LONDON: The Weeknd has set a record as the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the Swedish platform revealed on Tuesday.
In a tweet, the music streaming service provider said: “It’s official: On Feb. 27, The Weeknd became the first artist in Spotify history to reach 100 million monthly listeners.”
The news came days after the Canadian singer released a remix of “Die For You” with US songstress Ariana Grande. The original version of the tune featured on his third studio album “Starboy,” released in 2016, but it has regained traction after going viral on TikTok.
According to American music and entertainment magazine Billboard, The Weeknd has 100,450,642 monthly listeners, putting him well ahead of fellow singers including Miley Cyrus with 82.5 million, Taylor Swift on 80.3 million, and Canadian rapper Drake’s 68.6 million.
Thirty-three-year-old The Weeknd previously made headlines when he broke Spotify’s record for the most monthly listeners among all artists, with 94.734 million.
Over the past 10 years, the musician, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has become one of the most successful artists in the music industry, gaining more than 45 platinum certifications for his singles and albums.
Born in Toronto to Ethiopian parents, he began his rise to fame in 2010 after Drake shared his early recordings on his personal blog. Since then, The Weeknd has released five studio albums, the most recent “Dawn FM,” a conceptual record and his most highly lauded full-length release to date.
He recently dropped a concert film, “The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium,” shot during the American leg of his ongoing After Hours ’til Dawn Tour.
And he is also set to release his first drama series later this year called “The Idol” which he put together in collaboration with US actor and filmmaker Sam Levinson — the creator of teen drama series “Euphoria” — and other big names including French American actress and model Lily-Rose Depp, US record producer Mike Dean, South Korean singer Jennie Kim, and Australian singer and songwriter Troye Sivan.
