The Weeknd Makes History As 'Blinding Lights' Tops 5 Billion Spotify Streams

The Weeknd has reached another milestone with his 2020 hit "Blinding Lights." Spotify confirmed Sunday the song is the first in the platform's history to surpass 5 billion streams.

Spotify shared the milestone on Instagram on Aug. 31. Soon after, The Weeknd reposted the news to his 78 million followers.

The track first arrived in November 2019 as part of "After Hours." It climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and stayed in the top 10 longer than any other song, holding its spot for an entire year.

In 2021, Billboard ranked it ahead of Chubby Checker's "The Twist," placing it at the top of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 chart.

Spotify marked another milestone in early 2024, reporting the track as the first on the service to cross 4 billion streams.

In the same period, the singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, told Billboard, "I'll never stop being humbled by anything I create making its way to millions of people let alone billions! I'm so thankful this song makes people feel a way that they keep going back to listen."

The recognition has not been limited to streaming. Last week, Billboard placed the track at No. 1 on its Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs of the 21st Century chart, based on data collected from 2000 to 2024.

Tesfaye has built a record unmatched by other artists on Spotify. He has 28 songs in the platform's Billions Club, the most of any performer. That success earned him a spot in Spotify's first Billions Club: Live concert in December.

Meanwhile, Tesfaye is in talks to raise about $1 billion of financing backed by some of his music rights, according to people familiar with the matter.

According to Bloomberg, one option being reviewed involves using his share of publishing rights and his portion of the master recordings as collateral, according to one source. Talks are still active and there is no guarantee a deal will happen.

Lyric Capital Group, based in New York, has been in contact with the singer and has reached out to other investors to piece together the $1 billion financing, several people familiar with the matter said.

The suggested structure includes $500 million in senior debt, $250 million in junior debt, and $250 million in equity.

If finalized, the deal would rank among the biggest transactions in the music rights sector. Investment firms including Apollo Global Management Inc. and Carlyle Group Inc. have entered the space in recent years, pursuing catalogs as stable long-term assets.

Younger Stars Enter the Market

The largest catalog sales have often involved older or deceased artists. Sony Group Corp., for example, acquired a 50% stake in Michael Jackson's catalog in 2023 for at least $600 million.

Younger acts have also begun using their catalogs to raise funds. John Legend and Justin Bieber have both pursued deals in recent years. Bieber, then 31, struck an agreement with Hipgnosis Song Management in 2023, which later sold $1.47 billion of bonds backed by royalties from artists including Shakira, Journey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and 50 Cent.

Two years ago, The Weeknd sought to sell a stake in his rights with an initial target of $1.3 billion, said one of the people. About half of his publishing rights are owned by Chord Music Partners, a consortium including Universal Music Group NV and Dundee Partners.

Tags

The Weeknd, Spotify