The Weeknd: Unmasking pop music’s mystery man

A run-in with police - At the start of 2015, The Weeknd was arrested for punching a Las Vegas police officer at Cromwell Hotel. He pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to go to anger management, pay US$1,000 to an injured cop fund, and undergo an alcohol evaluation.

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The time came for a change -

He chopped off his signature look before the release of 'Starboy' in 2016, much to the dismay of his adoring fans!

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He is a fashionisto - The Weeknd has always had a passion for fashion, and he's had business ventures with the likes of Puma and Alexander Wang.

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He dropped his partnership with H&M - After the company used an image of a young Black male model wearing a hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle,” Tesfaye cut ties with the brand.

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He dropped his partnership with H&M - “Woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo,” he said on Twitter. “I’m deeply offended and will not be working with H&M anymore.”

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He has always been vocal about racial equality -

On July 7, 2016, The Weeknd tweeted “Blue Lives Murder,” in response to the influx of media stories on police brutality.

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He puts his money where his mouth is - In the past, he has donated US$250,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement, and in 2020 alone he donated US$500,000 to organizations working for racial equality.

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He's not afraid to get political - He canceled a performance on Jimmy Kimmel in 2016 after getting wind that Donald Trump would also be a guest on the late-night talk show.

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Oscar nod -

In 2016, The Weeknd was nominated for a Best Original Song Oscar for his hit single 'Earned It' from the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' soundtrack.

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Dating Bella Hadid -

He had a high-profile relationship with model Bella Hadid, whom he started dating in 2015 after he asked her to be on the artwork for his album 'Beauty Behind the Madness' and she declined. After they got together, however, she did appear in his video for 'In the Night.'

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Moving on with Selena Gomez - He broke up with Hadid in 2016 and moved on with singer Selena Gomez, whom he dated for the majority of 2017.

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Then back to Bella - The exes got back together in 2018, before parting ways again in 2019.

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His success - He has won more than 70 awards throughout his career, including multiple Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Juno Awards.

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His film debut -

The Weeknd plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Safdie brothers' film 'Uncut Gems' (2019) starring Adam Sandler.

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Grammy controversy -

In the 2021 Grammy nominations, it became shockingly apparent that The Weeknd, whose music has dominated 2020, was completely shut out. “The Grammys remain corrupt,” he tweeted. “You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…”

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Grammy controversy -

Some suspected that the snub was because of reportedly tense negotiations over whether he could play at both the Grammys and the Super Bowl. Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason, Jr. claimed he was also surprised at the snub, and denied that their negotiations had any role in it.

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Snubbed - Hinting at foul play, The Weeknd tweeted again, "Collaboratively planning a performance for weeks to not being invited? In my opinion zero nominations = you’re not invited!"

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But he's over it - “I personally don’t care anymore,” The Weeknd told Billboard in January 2021. “I have three Grammys, which mean nothing to me now, obviously.”

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So what's going on with his face? -

Following the release of 'After Hours,' Tesfaye adopted a red-jacketed character who is having a monstrously rough night in Las Vegas. He showed up to award shows bloodied, then all bandaged up, and then finally in his 'Save Yourself' music video he looked as if he’d just had a ton of plastic surgery.

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What's the message? -

“The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated,” he told Variety.

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Super Bowl fame -

The Weeknd pulled off the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show as the only headliner, and he reportedly put US$7 million of his own money into the stunning performance.

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February 7 is dubbed "The Weeknd Day" in Toronto -

Toronto's Mayor John Tory announced that February 7 will be known as "The Weeknd Day" in honor of the pride Tesfaye has brought to his hometown.

Sources: (Rolling Stone) (Capital Xtra) (Vice) (Variety) (New York Post)

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The Weeknd: Unmasking pop music’s mystery man

Super Bowl 2021's halftime headliner turns 31 on February 16

15/02/21 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Music

The Weeknd recently hit another historic milestone in his career as the headliner for the Super Bowl halftime show, giving a performance that combined striking visuals, strong character, and, of course, his greatest hits. It marked a high point of his incredible career, pouring everything he had into it, and it's a stark difference from where he started as an underground artist in Toronto over a decade ago.

The singer entered the public's radar in his early twenties, and now is in his thirties. Yet, somehow, throughout all these years of topping the pop and R&B charts, with over 75 million records sold worldwide, we still don't know too much about the mysterious musician who seems to appear with hits and disappear behind headlines.

So, click through to see the Canadian singer's juiciest, most memorable moments, from his unexpected beginnings to just what exactly is going on with his face lately.