It is official! The Weeknd is the most popular artist in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The 33-year-old Canadian, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, set two new Guinness World Records, has the most monthly listeners on Spotify at 111.4 million and is also the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
And that’s not all. The Weeknd’s 2020 track “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed track on Spotify ever, with more than 3.47 billion views on Monday.
Blinding Lights is also the longest-charting song of all time on the Billboard Hot 100, with a total of 90 weeks on the chart — although the Grammys snubbed the song.
Impressively, no one can match The Weeknd’s streaming success.
Shakira is closest with 81.6 million listeners, followed by Ariana Grande with 80.6 million listeners, Taylor Swift with 80.2 million listeners and Rihanna with 78.5 million listeners.
Record holder: It’s official! The Weeknd is the most popular artist in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records
Accomplishments: He has the most monthly listeners on Spotify with 111.4 million and is also the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify
The Toronto native’s closest male challenger is Ed Sheeran with 77.5 million monthly listeners.
The Weeknd’s two new world records come after the tremendous success of his latest single, the remix of Die For You starring Ariana Grande.
The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the seventh number one hit for both The Weeknd and Grande.
Die For You was originally released on the rapper’s 2016 album Starboy.
It is also the fourth collaboration between Grande and The Weeknd, following 2014’s “Love Me Harder,” 2020’s “Off the Table” and the remix of 2021’s “Save Your Tears.”
Starboy is the third album by The Weeknd to have multiple number one singles, following 2015’s ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ and 2020’s ‘After Hours’.
The Weeknd is in good company with this success as Michael Jackson is the only other male solo artist to have multiple number one hits from three albums.
And those aren’t the only Guinness World Records the rapper has. In 2016, he was recognized by a male solo artist for the Most Streamed Album of 2015 and also for Most Consecutive Weeks in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Hit song: The Weeknd’s two new world records come after the tremendous success of its latest single, the remix of Die For You starring Ariana Grande
Not even close: The Toronto native’s closest male challenger is Ed Sheeran, with 77.5 million monthly listeners
The Blinding Lights singer has also settled the lawsuit brought by Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, who perform together as Epikker, over his 2018 hit song Call Out My Name.
The two musicians claimed The Weeknd’s “lead guitar and vocal hooks” are similar to their song Vibeking, according to The Guardian.
Plus, the musicians had proof that The Weeknd knew the song Vibeking when they sent it to Canadian rapper Eric White’s frequent collaborator.
White reportedly responded that the rapper Save Your Tears thought the song was “fire,” before telling Fox and Strange that The Weeknd, 33, “heard and liked” Vibeking and that he would tell the rapper, who he and his team had come up with the beat.
“I just don’t want to say, ‘Hey, Strange wrote that if he doesn’t know you,'” reads part of the email.
Fox and Strange claim they were never asked for permission to use parts of their original song, nor were they given any credit.
Call Out My Name is one of The Weeknd’s most successful songs, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #7 on the UK Singles Chart.
Fox and Strange’s attorneys moved to have the case dismissed, citing the fact that they had reached an agreement with The Weeknd and were “still in the process of formalizing, executing and closing the deal.”
Blinding stats: The Weeknd’s 2020 track “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed track on Spotify ever, with more than 3.47 billion views on Monday
Grammy-snub: Blinding Lights is also the longest-charting song of all time on the Billboard Hot 100, with a total of 90 weeks on the chart – and the Grammys snubbed the song