Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known by his stage name "The Weeknd", is a Canadian singer and songwriter born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario. He gained notoriety for his candid lyrics about sex and drug use, drawing inspiration from his own life experiences. Additionally, his unique falsetto singing voice, characterized by a distinctive tremolo, has helped establish him as a prominent figure in the R&B genre.

Tesfaye's family, including his mother and grandmother, migrated to Canada from Ethiopia during the 1980s, and his primary language was Amharic. However, during his eleventh-grade year in school, he decided to quit and left home to immerse himself in a lifestyle of wild partying. Subsequently, Tesfaye secured employment at American Apparel while concurrently crafting songs centered on themes such as drug use, casual sex, and isolation. Eventually, he met musician and producer Jeremy Rose, and they began collaborating. Together, they produced three songs - "The Morning," "Loft Music," and "What You Need" - which featured lyrics that were a blend of singing and rapping.

In September 2012, The Weeknd formed a partnership with Republic Records. Shortly after, he released Trilogy, which consisted of remastered versions of the songs on his three mixtapes. This album was a great success and became a bestseller. However, his first studio album, Kiss Land (2013), was not as successful in reaching a wider audience beyond his fan base.

The musician The Weeknd sought assistance from his record label to develop his songwriting abilities, which led to a fruitful collaboration with the accomplished Swedish producer Max Martin and the creation of the song "Love Me Harder" with pop star Ariana Grande. This track was released in 2014 and achieved significant commercial success, reaching the top 10. Following this, The Weeknd's subsequent three hit singles, namely "Earned It," "The Hills," and "Can't Feel My Face," were all included in his album Beauty Behind the Madness, which was released in 2015. The following year, The Weeknd was recognized with numerous awards, including Canada's prestigious Juno Award for the second consecutive year for artist of the year and album of the year, among others.

Additionally, he received Grammy Awards for his outstanding R&B performance in "Earned It" and his album "Beauty Behind the Madness" won the award for the best urban contemporary album. "Earned It" was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2016, as it was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey" released in 2015.

The Weeknd's success continued with his album Starboy (2016), which included collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Daft Punk. The album was a commercial success and earned The Weeknd a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album. His subsequent album, My Dear Melancholy, (2018), evoked the moody and atmospheric sounds of his earlier music. After Hours (2020) received critical acclaim and debuted at the top of the charts, showcasing cinematic and introspective elements. In 2021, The Weeknd performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The following year, he released his fifth studio album, Dawn FM, which was described as a "dance party in purgatory" and was narrated by Jim Carrey. In 2019, he made his feature-film debut in the crime dramedy Uncut Gems, playing a cameo as himself alongside Adam Sandler.