Look what you’ve done…

I can not wrap up Black Music Month without featuring one of the most important R&B singers, songwriters and producers of the last decade. Abel Makkonen Tesfaye is also known throughout the world as “The Weeknd.” Like several other major artists, The Weeknd began his climb to fame by releasing his music online. His first few songs were released anonymously.

In 2010 he posted a few songs on YouTube under the name “The Weeknd”. He says that his name came from “that one weekend” he decided to leave his family home in Toronto Canada and to never look back. He never needed to return home because…

…his career was off to a rapid start shortly after releasing his debut mixtape “House of Balloons”. In 2011, he released two more mixtapes “Thursday” and “Echoes of Silence”.

Eventually, in 2012 he released all three mixtapes on one album he named “Trilogy”. Trilogy also included three unreleased songs.

I was familiar with The Weeknd and his mixtapes, but I did not buy them until I purchased “Trilogy” on CD. I could not wait to hear this. I expected to listen to the 3 CD set in my car over several days. But I could not stop listening to every song, one after the other. I sat in my car…listened…and LOVED all 160 minutes of the Trilogy album.

The songs and his velvety voice were so soulful,

but the music was an alternative blend of electronica, trip-hop and more. The combination of the soulful vocals and the contemporary music styles were refreshing.

I also loved that he spoke his mind in his own “explicit” way. If you remember reading about me, you know that I have an intense love affair with hip-hop. Explicit lyrics were not new to me, in fact they were the norm. The Weeknd sang his heart out in a way that I fully understood. In fact, many hip-hop fans understood and loved the music of The Weeknd. He became the talk of the internet, and fans of underground music. Soon taste-makers and critics were talking and writing about The Weeknd. The top hip-hop artist at the time was Drake and he was also praising the multi-talented fellow Canadian. It was not long until record labels started to take notice and in 2012, The Weeknd signed a deal with Republic Records.

The Weeknd has now released three mixtapes and four studio albums. Between his own singles and collaborations, he is also heard on 51 singles. Each album and song are always a little different from his last. He is always unique and progressive, but he also embraces and often pays homage to his favorite artists that came before him.

His singles “Can’t Feel My Face”. “The Hills”. “Save Your Tears”, “I feel it Coming” (which sounds like a GREAT Michael Jackson song), “Earned It” (from the hit film, “Fifty Shades of Grey” along with the mega-hits, “Starboy” and “Blinding Lights” have made this once independent artist out of Canada a WORLD-RENOWNED R&B and POP STAR. His high-profile live shows, including his half-time performance at Super Bowl LV (55) has also boosted his fame to POP SUPER-STAR status.

From independent artist to world-renowned R&B and POP Super Star

I am pleased to offer the links below so you too can hear and own these musical gems. The Weeknd is worthy of his own section within your collection…..ENJOY!

DeepDiscount.com helps sponsor this blog. They are big fans of The Weeknd over there. Here is the link to everything The Weeknd.