The Weeknd has reached another milestone no other artist has ever done before.
According to Billboard, the "Save Your Tears" singer is the first artist to have more than 100 million monthly Spotify listeners. This comes only a few days after releasing a remix of his song "Die For You" with Ariana Grande.
The Weeknd outperforms his rivals, including Miley Cyrus (82.5 million listeners), Taylor Swift (80.3 million listeners), and Drake (68.6 million listeners).
The Weeknd, actual name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, became an instant hit with his fans in collaboration with Ariana, marking the fourth time he collaborated with the "Thank U Next" singer.
His achievement occurred only days after the release of his televised performance, "Live at SoFi Stadium," which chronicled one of his sold-out Los Angeles gigs.
Over his career, the 33-year-old Canadian singer has had a very successful one.
Some of his career milestones include the following:
Grammy Awards: The Weeknd has won three Grammy Awards, including Best Urban Contemporary Album for "Starboy," Best R&B Performance for "Earned It" in 2016, and Best Urban Contemporary Album for "After Hours" in 2021.
Billboard Hot 100 Success: The Weeknd has had numerous chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Can't Feel My Face," "Starboy," "The Hills," and "Blinding Lights," which spent 47 weeks in the top 10, breaking the record.
Guinness World Records: The Weeknd has set several Guinness World Records, including "Most Streamed Album on Spotify in One Year" with "After Hours," and "Most Simultaneous Top 20 Entries on the Billboard Hot 100 by a Solo Artist" with 16 entries in 2020.
Super Bowl Halftime Show: In 2021, The Weeknd headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is one of the most-watched television events in the world, and received critical acclaim for his performance.
Album Sales: The Weeknd has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists ever.
International Success: The Weeknd's music has been successful worldwide, and he has achieved number-one albums and singles in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
The Weeknd was also nominated for an Oscar Award and an Emmy Award.
The Weeknd's Controversial Grammy Boycott
The Weeknd announced in March 2021 that he would boycott the Grammy Awards in the future, despite being a three-time Grammy Award winner, and that he would no longer allow his label to submit his music for consideration.
The Weeknd's boycott was reportedly due to his dissatisfaction with the Grammys' nomination process and alleged lack of transparency. In November 2020, The Weeknd's critically acclaimed album "After Hours" was snubbed from all categories of the 63rd Grammy Awards, despite its commercial and critical success.
The Weeknd expressed his frustration in a statement, stating that he believed the Grammys "remain corrupt" and that he had been "blindsided" by their decision. He also criticized the Grammys for their lack of transparency in the nomination process and stated that he would no longer participate in the future.
Since then, other artists such as Drake and Kanye West have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the Grammys. The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammys, has promised to change its nomination process and voting process procedures to address these concerns.
