The Weeknd. No, not the 2 days you get off during the week. I'm talking about the artist Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, an extremely popular singer among teens all over the world. Outstandingly, one of his debut albums made it to the US Billboard 200 and, later in 2015, his songs were included in the film score of “50 Shades of Grey” which led to him winning a Grammy in Best R&B Performance. Since that Grammy, he's won 3 others: Urban Contemporary Album Grammys in 2016 and 2018 and Melodic Rap Performance in 2022.
Needless to say, The Weeknd is a very well known singer and you’ve probably heard many of his songs, but just never realized it. He even performed at the Super Bowl on February 7, 2021, and if you don't know him from that then you'll know him from his most popular song: “Blinding Lights”.
One of my closest friends, Samantha Medina, is the biggest Weeknd fan I know. She constantly posts about her listening to him. When I asked her to choose one song she could listen to by the Weeknd for the rest of her life, she answered “Anything from The Starboy album… I can't decide.” After hearing such praise, I decided to listen too. The album itself was pretty fire. She's been listening to him since the Superbowl, which isn't long, but let's just say she's a big fan.
There's numerous reasons why you should listen to The Weeknd, but for Arianna Grande fans, he also has a duet with her. If that doesn't convince you then I don't know what will. Additionally, if R&B isn't your type, he has so many more amazing songs in Pop, Hip Hop, Alternative and New Wave. Most of his songs are described as “Dark but Awakening”.
From a personal view, I'm more into punk/alternative, and surprisingly the Weeknd provides some great alternative songs. My favorite “Best Friends” has an uplifting beat, yet the lyrics line up perfectly.
The Weeknd is overall a very successful artist, with so many astonishing songs that have brought joy to people all over the world.