Rome Was Not Built in a Weeknd
Just in the past year, Abel Tesfaye, better known as “The Weeknd”, has become one of the most well recognized R&B artists. His single “Earned It” topped the charts after being featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey album, and his most recent album, Beauty Behind the Madness, has already debuted no. 1 on the album charts after only a few short weeks. With such enormous success, it is hard to believe that it has only been five years since The Weeknd was nothing but an underground artist. While Tesfaye`s talent is undeniable, it was not the only contributing factor to his quick success. Collaborations with superstars such as Drake, and signing with big time record label, Fueled By Ramen, only enhanced the popularity and publicity of The Weeknd. These connections within the music industry, as well as the utilization of the Internet and social media, ultimately expanded his fan base. Each of these factors can be attributed to The Weeknd`s transition from underground artist to international celebrity.
So the real question is, how did The Weeknd go from an anonymous Toronto artist, to performing with superstars such as Drake and Taylor Swift in such a short span of time?
It all started in late 2010, prior to the establishment of “The Weeknd” persona. Tesfaye began to post original singles onto YouTube, debuting his first mixtape, House of Balloons, shortly after in March of 2011. Producer DJ Mano, as well as Republic Records executive Nate Albert, stumbled upon the mixtape and instantly wanted become a part of The Weeknd`s rise to fame. That is one of the beautiful things about exposure through the Internet and social media — your fans find you. The process of an artist getting their music out into the public has become so simplified that the artist can now focus more upon the quality of their music; rather than the exposure. After parterning up with Albert, the next two years were focused upon getting The Weeknd`s music off the mixtape and onto the stage.
Thanks to his viral fame, The Weeknd quickly started playing sold out shows. It wasn`t long until The Weeknd signed to Republic Records, all while continuing to catch the attention and collaborating with major R&B artists such as fellow Toronto native, Drake. This all led to the release of his first official album, Kiss Land, in 2013. This album was considered a turning point in The Weeknd`s musical career. Drake was featured on the album, broadening The Weeknd`s audience and level of popularity. This level of popularity included not only fans, but even more “big time” names in music as well.
By 2014, The Weeknd had reached his prime. His single “Earned It” extended his fan base tremendously. The song`s feature in Fifty Shades of Grey allowed The Weeknd to be known not just nationally, but internationally as well. 2015 rolls around, and The Weeknd continues to prosper in every sense of the word. He has collaborated with pop icons such as Ariana Grande, performed at major award shows, obtained over two million followers on Twitter, and as mentioned, released Beauty Behind the Madness that moved to the top of the charts in just a matter of weeks.
Moral of the story, the key to any artists` success relies on much more than pure talent. The proper connections, fan base, persistence, and utilization of the Internet and social media are key in having a chance at making it in the music industry. The Weeknd`s collaborations with Drake seriously increased his fan base, further promoting his own work through the popularity of a well known artist. His persistence in releasing album after album, each more popular than the one before, only enhanced exposure of his obvious talent. His use of YouTube and social media allowed him to reach an audience other than the ones he was directly performing for. What is talent without if it is not exposed properly and effectively? Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the success of The Weeknd.
