The RIAA has awarded The Weeknd’s smash “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” Diamond Certification. After generational classics like “The Hills,” “Starboy” [with. Daft Punk], “Blinding Lights,” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” this is his fifth Diamond single. He also joins a select group of artists, becoming only the fourth to receive five or more Diamond certifications.
“Earned It” received an Academy® Award nomination for “Best Original Song” and a GRAMMY® Award for “Best R&B Performance.” It appeared on The Weeknd’s platinum-certified second full-length album, Beauty Behind The Madness, as well as the platinum-certified Fifty Shades Of Grey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
The Weeknd has released an official live video for “Die For You,” which has experienced a remarkable rebirth, which captures his performance of the tune from So-Fi Stadium and previews his HBO Special, which will debut on February 25th. It has also clinched #1 on the Billboard Radio Songs Chart and entered the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, making it his 16th Top 10 entry on the respective chart. Meanwhile, he debuted in the Top 20 of the Billboard Global 200, marking his 15th Top 20 appearance. The music video is approaching 60 million views on YouTube, while the song has received 1.2 billion Spotify streams.
THE WEEKND: LIVE AT SOFI STADIUM, an original concert special, will premiere on HBO on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 (8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT) and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The performance special, which was filmed at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 2022 during the first leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn Tour,” features the singer playing top singles from his most recent studio albums, After Hours and Dawn FM.
The Weeknd released his last studio album, Dawn FM at the beginning of 2022. The album became another major seller, which he quickly followed up with a tour. It was easily one of the most exciting shows of the year, and The Weeknd undoubtedly made up for the lack of touring due to the pandemic. He not only performed music from his latest album but he also delivered live renditions of a few cuts off of After Hours.
The After Hours Til Dawn tour undoubtedly earned some big bucks. According to reports, he raked in $30M from the first four shows alone. However, there were a few hiccups along the way, including a postponed show at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. “I don’t know what just happened, but I just lost my voice,” he told fans early in the set before promising to reschedule. “I don’t want to stop the show but I can’t give you the concert.” Fortunately, he kept his promise and returned in late November.
The Weeknd Delivers An Epic Performance for Live At SoFi Stadium
For those that couldn’t attend any of the shows, The Weeknd and HBO made sure fans didn’t miss out. The Weeknd shared the trailer for Live At SoFi Stadium, directed by Micah Bickham, debuting on HBOMax on Feb. 25th. The snippet reveals footage from The Weeknd’s final shows on the After House Til Dawn tour in Los Angeles and provides fans with a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into his concert. The Swedish House Mafia-produced “Sacrifice” plays throughout the trailer.
The Weeknd’s relationship with HBO is undoubtedly producing some excellent content for his fans. This week, HBO confirmed a release for the highly-anticipated show, The Idol, co-created by The Weeknd and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. The show is due out in June, though neither The Weeknd or Levinson have provided a concrete date. Still, many fans are excited to see the forthcoming series starring BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Lily-Rose Depp, and Troye Sivan. We’ll keep you posted on more updates on the show. For now, check out the trailer for The Weeknd’s Live At The SoFi Stadium above.
Fans of The Weeknd already had their eyes trained on HBO in anticipation of his The Idol series, but the multifaceted artist is double-dipping with HBO in 2023. One week ago, he announced that The Weeknd: Live At SoFi Stadium will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on February 25.
This morning, February 9, The Weeknd shared the extravagant trailer for the concert special:
The one-minute clip begins with the spookier aspects of The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tourat the forefront. As it unfolds, we see The Weeknd in his performative element and launching into his Dawn FMtrack “Sacrifice.”
According to Variety, The Weeknd: Live At SoFi Stadium was directed by Micah Bickham, and the Weeknd served as one of several executive producers. The special boasts a 95-minute run time and “was recorded in Los Angeles at the concluding dates of the Weeknd’s 2022 After Hours Til Dawn Tour North American stadium tour.”
The Weeknd resumed the After Hours Til Dawn Tour later that month and made up his SoFi dates on November 26-27. He didn’t waste any time announcing an international second leg:
The After Hours Til Dawn Tour will resume later this year. See the dates here, and watch The Weeknd’s North American recap below.
Does it seem to anyone else that all the streamers are investing pretty heavily in concert films? I mean, it makes sense; they’re relatively cheap to produce, they come with a built-in audience, and they tend to have pretty long streaming tails. It’s the rare recent streaming strategy that is a win-win for both the platforms and their viewers — as well as the artists who license their concert footage out.
