Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor celebrated for his distinctive tenor voice and pioneering alternative R and B sound. Emerging in 2009 with a series of anonymous online releases, he gained swift attention with his trilogy of mixtapes in 2011 and later founded the record label XO. The Weeknd achieved mainstream success with albums like Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy, producing multiple chart-topping hits such as Can't Feel My Face, The Hills, Starboy, and Blinding Lights, the latter becoming the most-streamed song in Spotify history. Moving through styles from dark R and B to pop, dance, and new wave influences, the Weeknd has won four Grammy Awards and dozens of Billboard, Juno, and American Music Awards. With over 75 million records sold and numerous streaming milestones, he is recognized as one of the world’s leading musical artists. Beyond music, the Weeknd co-created and starred in the HBO series The Idol and is active in philanthropy, serving as a World Food Programme goodwill ambassador since 2021.