Amarachi AgwuThe Weeknd, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his distinctive falsetto singing voice and his music, which incorporates elements of R&B, pop, electronica, and alternative.
Did The Weeknd Go To College
No, The Weeknd did not go to college. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to pursue his music career. He began uploading songs to YouTube anonymously in 2008 and quickly gained a following. In 2011, he signed with record label XO, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. He released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, in 2012. The album was a commercial success, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
Tesfaye has gone on to become one of the most popular and successful musicians in the world. He has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and eight American Music Awards. He is also a successful fashion entrepreneur.
Early Life
Tesfaye was born in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 16, 1990. His mother and grandmother raised him in the Scarborough neighbourhood. He has a strained relationship with his father, as he revealed to Rolling Stone in 2015: “I saw him again when I was eleven or twelve, and he had a new family and kids. I saw him vaguely when I was six.”
Tesfaye grew up in an Orthodox Ethiopian household. In 2020, he told Variety, in response to a question about his religious beliefs, “I dunno…everything is a test, and if you are religious or spiritual, you have to go through things.” He learned Amharic, his native tongue, from his grandmother. Later, he attended a French immersion school and gained fluency in the language. West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute provided him with additional education.
Career
Tesfaye was born in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on February 16, 1990. He began uploading songs to YouTube anonymously in 2008. In 2010, he released three mixtapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The mixtapes were met with critical acclaim and helped Tesfaye gain a large following.
Tesfaye released music under the names the Noise and Kin Kane before taking on the persona of the Weeknd. The name that he currently goes by was inspired by the time he “left one weekend and never came home,” took his mattress, and dropped out of school. Rose asserts that he came up with the name, though, the final ‘e’ was omitted to prevent trademark issues with pop rock group The Weekend. Tesfaye began his professional career as an employee of American Apparel. His coworkers didn’t know he was a musician until they heard his music because of his anonymity.
Major Label Success
In 2011, Tesfaye signed with record label XO, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. He released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, in 2012. The album was a commercial success, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2015, Tesfaye released his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness. The album was a critical and commercial success, winning two Grammy Awards. It included the hit singles “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Earned It”, which was featured on the soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades of Grey.
Continued Success
Tesfaye has released four more studio albums since Beauty Behind the Madness: Starboy (2016), After Hours (2020), Dawn FM (2022), and his most recent album, After Hours til Dawn (2023). These albums have all been commercially successful and have helped to solidify Tesfaye’s status as one of the most popular musicians of his generation.
Awards and Nominations
The Weeknd has received numerous awards and nominations throughout his career. Here is a list of some of his most notable accolades:
- Grammy Awards:
- 2015: Best R&B Performance (“Earned It”)
- 2015: Best Urban Contemporary Album (Beauty Behind the Madness)
- 2017: Best Urban Contemporary Album (Starboy)
- 2021: Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Hurricane”)
Academy Award:
- 2016: Best Original Song (“Earned It”) (nomination)
American Music Awards:
- 2015: Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist
- 2015: Favorite Soul/R&B Album (Beauty Behind the Madness)
- 2015: Favorite Soul/R&B Song (“Can’t Feel My Face”)
- 2020: Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist
- 2020: Favorite Soul/R&B Album (After Hours)
- 2020: Favorite Soul/R&B Song (“Blinding Lights”)
- 2021: Favorite Artist
- 2021: Favorite Male Artist
Billboard Music Awards:
- 2015: Top New Artist
- 2015: Top R&B Artist
- 2015: Top R&B Song (“Can’t Feel My Face”)
- 2016: Top R&B Artist
- 2016: Top R&B Song (“Starboy”)
- 2017: Top R&B Artist
- 2017: Top R&B Song (“I Feel It Coming”)
- 2020: Top Artist
- 2020: Top Male Artist
- 2020: Top Hot 100 Song (“Blinding Lights”)
- 2021: Top Artist
- 2021: Top Male Artist
- 2021: Top Billboard 200 Album (After Hours)
Juno Awards:
- 2014: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
- 2014: R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (Kiss Land)
- 2014: Music Video of the Year (“Often”)
- 2016: R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (Beauty Behind the Madness)
- 2016: Music Video of the Year (“Can’t Feel My Face”)
- 2016: Pop Album of the Year (Beauty Behind the Madness)
- 2017: Single of the Year (“Starboy”)
- 2017: R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (Starboy)
- 2017: Album of the Year (Starboy)
- 2021: Music Video of the Year (“Blinding Lights”)
- 2021: Single of the Year (“Blinding Lights”)
- 2021: Pop Album of the Year (After Hours)
These are just a few of the many awards and nominations that The Weeknd has received throughout his career. He is a truly talented and accomplished artist who has made a significant impact on the music industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Weeknd did not go to college. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to pursue his music career. Despite not having a traditional college education, The Weeknd has become one of the most successful musicians of his generation. He has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and eight American Music Awards. He is also a successful fashion entrepreneur. The Weeknd’s story is a testament to the fact that it is possible to achieve great success without a college degree.
FAQs
1. Where did The Weeknd go to college?
The Weeknd did not go to college. He made the bold decision to drop out of high school at the age of 17 to focus on his music career.
2. Did The Weeknd finish high school?
No, The Weeknd dropped out of high school when he was 17. He chose to focus solely on his music career instead of continuing formal education.
3. Why did The Weeknd not attend college?
The Weeknd was passionate about music from a young age and felt that the traditional educational path was not for him. He decided to invest his time developing his musical talent rather than attending college.
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