Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, who uses the stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He’s known for blending pop, electronic, and hip-hop into contemporary R&B, a style that’s become known as alternative R&B. Tesfaye entered the music industry unconventionally, releasing anonymous YouTube videos and mixtapes that generated internet hype. He also contributed to Drake’s 2011 release Take Care.