The Weeknd's 2015 album Beauty Behind The Madness just became the first album to have three Diamond-certified singles. Furthermore, the Recording Industry Association of America gave Diamond plaques to his tracks "Can't Feel My Face," "Earned It," and "The Hills." All these songs sold over 10 million album-equivalent units, likely pushed by their huge streaming numbers. Also, it somewhat solidifies Beauty as The Weeknd's commercial breakthrough and his flag-planting moment in pop culture. Overall, this is quite the milestone for the Canadian singer, who's incredibly familiar with success at this point.
For example, Abel Tesfaye ranks as one of the most streamed artists of all time. Of course, such a feat is unsurprising considering that his 2020 hit "Blinding Lights" is the most-streamed song on Spotify. While much of his profile and career discussion center around the numbers, he's arguably one of the most influential artists of his generation, as well. From his first mixtapes, he established a cult underground following that influenced a moodier R&B sound. In addition, he evolved from dark R&B to sultrier ballads, from trap beats to '80s synth drums, and so on.
Also, the singer's talents and creativity usually extend far beyond the musical world, as he contributed to multiple film soundtracks. Not only that, but he has some starring roles under his belt, as well. Still, his most recent soundtrack work landed on the Avatar: The Way of Water soundtrack. Furthermore, he spoke earnestly about how its predecessor helped him. “That was probably the darkest time of my life,” he expressed to The Hollywood Reporter about Avatar's release in 2009.
“I didn’t know if I was going to succeed as a musician," he continued. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to live to see tomorrow. And I remember I somehow got to see the film in theaters. I don’t know how I got in. It was such an escape from my real life that the film is tattooed in my brain.” It's been a treat to see his trajectory, so stay tuned to HNHH for whatever The Weeknd brings us next. Also, happy belated birthday to The Weeknd, who's celebrating big with his album and its Diamond singles.
