The Weeknd
It’s four years in a row for Taylor Swift, with the U.S. pop icon dominating Australia’s year-end charts once again, according to data published by ARIA
Swift has once more found her way to the top of the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart, this time off the back of her massively-successful eleventh album, April’s The Tortured Poets Department. With results undeniably bolstered by her seven local shows as part of the record-setting Eras Tour, Swift is a constant presence in the year-end charts, making up 40% of the top ten.
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While The Tortured Poets Department sits at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) appears at No. 5, with Lover at No. 7, and Midnights rounding it out at No. 10. Overall, she makes up 11% of the entire Top 100, with original or re-recorded versions of her entire discography (save for her self-titled debut) placed across the top 68 positions. Her 2014 album 1989 doubles up thanks to its original version placing at No. 68.
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It’s not a far cry from the results of last year either, where 1989 (Taylor’s Version) reigned supreme and was joined by the likes of The Weeknd, Morgan Wallen, SZA, and Harry Styles. In 2024, the top ten is rounded out by Billie Eilish‘s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet, The Weeknd’s The Highlights, SZA’s SOS, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time, and Olivia Rodrigo‘s Guts.
The singles chart, however, belongs to U.S. singer-songwriter Benson Boone, whose “Beautiful Things” spent six weeks at No. 1 and has rarely been absent from the top ten since it first debuted. Boone’s success isn’t limited to Australia, with the track having topped numerous charts globally, and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” holds the silver medal position, with Carpenter’s “Espresso” closing out the podium finishes. Noah Kahan‘s “Stick Season” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” round out the top five, with Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather” following closely behind. Irish musician Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” prevents a clean sweep for American artists, however, with his single hitting No. 8.
Swift’s influence also extends to the Singles Chart, with 2019’s “Cruel Summer” hitting No. 9 off the back of its 2023 viral success and single release. Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers”, which topped the chart last year, also makes a return appearance, albeit relegated to a respectable No. 39.
Of note, however, is the lack of Australian artists that make up the Albums and Singles Charts. In the latter category, just 5% are home-grown, with Vance Joy’s 2013 single “Riptide” leading the charge at No. 24. Cyril’s reimagining of Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In” can be found at No. 29, while DJ and producer Dom Dolla‘s “Saving Up” splits the field at No. 50. The Kid LAROI closes out the local representation with “Nights Like This” featuring at No. 84, and his 2021 Justin Bieber collaboration “Stay” in at No. 96.
The Albums Charts, however, boasts only three Australian names – with only one being a studio release. While South Australian veterans Cold Chisel can be found at No. 44 with their 50 Years – The Best Of compilation, so too can INXS‘ Diamond-certified The Very Best be located down at No. 81. The Kid LAROI is once again the only point of difference, with his debut album – 2023’s The First Time – hitting No. 67.
Check out ARIA’s year-end singles and albums charts.
Tommy Lee isn’t fond of artists engaging in self-promotion while the Los Angeles wildfires continue to rage, it seems. The founding Mötley Crüe drummer let his opinions be known in an Instagram post shared on Monday (Jan. 13), where he took aim at those who have continued to plug upcoming products and events while the […]
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The Weeknd has announced his upcoming album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ will be postponed. The original release date was January 24th, & now it has been moved to the following Friday (January 31st). The singer posted the announcement to his socials saying the delay was out of respect for the Los Angeles wildfire victims.
The Weeknd’s new album, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ is delayed to January 31 due to California wildfires. pic.twitter.com/5ae9i3x6DE
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 13, 2025
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Not only has the project been delayed but the Rose Bowl concert has been canceled, “OUT OF RESPECT AND CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, I AM CANCELING THE ROSE BOWL CONCERT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR
JANUARY 25TH. THIS CITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROFOUND SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR ME, AND MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH EVERYONE IMPACTED DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME IN LIGHT OF THIS, I HAVE ALSO DECIDED TO PUSH THE RELEASE OF MY ALBUM TO JANUARY 31ST MY FOCUS REMAINS ON SUPPORTING THE RECOVERY OF THESE COMMUNITIES AND AIDING ITS INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AS THEY REBUILD.”
The Weeknd is finally dropping his first album in two years, following the success of Dawn FM (2022). That album featured major hits like “Take My Breath,” a synth-driven banger that had fans dancing, and “I Heard You’re Married,” which included a vintage Lil Wayne verse that had everyone talking. “Best Friends” also stood out, with its smooth vibe and catchy lyrics. Fans have been eagerly awaiting his next move, and with his new project, it’s clear The Weeknd is ready to keep his streak of hits going strong. This album promises to be another standout in his career.
After almost 16 years spent as The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye says he is considering retiring his famous musical moniker after his upcoming projects.