The latest act to take advantage of this lucrative trend is The Weeknd, whose new concert special for HBO Max, The Weeknd: Live At SoFi Stadium, has a premiere date of February 25.
January has finally come to an end, which means awards season is around the corner and Hollywood stars are about to be busier than ever. Both the 2023 Oscar and Razzie nominations were recently announced, revealing some of the best (and worst) of the film industry. Earlier today (January 31), Canada’s music award show, the Junos, unveiled their roster of nods for the upcoming season.
As CBC notes, The Weeknd took the top spot, namely for his work on Dawn FM in early 2022. He’s been recognized in six categories, matching his previous record from both 2016 and 2021. Awards the Toronto native might take home include TikTok Juno Fan Choice and Single of the Year for “Sacrifice.”
Others ranking high in terms of total Juno nominations include Avril Lavigne and pop star Tate McRae. Both singers boast a total of five, and following them is Shawn Mendes, the Reklaws, Banx & Ranx, and Preston Pablo with three each.
Boslen, Jazz Cartier, and Nav are among those recognized in the Rap Album/EP OTY category, and a healthy roster of international artists like Chlöe, Nas-X” class=”text-word” target=”_blank” >Lil Nas X, and Harry Styles have nods in other categories.
The ceremony is set to take place in Edmonton, Alberta on Monday, March 13th. Performers include Jessie Reyez and Alexisonfire. Elsewhere, Marvel star Simu Liu will be on hosting duty for the upcoming show.
Scroll further to see the full list of nominees for the 2023 Juno Awards, and let us know who your winning bets are on in the comments below.
TikTok Juno fan choice
Avril Lavigne Lauren Spencer-Smith MacKenzie Porter Preston Pablo Rêve Shawn Mendes Tate McRae The Reklaws The Weeknd Tyler Shaw
Single of the year
“Bite Me,” Avril Lavigne “Flowers Need Rain,” Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx “When You’re Gone,” Shawn Mendes “She’s all I Wanna Be,” Tate McRae “Sacrifice,” The Weeknd
International album of the year
=, Ed Sheeran Harry’s House, Harry Styles Montero, Lil Nas X Midnights, Taylor Swift Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift
Album of the year
Who Hurt You?, Ali Gatie Love Sux, Avril Lavigne Demons Protected By Angels, Nav I Used to Think I Could Fly, Tate McRae Dawn FM, The Weeknd
Artist of the year
Avril Lavigne Lauren Spencer-Smith Michael Bublé Shawn Mendes The Weeknd
Group of the year
Arcade Fire Arkells Billy Talent Metric The Reklaws
Abel Tesfaye: “Less Than Zero” (co-songwriters Tomoko Yamaguch, Hamada Tetsuro, Daniel Lopatin, the Weeknd); “Out of Time” (co-songwriters Max Martin, Fragogian Josefsson, Axel Hedfors, Oscar Holter, Sebastian Ingrosso, Carl Nordstrom, Kevin Duane McCord); “Sacrifice” (co-songwriters Max Martin, Fragogian Josefsson, Axel Hedfors, Oscar Holter, Sebastian Ingrosso, Carl Nordstrom, Kevin Duane McCord). Faouzia: “Anybody Else” (co-songwriters Andre Davidson, Michelle Buzz, Sean Davidson); “Puppet” (co-songwriters Andre Davidson, Johnny Goldstein, Sean Davidson); “RIP, Love” (co-songwriters Fran Hall, Jakke Erixson). Tate McRae: “Chaotic” (co-songwriter Victoria Zaro); “Feel Like Shit” (co-songwriters Victoria Zaro, Jacob Hindlin, Russell J Chell); She’s all I Wanna Be (co-songwriter Greogry Kurstin). Tenille Townes: “The Last Time” (co-songwriters Gordon Sampson, Benjamin Goldsmith); “When you Need It” (co-songwriter Stephen Wrabel); “When’s it Gonna Happen” (co-songwriters Stephenie Jones, Stephen Wrabel). Tobi: “Before we Panic” (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Eric Hagstrom, John Stephen Sudduth, Kevin Martin, Tony Martin, Stephenie Jones, Stephen Wrabel); “Flowers” (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Daniele Luppi, Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Nicole Wray, Leon Michels, Paul Spring); Move (co-songwriters Alex Goose, Jessica Lee Hansell, Jon Bap, Robin Hannibal, Tavon Thompson, Tyler Demorest)
Country album of the year
Way Back, High Valley Honkytonk Revival, Jade Eagleson Bronco, Orville Peck Masquerades, Tenille Townes Good Ol’ Days, the Reklaws
Adult alternative album of the year
Born Losers, Altameda The Garden, Basia Bulat Being Somewhere, Dan Mangan Colder Streams, the Sadies How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars, The Weather Station
