Solo Artist
Most frequent collaborator: Ahmad Balshe · 33 tracks
Holds writing credit on 94 of 94 tracks
Yes. The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, holds a writing credit on 100% of his tracks. He almost always co-writes, working with a tight circle of collaborators, from his early producers Illangelo and DaHeala to Max Martin on his biggest pop crossovers like 'Blinding Lights' and 'Can't Feel My Face,' and Daft Punk on 'Starboy.'
Across all 94 tracks: how many The Weeknd wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Share of all 94 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
The Weeknd's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
Where The Weeknd sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
Covers all 6 studio albums.
XO / Republic Records
XO / Republic Records
XO / Republic Records
XO / Republic Records
XO / Republic Records
XO / Republic Records
No albums from this decade.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. AB Ahmad Balshe · JQ Jason Quenneville · MM Max Martin · DL Daniel Lopatin · OH Oscar Holter · MD Mike Dean
Data Insight
The Weeknd's authorship data reveals a classic lyricist-dominant split: he writes virtually every word on every song, but production and composition credits typically go to outside producers. The result is an exceptionally high score for a mainstream pop artist, with the interesting caveat that his composer score is notably lower than his lyricist score.
Quick Facts
Creative Fingerprint
A co-writer with a tight circle: The Weeknd is credited on 100% of his tracks, always alongside a small crew of collaborators, from his early producers to Max Martin on his biggest pop hits and Daft Punk on 'Starboy.'
The Story
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, recording as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer who emerged from the Toronto underground in 2010 by anonymously uploading mixtapes online before signing with Republic Records and releasing his debut studio album Kiss Land in 2013. He has since become one of the most-streamed artists in history, charting dozens of Billboard Hot 100 entries and achieving global commercial dominance with multi-platinum albums spanning R&B, pop, and electronic music. Tesfaye writes all of his own lyrics and is consistently credited as a primary co-writer on every track he has released, making his authorship score one of the highest of any mainstream pop artist, though his lyricist contribution far exceeds his composer credit, as production is typically handled by a rotating cast of producers including Jason Quenneville, Illangelo, DaHeala, Metro Boomin, Max Martin, and Cash Money AP. His catalog ranges from the dark, confessional mixtape era of the early 2010s through the polished retro-synth-pop of After Hours (2020) and the cinematic Dawn FM (2022), and his writing voice has remained consistent throughout. He holds the record for the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 by an R&B act.