Tesfaye spoke at length about his experiences with music in recent years as part of a new cover story with Variety, which coincides with the release of his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24. While discussing the journey that led to this new record, Tesfaye looked back to an infamous show at California’s SoFi Stadium in Sept. 2022. Just four songs in, Tesfaye’s failing voice necessitated the cancelation of the gig’s remainder.
As he explains though, a trip to his doctor resulted in nothing out of the ordinary. “And that’s when we came to the realization that it was all up here,” he told the publication while pointing at his head.
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It was the combination of factors – ranging from the myriad items on his already-packed schedule to the mental exhaustion – that has since weighed heavily on Tesfaye as he strides toward the release of Hurry Up Tomorrow. Promoted with billboards that teased an impending end, and social posts that indicated his story would conclude with this final ‘chapter’, Variety pushed Tesfaye about what his repeated references “closing this chapter” relate to. “I would say my existence as the Weeknd,” he explains.
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“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for,” he continues. “You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
“Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say. Don’t overstay at the party — you can end it now and live a happy life’,” he adds, looking back at his canceled 2022 show. “Put the bow on it: ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’? Now we’re here. When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak? Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot.”
As Tesfaye asserts, though the closing of this chapter may see The Weeknd as fans know it coming to an end, it won’t be the end of music that he makes.
“I don’t think I can stop doing that,” he says. “But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge.
“But I just want to know what comes after,” he adds. “I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
Tesfaye is scheduled to release his sixth studio album as The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24. On May 16, his film of the same name will be released via Lionsgate. Directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes At Night), the film will mark Tesfaye’s feature-starring debut, and serves as something of an extension of the forthcoming album.
Eager fans of The Weeknd have something to look forward to, with Lionsgate officially setting a release date for his upcoming film Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes At Night), Hurry Up Tomorrow will mark The Weeknd’s (aka Abel Tesfaye) feature-starring debut, and serves as something of an extension of his forthcoming album of the same name. While the record is slated for release on Jan. 24, the film has now been given a release date of May 16.
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“Abel is a visionary whose art cannot be confined by any single medium,” said Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, in a statement upon the company’s acquisition of worldwide distribution rights. “With Hurry Up Tomorrow, in partnership with Trey, his musical universe expands onto the big screen with a psychological thriller that will usher in a new cinematic experience for fans. We are thrilled to be bringing it to audiences worldwide.”
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The Hurry Up Tomorrow film is both inspired by and features new music from The Weeknd, who scored the film with frequent collaborator Daniel Lopatin (also known as Oneohtrix Point Never). The film also serves as the conclusion of his artistic trilogy that began with 2020’s After Hours and continued with 2022’s Dawn FM.
Alongside Tesfaye’s starring role, Hurry Up Tomorrow features Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan in supporting roles, with production handled by Tesfaye’s own film and television production company Manic Phase and producing partner Reza Fahim, along with the late Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss.
Ortega, Shults, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, Ryan Kroft, The Weeknd’s manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby and Harrison Huffman are all listed as executive producers on the film. Chayse Irvin serves as director of photography, Elliott Hostetter is the production designer, and Erin Benach and Hannah Jacobs are the costume designers.
In May 2023, Tesfaye spoke to W Magazine to claim that his next studio album would be the final record released under The Weeknd moniker. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn,” he said at the time.
“The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd,” he added. “This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
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Source: Carmen Mandato / Getty / Drake
Kendrick Lamar is still on a victory lap following the release of his latest album, GNX. Meanwhile, his favorite punching bag, Drake, was on a Kick stream throwing jabs.
Even Stevie Wonder can see that Kendrick Lamar has really hurt Drake’s ego. Over the weekend, Drake appeared on Canadian streamer xQc’s Kick channel, and he used the opportunity to talk sh*t about his opps, and even himself.
Showing that he’s still butthurt about the success of Lamar’s diss record towards him, the 6 God sent a jab at the Compton rapper while introducing himself to watchers. “I’m here — mind, body and soul fully intact, in case you were wondering. You need facts to take me out; fairytales won’t do it,” Drizzy said.
Drake’s tone is a response to Kendrick Lamar’s claims on his numerous diss records, including the hit record “Not Like Us’ that the “Take Care” crafter has a penchant for engaging in inappropriate behavior with underage girls, keeps the company of pedophiles around him and also has a secret daughter.
Drake also had time for singer Steve Lacy, calling him a “fragile” opp, and then The Weeknd, telling the popular streamer to turn off his music when the song “Starboy” came on.
Kendrick Lamar & Steve Lacy Both Had A Response For Drake
Drizzy’s salty behavior did get a response from both Lacy and Lamar. Lacy reacted with a series of Instagram posts, while Lamar reacted in a text exchange shared by his friend Reli.
