The Weeknd

Solo Artist

Photo: Nicolas Padovani · CC BY 2.0
Active 2010-present
Origin Scarborough, Ontario
Albums 6
Tracks 94
Most frequent collaborator Ahmad Balshe · 33 tracks
Genres R&BPopDark R&BSynth-Pop
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 94 of 94 tracks

Did The Weeknd write his own songs?

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.'

By the Numbers

6
Studio Albums
94
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
16
Years Active
184
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 94 / 94 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

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.

The Weeknd has a writing credit100%
1%
99%
Sole author1tracks1%
Co-written93tracks99%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
The Weeknd's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 94 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)23%
Producer97%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

The Weeknd's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2013Kiss Land
2015Beauty Behind the Madness
2016Starboy
2020After Hours
2022Dawn FM
2025Hurry Up Tomorrow
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2010s
Kiss Land, Beauty Behind the Madness +1 more
100%
2020s
After Hours, Dawn FM +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

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.

The Weeknd
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Aaliyah0%
The Pussycat Dolls21%
Rihanna44%
Kelly Rowland53%
Selena Gomez71%
Ariana Grande80%
Frank Ocean88%
100%The Weeknd
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Belong to the World
Kiss Land
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Danny Schofield, Jason Quenneville
Co-wrote
Live For
Kiss Land
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Aubrey Graham, Ahmad Balshe, Danny Schofield, Jason Quenneville
Co-wrote
Often
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Benjamin Diehl, Jason Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe, Danny Schofield, Ali Kocatepe, Sabahattin Ali, Osman Ä°ÅŸmen
Co-wrote
Earned It
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe
Co-wrote
The Hills
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Emmanuel Nickerson, Carlo Montagnese
Co-wrote
Can't Feel My Face
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Peter Svensson
Co-wrote
In the Night
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Ali Payami, Savan Kotecha, Peter Svensson, Max Martin
Co-wrote
Acquainted
Beauty Behind the Madness
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Jason Quenneville, Danny Schofield, Carlo Montagnese, Benjamin Diehl
Co-wrote
Starboy
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Martin McKinney, Henry Russell Walter, Jason Quenneville
Co-wrote
False Alarm
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Martin McKinney, Ahmad Balshe, Benjamin Diehl, Henry Russell Walter, Emmanuel Nickerson
Co-wrote
I Feel It Coming
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Martin McKinney, Henry Russell Walter, Eric Chedeville
Co-wrote
Party Monster
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Benjamin Diehl, Martin McKinney, Ahmad Balshe, Lana Del Rey
Co-wrote
Reminder
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Emmanuel Nickerson, Martin McKinney, Dylan Wiggins, Henry Russell Walter, Jason Quenneville
Co-wrote
Die for You
Starboy
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Martin McKinney, Mejdi Rhars, Dylan Wiggins, Magnus August Høiberg, William Thomas Walsh, Henry Russell Walter
Co-wrote
Heartless
After Hours
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Leland Tyler Wayne, Carlo Montagnese, Andre Proctor
Co-wrote
Blinding Lights
After Hours
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Quenneville, Max Martin, Oscar Holter
Co-wrote
After Hours
After Hours
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Jason Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe, Carlo Montagnese, Mario Winans
Co-wrote
In Your Eyes
After Hours
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Max Martin, Oscar Holter
Co-wrote
Save Your Tears
After Hours
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Quenneville, Max Martin, Oscar Holter
Co-wrote
Take My Breath
Dawn FM
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Andrea Di Ceglie, Luigi Tutolo, Max Martin, Oscar Holter
Co-wrote
Sacrifice
Dawn FM
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Max Martin, Axel Hedfors, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Carl Nordström, Oscar Holter, Kevin McCord
Co-wrote
Out of Time
Dawn FM
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Daniel Lopatin, Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Tomoko Aran, Tetsurō Oda
Co-wrote
Cry for Me
Hurry Up Tomorrow
Written by Abel Tesfaye, Mike Dean, Leland Wayne, Ahmad Balshe, Karen Patterson, Curtis Williams
Co-wrote

