THE WEEKND

Abel Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian R&B recording artist and record producer from Scarborough, Ontario. Tesfaye uploaded several songs to YouTube under the name, "The Weeknd," in early 2011, though his identity was initially unknown. In March 2011, The Weeknd released a free nine-song album, House of Balloons, which was critically acclaimed. The title track is based on a sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' hit single "Happy House." Tesfaye will release what is technically his debut album, Trilogy, on November 13, 2012. The album will consist of remastered versions of the three mixtapes he has already released, and will also contain three new tracks, called "Twenty Eight", "Valerie", and "Til Dawn," as bonus tracks. The album will be released under Universal Republic Records, and his own label XO. The Weeknd has received praise from several music publications, including Pitchfork, MTV, BET, Rolling Stone, XXL and The Source, who have dubbed him the "songbird of his generation" and the "best musical talent since Michael Jackson" (John Norris, MTV). 

House of Balloons

Abel Tesfaye uploaded three songs, "What You Need," "Loft Music," and "The Morning" to YouTube. A free nine-track album titled House of Balloons was digitally released on 21 March 2011 through the artist's official website. The title track is based on the sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 hit single "Happy House" with Tesfaye covering the chorus. Tesfaye’s eclectic music also blends other samples ranging from Beach House to Aaliyah's Rock the Boat. Fellow Toronto based artist Drake has been partly credited for generating public awareness for The Weeknd, after he quoted a line from the track "Wicked Games" via Twitter and linked to the singer's music on his website.House of Balloons was met with universal critical acclaim. As Pitchfork's Joe Colly wrote, "all the thematic and sonic pieces fit together - these weird, morning-after tales of lust, hurt, and over-indulgence ... are matched by this incredibly lush, downcast music. It's hard to think of a record since probably The xx's debut ... that so fully embodies such a specific nocturnal quality." Frontier Psychiatrist's L.V. Lopez described the album as "brilliant, disturbing, and not safe for work," calling the song "Loft Music" a song that is "so unsafe it should come with a child-proof cap, so dirty that you’ll feel guilty the next time you see your wife." Tom Ewing of The Guardian stated that although the vocals and lyrics on House of Balloons "aren't especially strong by R&B standards," the Weeknd is receiving "so much attention" as a result of its "command of mood." Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice called the album "impressive" and added, "It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche ... with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost." Maegan McGregor of Exclaim! also praised the album: "Packed full of sex, drugs and some downright killer production, this easily stands as one of the year's best debuts so far, hipster, Top 40 or otherwise." Sputnik Music's Tyler Fisher said that "despite being a free album, House of Balloons feels like a true album, a true labor of love."In July, The Weeknd embarked on a tour and delivered his first performance at the Mod Club in Toronto. The hour-and-a-half long performance created buzz about the young R&B singer. Tesfaye’s next performance took place at Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. He collaborated with rapper Drake and appeared as one of the special guests to Drake’s 2nd Annual OVO Fest on July 31, 2011  That same month, the song "High for This" was featured in the promo for the final season of the HBO show Entourage.During the summer, the press noted that Tesfaye refused to participate in interviews and chose to only communicate via Twitter.He also released "The Knowing" video. Showing off his Ethiopian roots, the video trails off into a dizzying, futuristic journey, which hurtles the viewer into the fictional planet Ethia X in the year of 16311 A.D. The sci-fi angle should appeal to fans who have yet to connect a face to the reclusive artist, as he appears frequently throughout the video.House of Balloons was named the #1 album of 2011 by Complex, beating both Drake's Take Care and Watch the Throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Thursday

Thursday is a mixtape released shortly after House of Balloons on August 18, 2011 on XO's label. It was made available for free as a digital download from the Weeknd's website. The mixtape garnered largely positive feedback upon release. Rapper Drake contributes guest vocals to track "The Zone". Thursday was produced in Toronto, Ontario with the help of Doc McKinney and Illangelo.

Echoes of Silence

The Weeknd's third mixtape, titled Echoes of Silence, was released on December 21, 2011. It has been described as Tesfaye's most lyrically powerful and emotional mixtape to date.In April 2012, The Weeknd began his US tour by performing at the Coachella Festival. Tesfaye and his band visited the Union’s coasts, performing at a dozen of gigs in various major cities. This culminated in New York, where two sold-out shows were positively reviewed by Rolling Stone. Then, Tesfaye and his tour band will be also performing in major European festivals, including the Primavera Sound Festivals in Spain and Portugal, he also did an exclusive concert in London on June 7th 2012 at the Wilton Music Hall.[27] Wireless Festival in London, plus concerts in Paris and Brussels. The Weeknd is also a confirmed artist for the Third Annual OVO Fest.

Trilogy

Tesfaye will released his debut album, Trilogy, on November 13, 2012. The album consists of a remastered version of the 3 projects he has since released, and three new tracks: "Twenty Eight", "Valerie", and "Til Dawn". He also released the video for "Rolling Stone" off his mixtape Thursday on October 3, 2012 and the video for the remastered "Wicked Games" off his mixtape House of Balloons on October 18, 2012. Both physical and digital copies of Trilogy include a bonus music video of the song "The Zone" featuring recording artist Drake. A digital booklet is  also packaged including exclusive XO artwork and designs. Another song titled 'Enemy' was released on October 25th, 2012 for additional promo.