In the screenshot of the conversation, Reli jokingly said to K.Dot, “You done turned blood into a streamer on Phillies [laughing face emojis],” and Lamar responding with several laughing emojis.
“That’s a damn shame,” Reli continued with Lamar asking, “He tripping??!”
Reli continues, “Blood don’t won’t [sic] no smoke Philly gang,” before covering the rest of the conversation.
Social media has been clowning Drake for his behavior on the stream. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Damn shame
2. Truuuueeee
The Weeknd is set to return to Australia in October 2024, bringing his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour Down Under after initially postponing and then cancelling his 2023 dates.
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The Australian and New Zealand leg was originally planned as one of the final stretches of his world tour before those dates were shelved.
The Canadian R&B superstar, born Abel Tesfaye, will kick off the 2024 leg on Oct. 5 at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, with a second show on Oct. 6, before heading to Sydney for back-to-back performances at Accor Stadium on Oct. 22 and 23.
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These will be The Weeknd’s first stadium shows in Australia and his first visit since 2017. Special guests Mike Dean and Chxrry22, along with Australian DJ and vocalist, Anna Lunoe, will join him on all 2024 Australian dates.
However, fans in Brisbane and New Zealand, who were included in the cancelled 2023 tour, will be disappointed to learn that these locations are not part of the 2024 itinerary.
According to a statement from the tour’s press release: “Due to schedule and logistical constraints, the ‘After Hours ‘Til Dawn’ tour will not be making its way to New Zealand or Brisbane in 2024 and there will be no further cities added.”
This decision has sparked backlash on social media, with fans expressing frustration over their shows being dropped from the 2024 run.
One commenter noted on Reddit, “Not sure what logistical circumstances they’re trying to blame for not coming to Brisbane or even NZ. Suncorp Stadium literally has no event booked in October other than the Travis Scott show at the end of the month.” Another added, “Apparently it’s more logical to fly to Australia, fly back to the USA, fly back to Australia and then fly back again.”
Before announcing the 2024 Australian dates, The Weeknd performed numerous sold-out shows across the United States as part of the After Hours Til Dawn tour.
The U.S. leg included notable performances at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he fans with a setlist featuring hits from After Hours and Dawn FM.
In a statement about the upcoming shows in Australia this October, The Weeknd said, “I feel a strong pull to perform in Australia before moving on to the next chapter and want to make sure you all know I hadn’t forgotten about you. When I return now, it will be the right time, and I promise it will be such a special experience. I can’t wait to see you all!”
For 2023 ticket holders, a special ‘Past Purchaser Presale‘ will be available, offering the first opportunity to secure tickets for the upcoming Australian tour dates.
The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour has been a global success, with over 60 sold-out stadium dates and more than 3 million attendees across North America, Europe, the U.K., and Latin America. The tour has also broken attendance records, including a two-night run at London Stadium that drew 160,000 fans.
In other recent news, earlier this month it was revealed The Weeknd will return to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood on Sept. 5 with The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy, an immersive haunted house experience featuring music by The Weeknd and Mike Dean.
It follows the success of his 2022 After Hours Nightmare attraction, inspired by his Billboard 200-topping album After Hours.
The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn 2024 Australia Tour Dates:
Oct. 5 – Marvel Stadium, MelbourneOct. 6 – Marvel Stadium, MelbourneOct. 22 – Accor Stadium, SydneyOct. 23 – Accor Stadium, Sydney
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Drake is taking more shots than the height of the COVID-19 vaccine run after catching some bars from Kendrick Lamar earlier this month. On Future and Metro Boomin‘s latest project, WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU, The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky delivered additional jabs and uppercuts in the direction of Drake.
If it wasn’t clear before, Drake certainly appears to be in an all-out war with several heavy hitters in the industry. As mentioned above, K-Dot didn’t hold back on his feature verse on “Like That” from Future and Metro Boomin’s WE DON’T TRUST YOU album.
The Canadian superstar was targeted once again on the follow-up WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU by his fellow countryman The Weeknd on the track “All To Myself” which doesn’t name Drizzy but certainly seems to be about him.
“These n*ggas always yappin’, yeah/ I promise that I got your back/ Ooh, look at how we movin’, baby/ They could never diss my brothers, baby/ When they got leaks in they operation/ I thank God that I never signed my life away/ And we never do the big talk/ They shooters makin’ TikToks/ Got us laughin’ in the Lambo.”
The lyrics seem to point to the fact The Weeknd never signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label despite being from the same city. The latter portion of the verse seems to be aimed at OVO Sound artist Baka Not Nice.
A$AP Rocky, who probably owed Drake a few more bars than he’s already given him, appears to get at the For All The Dogs star on the track, “Show Of Hands.”