Discography 6 albums

Covers all 6 studio albums.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

The Weeknd94 tracks
33Ahmad Balshe, 33 tracks 29Jason Quenneville, 29 tracks 29Max Martin, 29 tracks 29Daniel Lopatin, 29 tracks 22Oscar Holter, 22 tracks MD19Mike Dean, 19 tracks SS15Sage Skolfield, 15 tracks DS14Danny Schofield, 14 tracks CM14Carlo Montagnese, 14 tracks MM11Martin McKinney, 11 tracks NS10Nathan Salon, 10 tracks BD9Benjamin Diehl, 9 tracks HR9Henry Russell Walter, 9 tracks AP7Ali Payami, 7 tracks SK7Savan Kotecha, 7 tracks PS7Peter Svensson, 7 tracks MC7Matt Cohn, 7 tracks LT5Leland Tyler Wayne, 5 tracks on Metro Boomin's page LD4Lana Del Rey, 4 tracks CC4Cashmere Cat, 4 tracks F4Future, 4 tracks SM3Stephan Moccio, 3 tracks EN3Emmanuel Nickerson, 3 tracks DW3Dylan Wiggins, 3 tracks WT3William Thomas Walsh, 3 tracks MR3Mejdi Rhars, 3 tracks D3DaHeala, 3 tracks TB3Thomas Brown, 3 tracks PL3Peter Lee Johnson, 3 tracks MB3Metro Boomin, 3 tracks RM2Richard Munoz, 2 tracks TM2Timothy McKenzie, 2 tracks TB2Thomas Bangalter, 2 tracks on Daft Punk's page GD2Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, 2 tracks on Daft Punk's page DP2Daft Punk, 2 tracks BL2Benjamin Levin, 2 tracks FD2Frank Dukes, 2 tracks P82Prince 85, 2 tracks AH2Axel Hedfors, 2 tracks SA2Steve Angello, 2 tracks on Swedish House Mafia's page SI2Sebastian Ingrosso, 2 tracks on Swedish House Mafia's page SH2Swedish House Mafia, 2 tracks SS2Sean Solymar, 2 tracks TR2Tommy Rush, 2 tracks GM2Giorgio Moroder, 2 tracks C2Cirkut, 2 tracks RQ1Rory Quigley, 1 track FG1Finian Greenall, 1 track EJ1Ema Jolly, 1 track HF1Harry Fraud, 1 track GS1Gordon Sumner, 1 track AG1Aubrey Graham, 1 track on Drake's page D1Drake, 1 track JB1Joseph Bostani, 1 track SM1Selfia Musmin, 1 track AT1Albert Tamaela, 1 track JH1Jack Holkeboer, 1 track ST1Sébastien Tellier, 1 track SJ1Silkky Johnson, 1 track RH1Ricky Hilfiger, 1 track BH1Brandon Hollemon, 1 track L1Labrinth, 1 track KW1Kanye West, 1 track CP1Christopher Pope, 1 track CM1Carl Marshall, 1 track RH1Robert Holmes, 1 track NG1Noah Goldstein, 1 track OR1Omar Riad, 1 track AK1Ali Kocatepe, 1 track SA1Sabahattin Ali, 1 track OÄ1Osman Ä°ÅŸmen, 1 track ES1Ed Sheeran, 1 track RO1Roland Orzabal, 1 track on Tears for Fears's page CC1Coz Canler, 1 track JM1Jimmy Marinos, 1 track WP1Wally Palamarchuk, 1 track MS1Mike Skill, 1 track PS1Peter Solley, 1 track BH1Brittany Hazzard, 1 track SW1Samuel Wishkoski, 1 track JD1Jacob Dutton, 1 track KL1Kendrick Lamar, 1 track DW1Daniel Wilson, 1 track RJ1Robert John Richardson, 1 track AS1Ali Shaheed Jones-Muhammad, 1 track BR1Bobby Raps, 1 track AS1Ali Shaheed Muhammad, 1 track MA1Mustafa Ahmed, 1 track TP1Thomas Pentz, 1 track on Diplo's page EC1Eric Chedeville, 1 track EB1Eric Burton Frederic, 1 track RR1Ricky Reed, 1 track NM1Nathan Mercereau, 1 track EJ1Elton John, 1 track BT1Bernard Taupin, 1 track MM1Mike McTaggart, 1 track DM1Dre Moon, 1 track KP1Kevin Parker, 1 track MW1Mario Winans, 1 track N1Notinbed, 1 track AD1Andrea Di Ceglie, 1 track LT1Luigi Tutolo, 1 track CN1Carl Nordström, 1 track KM1Kevin McCord, 1 track QJ1Quincy Jones, 1 track JG1Jeff Gitelman, 1 track TA1Tomoko Aran, 1 track TO1Tetsurō Oda, 1 track TO1Tyler Okonma, 1 track RK1Rex Kudo, 1 track BJ1Bruce Johnston, 1 track CL1Christian Love, 1 track BK1Brian Kennedy, 1 track BB1Benny Bock, 1 track CC1Charlie Coffeen, 1 track TT1Tyler, the Creator, 1 track DC1Dwayne Carter, 1 track on Lil Wayne's page AW1Adam Wiles, 1 track on Calvin Harris's page CH1Calvin Harris, 1 track LW1Lil Wayne, 1 track JC1Jim Carrey, 1 track GA1Gaspard Augé, 1 track XD1Xavier de Rosnay, 1 track JJ1Johnny Jewel, 1 track RT1Rod Temperton, 1 track VT1Vincent Taurelle, 1 track J1Justice, 1 track KP1Karen Patterson, 1 track CW1Curtis Williams, 1 track LM1Larissa Machado, 1 track TL1Tatiana Lourenço, 1 track WV1Washington Vaz, 1 track AD1Agustinho dos Santos, 1 track AV1André Viegas, 1 track ED1Everton de Araujo, 1 track FD1Flavio de Almeida, 1 track MN1Marcelo Nei Leal, 1 track A1Anitta, 1 track PB1Patrick Baker, 1 track JW1Jacques Webster II, 1 track TS1Travis Scott, 1 track FW1Florence Welch, 1 track on Florence and the Machine's page JL1Josh Lloyd-Watson, 1 track LK1Lydia Kitto, 1 track CF1Che' Fuego 3000, 1 track JD1Just Da 1, 1 track DT1Dimitri Tiomkin, 1 track NW1Ned Washington, 1 track JM1James McCants, 1 track SF1Steven Franks, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 178. MD Mike Dean

