LIFE LESSONS

The Weeknd: From Struggles to Stardom

The Inspiring Journey of Abel Tesfaye, The Man Behind The Weeknd

Jose Manuel Miana
4 min readJan 6, 2023

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The Weeknd
By Brian Ziff — Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125144128

“I never thought I would be able to achieve the things I have. But I always knew I had to try, no matter how hard it seemed. I learned that if you want something bad enough and you’re willing to work for it, anything is possible.” — The Weeknd

From humble beginnings to international superstardom, The Weeknd’s journey has been one of hard work and determination. Here is the story of how he rose to fame and became one of the biggest names in music.

Early Life and Struggles

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Canada. He was raised in a working-class neighborhood by his mother and grandmother, both of whom were immigrants from Ethiopia.

Growing up, Abel faced many challenges. He struggled with drug addiction and dropped out of school at a young age. Despite these difficulties, he remained determined to make something of himself and turned to music as a way to express himself and cope with his struggles.

Rise to Fame

In 2010, The Weeknd began uploading his music to YouTube under the pseudonym “The Weeknd.”…

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