy followed that November; XO's current roster also includes Belly, Nav and Chxrry.

On which animated show did The Weeknd guest-star in the 2020 episode 'A Starboy Is Born'?

The episode featured a song called 'The Weeknd's Dark Secret'.

In which month and year was 'Blinding Lights' declared Spotify's most-streamed song, at 3.3 billion streams?

It topped the charts in more than 40 countries, making it his most successful single.

In which year was The Weeknd born?

His birthday is February 16; he began uploading music anonymously in August 2009, aged 19.

Which of The Weeknd's number-one singles came from Starboy alongside the title track?

It reached the top years after release on the back of a 2023 remix with Ariana Grande.

Besides Amharic and English, which language does The Weeknd speak fluently?

In 2025 he was the highest-paid musician in the world.

In which Toronto neighbourhood did Tesfaye share an apartment with friends after dropping out at 17?

One of those friends, La Mar Taylor, is still his creative director today.

Which producer asked Tesfaye to start a dark R&B project after hearing him freestyle at a party?

They split over creative differences, but Tesfaye kept the songs on condition Rose got production credits.

Which Hollywood star guest-appeared in Apple Music's 2015 two-part commercial featuring The Weeknd?

The ads debuted during the 2015 MTV VMAs as Apple unveiled him and Drake as faces of the service.

A 2015 lawsuit claimed the bassline of 'The Hills' was lifted from the score of which sci-fi film?

Cutting Edge Music alleged a producer had even messaged composer Tom Raybould about the sample.

What is the name of the radio show The Weeknd launched on Apple Music's Beats 1 in June 2018?

He was living in Paris when the first episode aired, and it later carried the After Hours and Dawn FM campaigns.

The Weeknd funded a University of Toronto course in which classical Ethiopian language?

The CA$50,000 gift followed his 2014 Bikila Award; he later funded an Ethiopian studies program there too.

The Weeknd was named a UN Goodwill Ambassador in October 2021 for which agency?

Earlier that year he had given US$1 million through the WFP for Tigray War relief in Ethiopia.