The Weeknd

Born 16 February 1990, The Weekend (real name Abel Tesfaye) is a Canadian RnB singer, songwriter and record producer from Ontario, Canada. He attended Samuel Hearne Middle School. He is of Ethiopian descent, his parents moved from Ethiopia in the 1980s. He grew up listening to a variety of music genres, including soul, quiet storm, hip-hop, funk, indie rock, and post-punk.

In late 2010, he anonymously uploaded several songs to YouTube under the name 'The Weeknd'. He released three nine-track mixtapes throughout 2011 namely 'House of Balloons', 'Thursday' and 'Echoes of Silence'. The song earned him a mark in the music industry. The following year, he released a compilation album called 'Trilogy'. The album is made up of remastered versions of the mixtape material and three additional songs. It was released under Republic Records and his own label XO.

In 2013, he released his debut studio album 'Kiss Land'. The album was supported by singles such as 'Kiss Land' and 'Live For'. This was followed by his second album called 'Beauty Behind the Madness'. It featured songs such as 'Earned It' and 'The Hills' and the number-one single 'Can't Feel My Face'.

The Weeknd has featured in several music publications such as Pitchfork, MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, XXL and The Source. His songs feature slow tempos, rumbling bass, and forlorn echoes. His emotional, plaintive lyrics often express feelings of hurt and deal with issues such as sex, drugs, and partying.