The Weeknd
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Well, it’s official, The Weeknd is the GOAT.
Okay, maybe he’s not. But the man did achieve a GOAT level honor as data gathered by the Guinness World Records suggest the Canadian crooner is the most popular artist on the planet today. Beating out the likes of Drake, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and whoever else you thought might’ve been today’s biggest musician. The “Blinding Lights” singer proved to be the most beloved artist in this digital era as fans have streamed his catalogue way more than anyone else you may call the GOAT.
“No one else even comes close,” the record-keeping organization declared Monday.
Guinness argues its case by citing the “Starboy” performer’s Spotify stats, including an unmatched 111.4 million monthly listeners. The 33-year-old Grammy winner has nearly 30 million more listeners than second-placed Miley Cyrus, which also puts him far ahead of Shakira, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
Miley Cyrus was in second place?? Who knew? No shots.
Now that he knows he’s that dude in 2023, you can expect The Weeknd to strut with all kinds of swagger when he hits the road this Summer for his After Hours Til Dawn tour which kicks off in Portugal in June and returns to North America in September.
While we knew The Weeknd was one of the biggest artists in the game today, we didn’t know he was actually Guinness World Records huge. It would be interesting to see how many records he would’ve moved had streaming not been a thing and fans still had to buy CD’s and vinyl records to get their groove on to the falsetto professional. Maybe five times platinum? Maybe diamond? We’ll never know, but what we do know is that the man is doing his thing, and we can’t be mad at that.
What do y’all think of The Weeknd being the most popular music artist on the planet? Let us know in the comments section below.
Two musicians who sued The Weeknd for allegedly stealing key elements of his “Call Out My Name” say they’ve reached a settlement with the superstar to end the lawsuit.
The case, filed by Suniel Fox and Henry Strange (real names Neil Fox Parakh and Shyhi Henry Hsaio), claimed that The Weeknd’s 2018 hit copied the lead guitar and vocal hooks from their 2017 song called “Vibeking.”
But in a filing Friday (March 17) in Los Angeles federal court, lawyers for Fox and Strange said they had “reached a settlement in principle of this action.” Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the notice said the two camps were “still in the process of formalizing, executing, and consummating” the deal.
Representatives and an attorney for The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) did not immediately return a request for comment on the purported deal.
“Call Out My Name,” off The Weeknd’s the 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, debuted at No. 4 on the Hot 100. The track, featuring the “menacing themes fans came accustomed to earlier in his career,” eventually spent 18 weeks on the chart.
Fox and Strange, who claim to have worked previously with Drake, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, filed their copyright infringement lawsuit in September 2021, claiming that The Weeknd and co-writer Frank Dukes had stolen the “atmospheric and melancholic sound” of their earlier song.
“’Vibeking’ and ‘Call Out My Name’ contain quantitatively and qualitatively similar material in their respective lead guitar and vocal hooks, including melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements distinctive to ‘Vibeking’,” attorneys for the two producers wrote.
Unlike many copyright accusers, Fox and Strange claimed to have solid evidence that The Weeknd actually listened to their song — an important factor in any copyright lawsuit. They cited alleged emails in which they sent the track to The Weeknd’s playback engineer, who allegedly replied: “I sent [The Weeknd] that track u made a while ago. He listened and liked it. But nothing ever happened.”
In a later email cited by the accusers, the same engineer then told them: “Just gonna tell [The Weeknd] that our production team wrote the track. Cool? Or u have another idea? Just don’t wanna say ‘hey, [Strange] wrote this’ when he doesn’t know u.”
The Weeknd denied all of the allegations, but the litigation never progressed to the point that he had a chance to make in-depth arguments about the merits of the case.
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In a not-so-subtle response to Rolling Stone over criticism of his HBO dramatic series, The Weeknd blasted them as “irrelevant” with a clip from the show.
The Canadian singer shared a clip from the upcoming HBO series The Idol in which he stars alongside Lily Rose-Depp to his social media Tuesday (March 1). He tagged the publication and wrote, “Did we upset you?” in the caption.
