10 Things You Should Know About The Weeknd

Did you know The Weeknd didn't graduate high school? Learn more about the "Blinding Lights" singer on his birthday.

Since stepping onto the music scene, The Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Makonnen Tesfaye, has attained mainstream popularity while still maintaining the mysterious persona fans first fell for during his early career. After releasing music anonymously in 2010, the Toronto-born singer garnered a following for his somber lyrics in songs like "High for This" and "Coming Down," which touch on substance abuse issues, a concept further referenced in his "XO" embossed merch.

However, like his hair, the once strictly R&B, now fully pop artist has evolved his lyrics to also deal with matters of the heart, chronicling his relationships with supermodel Bella Hadid and singer Selena Gomez. However, more recently, the "Blinding Lights" singer made headlines with two new and strikingly unexpected flames.

In July 2021, the artist was spotted with Angelina Jolie. Superfans began piecing together clues that the two were involved further than professionally based on lyrics from his 2022 album Dawn FM. In the song "Here We Go Again," he sings, "My new girl, she’s a movie star, I loved her right, Make her scream like Neve Campbell." Later in February 2022, the singer was also spotted making out with Simi Khaidra, a close friend of Hadid.

In honor of the artist's 33rd birthday, L'OFFICIEL takes a look at 10 facts you should know about The Weeknd.

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The Weeknd's parents emigrated to Canada from Ethiopia in the 1980s when the country was amidst a civil war.

Before blowing up, the star worked as an American Apparel sales associate in Toronto.

Despite what this picture may portray, he did not actually graduate from high school. At age 17, the future pop star dropped out and convinced his friend La Mar Taylor to join him.

Being from Toronto, the singer has known rapper Drake for many years. Though the two have had their disagreements, they remain very close friends.

Tesfaye has won three grammy awards and has been nominated for nine.

His 2015 locs were inspired by the painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.

His music video for "I Feel it Coming" was inspired by Michael Jackson's video for "Billie Jean." The artist is continually inspired the original King of Pop.

His "XO" merch tag stands for xanax and oxycodone, hence why his fans often caption concert photos with "XO until I overdose."

Initially, the artist wanted to be called The Weekend, but there was already a rock group in Ontario with the same name. As a result, he dropped the last vowel and opted for The Weeknd instead.

The unsettling plastic surgery look in his "Save Your Tears" music video was planned over a long period of time to convey The Weeknd's feelings about Hollywood culture. There is speculation as to whether it is a dig at ex Bella Hadid, but nothing has been confirmed.