Alternative album of the year
Blue Rev, Alvvays Duality, Luna Li Sewn Back Together, Ombiigizi The Unraveling of PupTheBand, Pup Tongues, Tanya Tagaq
Pop album of the year
In the Meantime, Alessia Cara Love Sux, Avril Lavigne The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen I Used to Think I Could Fly, Tate McRae Dawn FM, the Weeknd
Rock album of the year
Otherness, Alexisonfire Crisis of Faith, Billy Talent Get Rollin’, Nickelback Outta Sight, the Sheepdogs Explosions, Three Days Grace
Album francophone de l’année
Medium plaisir, Ariane Roy Mercure en mai, Daniel Bélanger Pictura de ipse: Musique directe, Hubert Lenoir Crash, Les Louanges Chiac Disco, Lisa LeBlanc
Rap album/EP of the year
Gonzo, Boslen Retrospected (Acoustic), Classified The Fleur Print Vol. 2, Jazz Cartier Demons Protected By Angels, Nav Shall I Continue?, Tobi
Dance recording of the year
Afterglow, Bob Moses and Kasablanca Shinigami Eyes, Grimes These Nights, Loud Luxury feat. Kiddo Ctrl + Alt + Del, Rêve Spiral, Rezz
Contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year
Watin, Aysanabee Zhawenim, Digging Roots Code Red, Indian City Beyond the Reservoir, Julian Taylor The Crossing, Susan Aglukark
Music video of the year
“Fraud” by Emma Higgins (Jessie Reyez) “Unholy” by Floria Sigismondi (Sam Smith and Kim Petras) “Have Mercy” by Karena Evans (Chlöe) “Different Than Before” by Mayumi Yoshida (Amanda Sum) “Remember me for Me” by Sterling Larose (SonReal and Lily Moore)
While the next week will rightfully see plenty of focus on the upcoming Grammy Awards, our neighbors up north have announced the nominees for their equivalent, the Junos. Sorry Canadians, but “Canadian Grammys” is pretty much the most convenient metaphor to get Americans to grasp the importance of the Junos — blame G.W. Bush.
The field is led (again) this year by Canada’s number-one pop export, The Weeknd, who’s nominated for Album Of The Year, Artist Of The Year, Pop Album Of The Year, Juno Fan Choice, Single Of The Year for “Sacrifice,” and Songwriter Of The Year awards. Meanwhile, resurgent rocker Avril Lavigne and pop neophyte Tate McRae follow with five apiece. They’re followed by Preston Pablo and The Reklaws, with three nominations each.
Lavigne’s nominations include Juno Fan Choice, Single Of The Year (“Bite Me”), Album Of The Year, Artist Of The Year, and Pop Album Of The Year. McRae is up for the same awards, with “She’s All I Wanna Be” nominated for Single Of The Year.
The Junos will be held on March 13 and broadcast live from Rogers Place in Edmonton on CBC Television, hosted by back-to-back emcee Simu Liu. You can check out the full list of nominees on JunoAwards.CA.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Weeknd continues his record-breaking streak on Spotify with his latest distinction. The Canadian crooner has become the first artist to cross 96 million listeners on Spotify, breaking his own record from a few weeks prior. Earlier this month, the “Heartless” hitmaker reached 94.73 million listeners across the streaming platform.
“.@TheWeeknd becomes the first artist in history to cross 96 million monthly listeners on @Spotify,” Pop Crave tweeted on Saturday (January 21).
But these stats shouldn’t be surprising. The “Blinding Lights” singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has become a commercial juggernaut over the past few years. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including four Grammy awards and a slew of other awards.
He’s the voice behind chart-topping hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” from his second studio album, 2015’s Beauty Behind the Madness, which catapulted him into fame. The musician went on to release three more hit albums after that, including Starboy (2016), After Hours (2020), and, more recently, Dawn FM (2022).
The singer has been quite busy these days — from earning an Academy Award nomination for his song “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” which was used as the theme for Avatar: The Way Of Water, and staying atop the Billboard charts to breaking Spotify records, and now, possibly releasing new music.
In a recent interview, Weeknd revealed that he has been in the studio and begun working on new music.
We hope he has a speedy recovery 