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In the scene, The Weeknd plays Tedros, a modern-day cult leader who is listening to a pitch made by Dan Levy’s character for Jocelyn, the pop star played by Rose-Depp, to do a photo shoot for Rolling Stone.
“Rolling Stone? Aren’t they a little irrelevant? … Rolling Stone has six million followers on Instagram, half of them probably bots. And Jocelyn has 78 million followers, all real I’d assume. So she does a photo shoot, she tags them, they get her followers. More money for ‘Rolling Stone,’ nothing for Jocelyn,” he responds.
The 33-year-old superstar has been dealing with the aftermath of a scathing article criticizing the series from the publication. The article cites sources close to the production that describe it as highly chaotic, with claims that The Weeknd (who is also a producer on the show) wanted the focus to be more on him than his costar.
The Idol also underwent a change of director, with Sam Levinson stepping in to finish the six-episode season after Amy Seimetz left the production as it was 80% percent complete. The same sources then claim that the Euphoria director went over the top by ramping up the disturbing sexual content and weakening the target message of the show, which was meant to be satirical of the entertainment industry.
Representatives from The Weeknd’s team have dismissed the article as “rumors,” while HBO issued a lengthy statement: “The creators and producers of ‘The Idol’ have been working hard to create one of HBO’s most exciting and provocative original programs,” HBO said.
“The initial approach on the show and production of the early episodes, unfortunately, did not meet HBO standards so we chose to make a change. Throughout the process, the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew. We look forward to sharing ‘The Idol’ with audiences soon.”
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The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium debuts on HBO Max on Saturday (Feb. 25). The concert special was taped at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles during the first U.S. leg of the Canadian singer’s After Hours ‘Til Dawn tour last year.
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The concert special features the Grammy-winning singer performing a 95-minute set of hits from After Hours and Dawn FM in front of a sold-out crowd. The Weekend: Live at SoFi Stadium will mark the end of the Dawn FM era. “HBO concert will be the last piece of Dawn FM. I can see the horizon,” the Grammy winner tweeted on Feb. 18.
How to Watch The Weeknd’s Concert Special for free on HBO Max
The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium debuts on HBO Max on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. If you’re not subscribed, you may be able to get HBO Max for free through a third party like DirecTV Stream, AT&T or Cricket Wireless.
But first, here’s a short breakdown of HBO Max. The service is $9.99/month to stream with commercials and $14.99 for ad-free streaming. HBO Max also has annual plans, starting at $99.99 per year.
HBO Max
$from $9.99/month
Although HBO Max doesn’t offer free trials, the streamer provides free episodes, and viewers who already have HBO in their cable or streaming package get free HBO Max (click here for more details). You can also stream HBO Max from outside of the U.S. with ExpressVPN.
Another way to land a free trial: Prime Video. Amazon Prime members can add HBO Max to Prime Video and stream for free for the first week (the service will cost $15.99/month after the free trial ends).
Prime Video
$15.99/month after free 7-day trial
The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Succession, Euphoria, The White Lotus, And Just Like That, Hacks, Selena + Chef and The Sex Lives of College Girls are some of the must-watch shows streaming on HBO Max. The streamer also has a wide selection of movies including Elvis, The Menu and music documentaries such as Love, Lizzo, Tina, Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over and Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage.
Watch the official trailer for The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium below.
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande aren’t done working together, and the superstar duo teased fans on social media on Tuesday (Feb. 21) with what seems to be a remix of the 2016 Starboy hit “Die For You.”
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“Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set. This certain exception had to be made….” Grande captioned a short video, in which she’s seen laying down harmonies and cutting vocal takes for a track, after a day of filming the movie adaptation of the musical Wicked, in which she plays Glinda the Good Witch. “You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes / You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry,” Grande is heard singing when she listens back to her vocal cut, which, of course, are lyrics to the chorus from “Die For You.”
The Weeknd reposted the video to Instagram, simply captioning the post with a smiling teary eyed emoji, without giving further information as to when this potential remix will be released.
