It’s hard to fathom how global Abel Tesfaye (better known as The Weeknd) is until you see him live for yourself.
Last night, the Toronto-born star made his long-awaited return to Australia after seven years. The ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour was originally postponed last November, making this the first time he’s touched an Australian stage since 2017, when he was touring Starboy.
15 years ago, The Weeknd was releasing music anonymously on YouTube, eventually leading to the release of his iconic debut mixtape House of Balloons in 2011. As a teenager, he dropped out of school and left his family home and moved to Parkdale, a suburb in Toronto’s west that would have a huge influence on his early music. Making the fateful move on the weekend, he named himself after the occasion, thus spawning the official beginning of a legend in the making.
Drugs, homelessness, and a point to prove were all defining factors in his early career as he started receiving official co-signs from OVO (Drake’s label) members after House of Balloons’ success. As his music began to gain real buzz, Abel had just got a job at American Apparel.
“[…] I was not popping. I was struggling at the time. A good friend of mine hooked me up with a job at American Apparel, and I was folding clothes there when somebody at the store played the song. Mind you, nobody knew who The Weeknd was,” he said in an interview with GQ in 2021.
Credit: Rick Clifford
At the time, Drake had already begun to establish Toronto’s mainstream musical identity and was preparing his debut studio album, Take Care. Almost immediately following Drake’s ascent, Canada had another emerging star, as The Weeknd had become the hottest underground vocal commodity in the R&B/hip-hop zeitgeist.
2011 saw The Weeknd feature on Drake’s Take Care (which won four Grammys), while racking up producing and writing credits on four other tracks. He released two more mixtapes and performed at that year’s OVO Fest, while also forming his label, XO.
The following year he released Trilogy, a remastered 30-track compilation album combining each of his previous three mixtapes, forming the early foundations of a legendary contribution to R&B and the nucleus to his eventual world-beckoning pop star status to come.
Famously deciding against signing with OVO, he operated heavily within the R&B lane between his 2013 debut album Kiss Land and 2015’s Grammy-winning Beauty Behind the Madness. From 2016 onwards, however, a significant shift in The Weeknd’s music and public perception unfolded.
Credit: Rick Clifford
Starboy won him another Grammy, pushing him further into the pop space with the title track among other hits like “I Feel It Coming” and “Sidewalks,” although it’s clear that when Australia last caught him at Rod Laver Arena, he was only just beginning the climb to international superstardom. Last year, he was officially declared statistically the most popular artist in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, now with an additional 4 Grammys to his name.
After postponing his original return to Australia last November but promising a reschedule, he came good on his word as new dates were announced in August. Since being on the road, he’s performed in North America, Latin America, and Europe, with Africa and the Middle East reportedly incoming.
But last night, it was finally Australia’s turn, and Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium was lit red in anticipation.
Following opening performances from Chxrry22 and Sydney-born DJ Anna Lunoe, Mike Dean boasted an insane setlist, warming up the crowd with self-produced Travis Scott and Kanye West hits while taking fans on a special synthesizer journey, a great tone-setter for what was to c0me.
Fans could finally take a sigh of relief just after 8:45pm as the lights cut and the screen alit. The Weeknd appeared on top of a church placed at middle stage and for the next 105 minutes, the Naarm crowd was hypnotised by his every move. He glided across the stage, supported by heavy Mike Dean production, plenty of fire, and lots of red, manoeuvring through his extensive catalogue with sheer ease.
Credit: Rick Clifford
Whether it was his effortless crowd control, set design, or the now extensive catalogue, it became glaringly obvious just how easy stadium shows are for The Weeknd.
His vocal performance was near-perfect, constantly adventuring on jaw-dropping vocal riffs and displaying an effortless ability to engage with his adoring fans throughout. While he covered the majority of his post-Starboy era, long-time fans in attendance were pleasantly surprised with glimpses of his mixtape era through House of Balloons and a medley towards the end which included “Wicked Games.”
Just before 10pm, an adrenaline-driven fan rushed the stage, catching The Weeknd by surprise who put his arm around him before security intervened. At 10:30pm, he was still riffing, sounding just as fresh as the beginning. “Melbourne, it’s been a while, but you know I love you,” he said to an ear-deafening roar from Marvel Stadium attendees.
After hearing a widespread display of his discography live, it’s hard to deny his status as one of this generation’s greatest artists and entertainers. Clearly The Weeknd thrives under the brightest of lights (no pun intended). He hasn’t lost the essence of his early music; it’s merely packaged differently.
The ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour is enabling fans to see an entire display of The Weeknd’s evolution as an artist, from his earlier dark, eerie, prescription-drug-infused R&B into the record-breaking pop tracks the world hears today.
Closing with arguably his biggest song,”Blinding Lights,” The Weeknd’s era of chart-topping dominance is only just beginning. It’s unclear when he’ll next return, but Melburnian fans left feeling hopeful that it wouldn’t be the last time they caught a glimpse of the 34-year-old, who’s closing his current era with an upcoming album entitled Hurry Up Tomorrow.
The Australian leg continues tonight, with another show at Marvel Stadium before another back-to-back at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday to conclude (ticket information here).