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

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

  • Blinding LightsThe best-performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history and the most-streamed song on Spotify
  • StreamingThe first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify
  • GrammysWon four Grammy Awards
  • Real nameAbel Tesfaye, credited under his real name on all his songs
  • TouringHis After Hours til Dawn Tour is the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist

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.

Awards & Recognition

'Blinding Lights' is the best-performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history and the most-streamed song on Spotify
The first artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify
Won four Grammy Awards
His After Hours til Dawn Tour is the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist
One of the most commercially successful and streamed artists of his era

Frequently Asked Questions The Weeknd

Did The Weeknd write his own songs?
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.'
Who wrote 'Blinding Lights'?
'Blinding Lights' (2019) was co-written by The Weeknd with Max Martin, Oscar Holter, and others. It became the best-performing song in Billboard Hot 100 history and the most-streamed song ever on Spotify.
Who wrote 'Starboy'?
'Starboy' (2016) was co-written by The Weeknd with Daft Punk, who also produced and feature on it. It was the title track of his album Starboy and a number-one hit.
Does The Weeknd write with Max Martin?
Yes. Max Martin co-wrote and produced several of The Weeknd's biggest pop hits, including 'Can't Feel My Face,' 'Blinding Lights,' and 'Sacrifice,' helping shape his crossover from dark R&B into pop.
Who is Abel Tesfaye?
Abel Tesfaye is the real name of the artist known as The Weeknd. He is credited under his real name in his songs' writing credits, even though he performs and releases music as The Weeknd.
How many albums has The Weeknd released?
This catalogue covers 6 of his studio albums, from Kiss Land (2013) to Hurry Up Tomorrow (2025).
How many Grammys has The Weeknd won?
Four Grammy Awards, though he has also been at the center of debates about Grammy snubs despite his commercial success.
How popular is The Weeknd on streaming?
Enormously. He was the first artist to pass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and 'Blinding Lights' is the most-streamed song in the platform's history.
Who are The Weeknd's main collaborators?
His core creative circle includes early producers Illangelo, Doc McKinney, and DaHeala, along with Max Martin and Oscar Holter on his pop era, and Oneohtrix Point Never on Dawn FM.
What genre is The Weeknd?
He started in dark, atmospheric R&B and moved into synth-pop and mainstream pop, blending moody R&B with 1980s-inspired production.

Sources

Wikipedia: The Weeknd discography