Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, first broke into the music scene with his 2011 mixtape, House of Balloons. From then on, the Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer went on to become one of the music industry's leading alternative R&B performers!
His story began on 16 February 1990, when he was born to Ethiopian immigrants, Makkonen and Samra Tesfaye, in Toronto, Canada. As a toddler, Abel's father left the family and as a result, he had little contact with his old man. Abel was then brought up by his mother and grandmother. While living with his grandmother, the singer learned to speak Amharic.
Growing up, The Weeknd was influenced by many genres of music. His influences ranged from traditional Ethiopian music to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the singer spoke of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough," saying that it was "the song that helped me find my voice. It's the reason I sing."
via GIPHY
After breaking into the music scene, The Weeknd went on to work with big names like Drake, Wiz Khalifa and others while building his own name and career as an artist. 2015 saw Abel enjoying huge success with his Beauty Behind the Madness album that boasted his hit single, "Can't Feel My Face", which took the world by storm.
In 2016, Abel released the follow-up album, Starboy, which gave us more hits like "I Feel It Coming" and "Starboy".
The Grammy Award winner released his latest project, My Dear Melancholy, back in April, which features six tracks.
Which is your favourite from the lot?
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