Photo: Michael Buckner (Getty Images)
The Weeknd is probably one of the most promising young artists on the scene today. Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, which is his real name, first became popular in 2010 when he posted a couple of songs on YouTube under the now-famous pseudonym The Weeknd. Now, he has three critically acclaimed albums behind him as well as numerous awards praising his dark R&B music. It seems strange that his career started just over six years ago, prompting many people to ask – how old is The Weeknd anyway? Well, let’s answer that question as we take a glance at his amazing career so far.
The Stage Names
Abel’s stage name The Weeknd is actually tied to his early life. Namely, he stated in an interview that such a nickname referred to a weekend that basically changed his life. When he was 17, he dropped out of school and ran away from home with his friend Jamal (who would later become part of his XO crew). Unfortunately for him, The Weekend was already taken, so he had to get rid of one letter. When it comes to the name of his crew, XO, there are a couple of interpretations. While some believe it’s just short for “hugs and kisses,” the truth might be a bit darker. XO is apparently just a part of the slogan “XO ’til we overdose,” so XO could actually be short for ecstasy and oxycodone, which are just two drugs The Weeknd had used quite a lot.
The Albums
Although The Weeknd started his YouTube career in 2010 with songs “What You Need”, “Loft Music”, and “The Morning,” they didn’t appear on his debut album Kiss Land, which was released three years later. One of the main contributors to the album was Drake, who, in a way, brought The Weeknd to the attention of the public. According to The Weeknd, the main emotion featured in the Kiss Land is fear in its various forms. His second album was named Beauty Behind the Madness, and was released in August 2015. It again included some notable artists like Kanye West and Ed Sheeran. Both the critics and the fans welcomed the evolution of sound they heard in the album number 2. Again, he discussed some serious subjects in his own unique way. His final album named Starboy (which is a clear homage to the recently deceased David Bowie) featured even more notable guest appearance including Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey and others. Now, according to The Weeknd, this album is full of bragging rap (also called braggadocio) in the style of Wu-Tang Clan and 50 Cent. The critics loved the boldness of the album and it achieved significant commercial success.
Trivia
Considering how young The Weeknd is (he is only 27), he has led quite a life. For example, did you know that he started smoking marijuana when he was only 12? Soon after, he turned to much harder drugs including ecstasy and oxycodone (XO), as well as xanax, ketamine, and even cocaine. Both of his parents are actually Ethiopian immigrants who came to Canada in the ’80s. His father left the family when Abel was very young, but he still holds no grudges. He stated in an interview that he’d seen his dad just a couple of times and that he had a new family now. Now, when it comes to his music, perhaps you don’t know that Drake took a lot of the Weeknd’s songs and released it himself. For example, songs Crew Love, The Ride, and Shot for Love were all supposed to be featured on The Weeknd’s debut mixtape, House of Balloons, but ended up on Drake’s album. Despite that, The Weeknd seems to be doing quite well, both musically with his three albums and three mixtapes that make up the Trilogy, and personally, as he’s currently dating the young singer Selena Gomez.
So, to answer the question from the start, how old is The Weeknd? He is 27, as he was born on the 16th of February, 1990. It’s quite amazing what this young artist managed to create before he even hit 30. Have you heard any of his songs? What do you think?
