The Weeknd

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is a recording artist. He was born on February 16, 1990 and was raised as an only child by his mom, Samra, and his grandmother in Toronto. His dad, Makkonen, was absent for most of his life. His mom emigrated from Ethiopia in the 1980s and The Weeknd remains close to his roots. Growing up, he went to Ethiopian Orthodox church and lists Amharis as his first language. The musician never completed high school. The Weeknd credits fellow Canadian and friend Drake for helping to launch his career. He draws musical inspiration from Michael Jackson and has a special affinity for “Dirty Diana.” In 2011, he released three mixtapes, which became his first album, titled “Trilogy.” The Weeknd’s next album was “Kiss Land,” but it was the one that followed, “Starboy,” that broke all sorts of Spotify records in 2016. He also worked with pop producer Max Martin to re-write the Arianna Grande hit “Love Me Harder” and sang “Earned It” from the “50 Shades of Grey” soundtrack. He was once known for his outrageous hairstyle, but has since opted for a more mainstream look. The Weeknd often finds himself in the tabloids for his love life. He dated model Bella Hadid for 18 months until they split in November 2016. He began seeing singer/actress Selena Gomez soon after. They were first spotted together in January 2017.