“N*ggas swear they bitch the baddest, I just bagged the worst one/ N*ggas in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or somethin’?/ I smashed before you birthed son, Flacko hit it first, son,” Rocky said, appearing to suggest he slept with the mother of Drake’s child before he did.
Adding to all of this, J. Cole, who was swept in the Rap Royal Rumble but backed out during the Dreamville Festival, is featured on the track “Red Leather” which some fans are looking at sideways.
On X, formerly Twitter, the fans are breaking down the bars while connecting the dots. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Joseph Okpako / Getty
Universal Music Group is in the early stages of talks with Google about licensing artists’ voices for songs created by artificial intelligence, according to The Financial Times. Warner Music Group has also discussed this possibility, The Financial Times reported.
Advances in artificial-intelligence-driven technology have made it relatively easy for a producer sitting at home to create a song involving a convincing facsimile of a superstar’s voice — without that artist’s permission. Hip-hop super-fans have been using the technology to flesh out unfinished leaks of songs from their favorite rappers.
One track in particular grabbed the industry’s attention in March: “Heart On My Sleeve,” which masqueraded as a new collaboration between Drake and the Weeknd. At the time, a Universal Music spokesperson issued a statement saying that “stakeholders in the music ecosystem” have to choose “which side of history… to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation.”
“In our conversations with the labels, we heard that the artists are really pissed about this stuff,” Geraldo Ramos, co-founder and CEO of the music technology company Moises, told Billboard recently. (Moises has developed its own AI-driven voice-cloning technology, along with the technology to detect whether a song clones someone else’s voice.) “How do you protect that artist if you’re a label?” added Matt Henninger, Moises’ vp of sales and business development.
The answer is probably licensing: Develop a system in which artists who are fine with having their voices cloned clear those rights — in exchange for some sort of compensation — while those acts who are uncomfortable with being replicated by technology can opt out. Just as there is a legal framework in place that allows producers to sample 1970s soul, for example, by clearing both the master and publishing rights, in theory there could be some sort of framework through which producers obtain permission to clone a superstar’s voice.
AI-driven technology could “enable fans to pay their heroes the ultimate compliment through a new level of user-driven content,” Warner CEO Robert Kyncl told financial analysts this week. (“There are some [artists] that may not like it,” he continued, “and that’s totally fine.”)
On the same investor call, Kyncl also singled out “one of the first official and professionally AI-generated songs featuring a deceased artist, which came through our ADA Latin division:” A new Pedro Capmany track featuring AI-generated vocals from his father Jose, who died in 2001. “After analyzing hundreds of hours of interviews, acappellas, recorded songs, and live performances from Jose’s career, every nuance and pattern of his voice was modeled using AI and machine learning,” Kyncl explained.
After the music industry’s initial wave of alarm about AI, the conversation has shifted, according to Henninger. With widely accessible voice-cloning technology available, labels can’t really stop civilians from making fake songs accurately mimicking their artists’ vocals. But maybe there’s a way they can make money from all the replicants.
Henninger is starting to hearing different questions around the music industry. “How can [AI] be additive?” he asks. “How can it help revenue? How can it build someone’s brand?”
Reps for Universal and Warner did not respond to requests for comment.
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Source: Variety / Getty / Kanye West
If you’re one of the few who hate watching The Weeknd’s godawful show on MAX, aka HBO MAX, The Idol, you caught the dig at Kanye West.
The Idol is a hot ass mess, don’t take our word for it, you can head over to Rotten Tomatoes to see The Weekend and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson’s show get dunked on by critics and viewers, but it does have one highlight we can all root for, clowning Kanye West.
Spotted on TMZ, in the MAX limited-series fifth and final episode, Lily-Rose Depp’s character takes a shot at Ye and his love for Adolph Hitler.
Per TMZ:
In Sunday night’s finale, Lily-Rose Depp‘s character, Jocelyn, puts on a talent showcase for her management at her home in order to convince them she’s ready to go back on tour after a tumultuous few months.
Jocelyn’s management is skeptical at first, wondering if she’ll be able to sell seats … and that’s when the jab comes at Ye. Jocelyn’s agent says, “You know f****** Kanye was filling arenas until he decided to start following Adolf Hitler.”
Now if you need a refresher on what the former billionaire took his sad act on Info Wars with far-right Hulk Hogan, Alex Jones’ show Infowars where he had plenty of praise for Hitler and Nazi ideology.
“I see good things about Hitler … Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler,” West said during the episode that Jones lost control of as the rapper rambled on.
Jones himself filed for bankruptcy after a judge ordered him to pay $1.5 billion in damages to the parents of Sandy Hook shooting victims.
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Photo: Variety / Getty
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