It’s hardly the first time pop’s dynamic duo have worked together on a musical collaboration. In 2021, Grande and The Weeknd teamed up for the Billboard Hot 100-topping remix of After Hours‘ “Save Your Tears.” The Weeknd is also is featured on both “Love Me Harder” from Grande’s sophomore album, My Everything, as well as “Off The Table” from her 2020 album, Positions.
See below for Ariana Grande and The Weeknd’s “Die for You” teaser.
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” leapt 22-6 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated January 14, after it debuted at its No. 5 high in December.
The track, a slick re-creation of Mario Winans’ 2004 hit, “I Don’t Wanna Know,” seamlessly blends the talents of all three artists, allowing for a TikTok viral track.
If you need a guide to follow along with Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’,” find the lyrics below:Ooh, ooh-oohOoh-ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh (just can’t believe this, man)(Metro Boomin want some more, nigga)
Somebody said they saw youThe person you were kissin’ wasn’t meAnd I would never ask youI just kept it to myself
I don’t wanna knowIf you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymoreAnd if you’re creepin’, please, don’t let it showOh, baby, I don’t wanna knowOh-oh, oh-oh, ooh-whoaOh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh, yeahI think about it when I hold youWhen lookin’ in your eyes, I can’t believeAnd I don’t need to know the truthBaby, keep it to yourself
I don’t wanna knowIf you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymoreAnd if you’re creepin’, please, don’t let it showOh, baby, I don’t wanna know
Did he touch you better than me? (Touch you better than me)Did he watch you fall asleep? (Watch you fall asleep)Did you show him all those things, that you used to do to me?If you’re better off that way (better off that way)There ain’t more that I can say (all that I can say)Just go on and do your thing and don’t come back to meOoh, ooh-oohOoh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Whoa, whoa, whoa, 21Had me crushin’, I was cuffin’ like the precinctHow you go from housewife to a sneaky link?Got you ridin’ ’round in all type of Benzes and RoversGirl, you used to ride in the rinky dinkI’m the one put you in Eliantte (on God)Fashion Nova model, I put you on the runway (on God)You was rockin’ Coach bags, got you Chane’-ne’Side bi— in Frisco, I call her my baby (21)I got a girl, but I still feel alone (on God)If you playin’ me that mean my home ain’t home (on God)Havin’ nightmares of goin’ through your phone (21)Can’t even record, you got me out my zone
I don’t wanna knowIf you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymoreAnd if you’re creepin’, please, don’t let it showOh, baby, I don’t wanna knowIf you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymoreAnd if you’re creepin’, please, don’t let it showOh, baby, I don’t wanna know
If you creepin’, just don’t let me find out (on God)Get a hotel, never bring ’em to the house (on God)If you’re better off that wayBaby, all that I can sayIf you’re gonna do your thing then don’t come back to me
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, Eithne Patricia Brennan, Erick S. Sermon, Mario Winans, Michael Carlos Jones, Nicholas Domini Ryan, Parrish Joseph Smith, Roma Shane Ryan
Avatar: The Way of Water is finally hitting theaters on Friday (Dec. 16), and a day before the release, The Weeknd dropped his cinematic contribution to the soundtrack, “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).”
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“I thought I could protect you from paying for my sins/ You give me strength/ I would do either way/ Nothing’s lost/ No more pain, just you,” he sings on the Swedish House Mafia-produced track, which was released on Thursday (Dec. 15).
“Nothing Is Lost” was previously teased in the Avatar: The Way of the Water trailer which dropped on Dec. 7, in which the singer’s soft vocals are heard throughout the 45-second clip.
It’s been an exciting week for The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), who was recently named the 2022 recipient of the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award in honor of the singer’s impressive commitment to charitable causes. Tesfaye is the first musician to receive both the organization’s Humanitarian Spirit Award and the Allan Slaight Impact Award, with the latter presented the star during his 2014 Canadian Walk of Fame ceremony.
