Q 01/05

What is The Weeknd's real name?

A) Abel Makonnen

B) Aubrey Graham

C) Adonis Tesfaye

D) Abel Tesfaye

Answer · why

D) Abel Tesfaye

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

Q 02/05

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

A) Brampton

B) Scarborough

C) Mississauga

D) Etobicoke

Answer · why

B) Scarborough

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

Q 03/05

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

A) A record-label typographical slip

B) It fit a ten-character Twitter handle

C) A Canadian band owned the name

D) It is the Amharic word for 'end'

Answer · why

C) A Canadian band owned the name

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

Q 04/05

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

A) xoxxxoooxo

B) theweeknd416

C) abelxo

D) kissland

Answer · why

A) xoxxxoooxo

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

Q 05/05

Which three mixtapes did The Weeknd release in 2011?

A) House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence

B) Echoes of Silence, After Hours and Thursday

C) Kiss Land, Trilogy and Starboy

D) House of Balloons, Kiss Land and Thursday

Answer · why

A) House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence

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