How The Weeknd climbed from indie music anonymity to being one of the world's biggest pop stars

Brianna Holt,Kim RenfroMar 4, 2023, 19:27 IST

Abel Tesfaye, the artist know as the Weeknd, with two of his Grammy awards.Frederick M. Brown / Getty

The Weeknd is the first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners in Spotify history.
Prior to these mainstream milestones, singer Abel Tesfaye entered the music industry in an unorthodox way.

February 24, 2011: Abel Tesfaye uploaded three songs to YouTube under the username "undefined."

Each YouTube video had a black and white photo for the thumbnail, two with portraits of unnamed women.The Weeknd/YouTube

March 20, 2011: Tesfaye anonymously dropped a mixtape titled "House of Balloons." His listeners still had no idea who was behind the project.

YouTube

April 2011: Tesfaye was uncovered as the man behind The Weeknd.

YouTube

July 2011: The Weeknd had his first public performance.

Getty

2011: The Weeknd released two more mixtapes by the end of the year, "Thursday" and "Echoes of Silence."

The Weeknd.AP Images

2012: The Weeknd's growing star power landed him a spot on that year's Coachella lineup.

Rich Fury/Getty

2015: The single "Earned It" boosted The Weeknd to mainstream fame.

The Weeknd won best R&B performance and best urban contemporary album at the 2016 Grammys.Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

2016: The singer started winning awards and released "Starboy," an album that featured A-list collaborators like Kendrick Lamar.

"Starboy" was released on September 21, 2016.The Weeknd/YouTube

2017: The Weeknd embarked on a massive global tour with the "Starboy" album and was named the "King of Sex Pop" by GQ Magazine.

Selena Gomez and The Weeknd at the Met Gala in 2017.Theo Wargo/Getty Images

2018: He kicked the year off with the announcement that he was headlining Coachella.

The Weeknd performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival on Friday, April 13, 2018.Amy Harris/AP

2019: The Weeknd ventured into acting, making his feature film debut in the crime-dramedy "Uncut Gems."

The Weeknd attends the premiere of A24's "Uncut Gems."Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

March 20, 2020: His fourth studio album "After Hours" is released.

he Weeknd performs for the 2020 American Music Awards on November 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.AMA2020 / Contributor / Getty Images

February 7, 2021: His first Super Bowl LV Pepsi Halftime performance cemented The Weeknd as one of the greats in music.

The Weeknd performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida.Mike Ehrmann / Staff / Getty Images

2022: The Weeknd dropped a new album, headlined Coachella, and went on tour.

The Weeknd performs at the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival.Amy Sussman / Staff / Getty Images

2023: The artist made a return to acting with his leading role in the upcoming HBO series "The Idol." The show has been roiled with controversy.

The Weeknd stars in the HBO series "The Idol" alongside Lily-Rose Depp.HBO

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