The Weeknd is a singer, songwriter and record producer.
His full name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye,but he goes by the stage name The Weekend.
He reached stardom with the help of YouTube where he uploaded and released his mixtapes in 2011.
He later remastered the mixtapes and published them as a compilation in his album Trilogy after he signed with a record label.
The weekend also created his own record label XO after moving from Republic Records.
If you thought he is a lightweight artist, think again.
He has three number one songs and other top releases on the US Billboard 200.
All these have also earned him a spot in the Billboard Hot 100.
The Weeknd became the first artist ever to top three positions on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart with the singles “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Earned It” and “The Hills” .
He has also won three Grammys and more than 8 Juno Awards.
This goes ahead to reassure people he is not a lightweight or just an upcoming artist.
He is also not an artist in the making as he is already a star.Let’s take a look at some of his hidden secrets:
1. He is an Immigrant
That is too present. The weekend was not born in the United States where he has gained all his fame and stardom.
He was an immigrant from Ethiopia,and they emigrated to the US in the 80s.
They emigrated to the US with his mother and grandmother.
2. Mama’s Boy
After emigrating to the US with his mother and grandmother, he was the only child with no brother or sister.
Because of this, he was pampered a lot by them,and he became a mama’s boy.
3. Lost His Virginity Illegally
With all the ways one could lose their virginity, The Weekend lost his most unusual.
He went to a party,and he was underage then had sex with a very very drunk woman who was older than him.
Just like that and it was gone. It isn’t clear if there was consent between the two.
4. Dropped Out of School to Get High
When he was 17, The Weeknd dropped out of high school.
He persuaded La Mar Taylor to join him,and they moved into a one bedroom house with another friend.
The three would get high every night. Glad it worked out well.
5. Hidden Meaning
The name of his record label and crew name is OX,but it doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Most people think it means hugs and kisses but to The Weeknd, these initials mean Ecstasy and OxyContin.
6. Afraid of Speaking to Learned People
Since he dropped out of school and he isn’t a native, The Weeknd is afraid that he isn’t well spoken.
At the start of his career, he did not do any interviews,and he used to do crosswords to work on his vocabulary.
7. Taylor Swift Likes More Than His Music
The first time he met with Taylor Swift was at a party for Sam Smith after the Grammys 2015.
She raved about how she likes his song “The Morning” and it’s one of her favorites.
She also liked his hair,and throughout the party, she was petting his hair and was drawn to it.
8. The Haunted House
After he moved to Hollywood Hills and rented a house there, strange things started happening in the house.
He started having sleep paralysis,and he could hear voices sometimes in the night.
It is rumored that the hills are over an Indian burial ground.
9. Anger Issues
You might have heard that The Weeknd avoided jail time by pleading no contest to a case where he was accused of assaulting a protected person.
He was involved in a fight in a hotel,and the police were called.
The cops pulled him out of the fight,but he retaliated by punching the officer in the face.
10. Loves His Hair
Most people wonder what inspired his weird hairstyle. He wanted to be unique not like anyone else.
He admits he wakes up sometimes with paining neck because of the hair,but he would only cut it if only it inhibited his sight.
11. Addicted to Drugs
He knows it,but he does a lot to hide it. He was addicted to drugs and would do anything to get high.
However, he didn’t need any detox,and he got rid of the addiction nicely.
12. Insecure About His Looks
Apart from hating interviews and shying away from them, The Weeknd doesn’t like pictures either.
He hates doing things that other musicians are expected to do. He used to hate how he looked in pictures.
13. The Name Controversy
It’s not a spelling mistake; the name is The Weeknd.
The controversy is, the Weeknd was a collaboration between him and Tesfaye, and they used to go by the Weekend.
Tesfaye dropped the “e” after the two friends had a falling out.
14. Some of His Lyrics are a Mystery to Him
The Weeknd doesn’t know all the lyrics to some of his songs.
He sometimes sings gibberish for as long as 40 minutes.
He relies on a songwriter language in the booth.
In some of the lyrics in the mixtape Thursday, he doesn’t even know what he is saying.
15. You Really Don’t Know Who He Is
He references himself to the Joker in The Dark Knight.
The Joker tells different stories about his scars, so it’s like you really don’t know who he is and The Weeknd is like him.