“That this is a Canadian award sits deep with me. Allan and The Slaight Family Foundation are known across the country for their generous philanthropy, and it means a lot to be acknowledged, and is an honor to be recognized along with the legendary Canadian artists who received this award before me,” Tesfaye said in a press statement following the honor.
Listen to “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” below.
Living for it! The Weeknd offered his thoughts Tuesday (Nov. 22) about potentially revisiting a remix of his 2017 single “Die for You” with SZA.
The topic came up when a fan asked SZA about the pair’s long-rumored remix of the Starboy-era song, which was never released. “SZA I know you don’t like rumors, can you clarify this for us??” the Instagram user asked, to which SZA replied, “Lmao it’s super old but it does exist. I should re record it.”
While the “Shirt” songstress has since deleted her comment, a screenshot of the exchange caught The Weeknd’s eye, and he endorsed the idea by retweeting it and writing simply “yes please.” Interestingly, the original track has recently found a second life thanks to its re-emergence as a hit on TikTok, even reaching a new high of No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Nov. 26).
In her brand-new Billboard cover story, SZA finally confirmed that she’s readying the release of her long-awaited sophomore album, titled S.O.S, after a more than five-year wait since her celebrated 2017 debut Ctrl.
Check out The Weeknd’s stamp of approval on a new “Die for You” remix with SZA below.
The Weeknd‘s “Die For You,” off of his 2016 album Starboy, has gotten some traction six years later thanks to TikTok.
The boost allowed the song to climb into the top half of Spotify’s Daily 200 chart — as “Die” grew from about 5 million weekly on-demand U.S. streams at the beginning of June to nearly 5.9 million in the tracking week ending July 21, according to Luminate.
If you need a guide to follow along with The Weeknd’s “Die For You,” find the lyrics below:
I’m findin’ ways to articulate the feelin’ I’m goin’ throughI just can’t say I don’t love you‘Cause I love you, yeahIt’s hard for me to communicate the thoughts that I holdBut tonight, I’m gon’ let you knowLet me tell the truthBaby, let me tell the truth, yeah
You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyesYou hate that you want me, hate it when you cryYou’re scared to be lonely, ‘specially in the nightI’m scared that I’ll miss you, happens every timeI don’t want this feelin’, I can’t afford loveI try to find a reason to pull us apartIt ain’t workin’, ’cause you’re perfect, and I know that you’re worth itI can’t walk away, oh
Even though we’re goin’ through itAnd it makes you feel aloneJust know that I would die for youBaby, I would die for you, yeahThe distance and the time between usIt’ll never change my mind‘Cause baby, I would die for youBaby, I would die for you, yeah
I’m findin’ ways to manipulate the feelin’ you’re goin’ throughBut, baby girl, I’m not blamin’ youJust don’t blame me, too, yeah‘Cause I can’t take this pain foreverAnd you won’t find no one that’s better‘Cause I’m right for you, babeI think I’m right for you, babe
You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyesYou hate that you want me, hate it when you cryIt ain’t workin’, ’cause you’re perfect, and I know that you’re worth itI can’t walk away, oh
Even though we’re goin’ through itAnd it makes you feel aloneJust know that I would die for youBaby, I would die for you, yeahThe distance and the time between usIt’ll never change my mind‘Cause baby, I would die for you, uhBaby, I would die for you, yeah
I would die for you, I would lie for youKeep it real with you, I would kill for youMy babyI’m just sayin’, yeahI would die for you, I would lie for youKeep it real with you, I would kill for youMy babyNa-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, ooh
Even though we’re goin’ through itAnd it makes you feel aloneJust know that I would die for youBaby, I would die for you, yeahThe distance and the time between usIt’ll never change my mind‘Cause baby, I would die for youBaby, I would die for you, yeah (oh, babe)
(Die for you)
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Abel Tesfaye, Dylan Wiggins, Henry Russell Walter, Magnus August Hoiberg, Martin Daniel Mckinney, Mejdi Rhars, William Thomas Walsh
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