Happy Birthday The Weeknd, aka Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. The Canadian singer, songwriter and producer is turning 33, and the XO fandom can’t control their hype. With over sixty-five singles, The Weeknd’s song Blinding Lights currently has 3 billion-plus streams, making it the most streamed song ever! The Weeknd also holds four Grammys; however, he boycotted the award show for a specific reason.
As it is our Starboy’s birthday, let’s look at some of his interesting facts that every XO should know and cherish!
7 Cool Facts About The Weeknd
Abel Lives in a Haunted House
Yes! In 2015, when Abel was living in Hollywood Hills, he witnessed supernatural issues. He said, “I’ve had sleep paralysis. I hear voices sometimes. I heard the Hills are over the Indian burial ground. But maybe it’s just the wind,” to the Details Magazine. Since then, every time Abel returns to LA, it is said that he checks in at a hotel and stays there.
The House of Balloons Album is Based on a Real House
The debut mixtape of Abel titled House of Balloons is actually inspired by a real house. Abel himself admitted and gave out the address to the fans. When you type the address, 65 Spencer in Parkdale, Toronto, you will actually see a house that looks like it is straight out of a movie and iconic to the title name.
Kiss Land is like a Horror Flick
Abel, who is fond of the horror genre, made sure his album Kiss Land gives chills to the listeners. Abel said, “A lot of it is inspired by filmmakers like John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Ridley Scott because they know how to capture fear. That’s what Kiss Land is to me, an environment that’s just honest fear.” He continued, “So when you hear the screams in the record and you hear all these horror references, and you feel scared, listen to the music because I want you to feel what I’m feeling. Kiss Land is like a horror movie.”Wh
Why is the E out of The Weeknd?
As there’s already a band named The Weekend, Abel decided to remove the E. Moreover, when he was young, he dropped out of high school and left with Lamar for a whole weekend, and that’s when he was inspired to pick his stage name. Abel also admitted that at the beginning of his career, he hated his birth name.
Abel Tesfaye Boycotts Grammys
When The Weeknd’s most famous album, After Hours, was released, it received many awards and achievements. In fact, the Blinding Lights song is also a part of this album. However, not one of his songs was nominated for the Grammys. Hence, he called the award show “corrupt” and decided never to submit his music to them.
The Reason Behind The Weeknd’s 2015 Hair
Abel revealed that the inspiration behind half up and down locks is the Brooklyn graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Apart from this, he also said, “I want to be remembered as iconic and different,” and added that if he cut his hair, it would be “boring.” Currently, in 2023, Abel has an afro cut nevertheless, he will always be known for his legendary 2015 hairstyle that went viral after The Hills song.
Abel’s Sexual Songs are Based on His Experience
Every XO knows that some of his songs have profane lyrics that sound sensual. It is also evident that he writes songs based on his experience, so we already know where his songs come from. Abel has also once admitted saying, “Yeah, a lot of it is experience.” He also said that he will likely have kids before marriage since he believes a marriage life is “scary.”
Abel is a Man of Inspiring Quotes
In every song of Abel, there will always be a line that will stick in our hearts. Apart from his authentic lyrics, he has said some powerful sentences that will remain inspiring quotes forever. Some of the best quotes are:
- “I feel like everything we do comes down to how it looks. Even no branding is branding. For example, you had no face or image to put to my music at first. That was branding.”
- “I think that’s why my career is going to be so long: Because I haven’t given people everything.”
- “I like to create characters based on different people I’ve met and relationships. I like to tell stories loosely based on real-life events.”
A Word From Us
We once again wish a happy birthday to the globally loved artist, The Weeknd. Cheers to more great music and achievements for our starboy in the near future. If you’re a XO, drop your wishes for the artist in the comment section.