The article highlights the most anticipated concert tours of 2026, featuring artists like Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, and Guns N' Roses, among others, across various genres and continents, promising a year full of memorable live performances.
The Grammy nominations revealed notable snubs and surprises, including The Weeknd's absence despite ending his feud with the Recording Academy, and Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' being largely ignored despite its success. Other surprises include Turnstile's multiple nominations, KPop Demon Hunters' song of the year nod, and Timothée Chalamet's film soundtrack nomination. The awards saw a lack of country artists and notable omissions of artists like Lorde and Ariana Grande.
The Weeknd is set to perform at Spotify's inaugural Billions Club Live event in Los Angeles on December 17, celebrating his achievement of having the most songs with over a billion streams on the platform. The exclusive concert will feature hits like "Starboy" and "Blinding Lights" for Spotify's top fans. This event highlights Spotify's connection between artists and fans, with The Weeknd being a fitting choice due to his extensive catalog of popular tracks. Additionally, The Weeknd is preparing to release his new album "Hurry Up Tomorrow" on January 24.
Apple has launched 'The Weeknd: Open Hearts,' an immersive music experience available exclusively on Apple Vision Pro. This innovative experience, featuring a new song from The Weeknd, utilizes Apple Immersive Video and Spatial Audio to create a 180-degree media format that places viewers in a surreal cityscape alongside the artist. Fans can experience this for free at Apple Stores worldwide starting November 15. The initiative marks a significant advancement in how music and technology intersect, offering a new way to experience storytelling through immersive visuals and sound.
Future and Metro Boomin surprise fans with their new album "We Still Don't Trust You," featuring A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, and new jabs at Drake. The album, which includes both R&B and rap tracks, showcases Future's vocal performance and Metro's production prowess. The project adds fuel to the ongoing Drake vs. the Universe beef, with subliminal messages and direct shots at Drake, as well as guest appearances from artists with complicated relationships with the Canadian rapper. Despite the drama, the album stands as a testament to the duo's musical prowess and sets a high bar for mainstream rap projects.
Fortnite is hosting its first-ever "Fortnite Festival" featuring The Weeknd and other artists in a virtual music event on Saturday. The festival will introduce a new music mode in the game, allowing players to play instruments synced with a purchasable festival "jam track." The Weeknd will release branded collaboration merchandise, and players will have the chance to play guitar or sing vocals as The Weeknd. This collaboration follows previous partnerships between Fortnite and artists, TV shows, and films.
Fortnite is hosting its first-ever "Fortnite Festival" featuring The Weeknd and other artists in a virtual music event on Saturday. The festival will introduce a new music mode in the game, allowing players to play instruments synced with purchasable festival "jam tracks." The Weeknd will release branded merchandise and players will have the chance to play guitar or sing vocals as The Weeknd himself. Fortnite has a history of collaborations with artists, TV shows, films, and other video games.
The Weeknd, a United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador, has donated $2.5 million through his XO Humanitarian Fund to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The donation will provide 4 million emergency meals, benefiting the WFP's response efforts to feed over one million Gazans. Since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador, The Weeknd has personally donated $1.8 million to the WFP's global hunger-relief mission. WFP's Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe Region expressed gratitude for the contribution and hopes others will follow The Weeknd's example.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards with 20 categories, followed by Morgan Wallen, SZA, The Weeknd, and Drake. Wallen is the leading male finalist with 16 nominations, while SZA and The Weeknd are up for 16 and 13 awards respectively. The awards will be presented on November 19, and the performers will be announced on November 6.
An AI-generated song featuring facsimiles of Drake and The Weeknd's voices, titled "Heart on My Sleeve," has been submitted for Grammy consideration by Ghostwriter, the creator of the viral AI-generated track. While the song was written by a human, neither Drake nor The Weeknd were involved. However, the track's eligibility is in question due to copyright issues and the requirement for broad distribution. The Recording Academy clarified that AI-generated works are not eligible for awards, but if a human writes the track and AI is used for voice modeling, the writing would be eligible. The commercial viability of "Heart on My Sleeve" remains uncertain.
HBO has decided to cancel the TV series "The Idol" after its first season. Co-created by The Weeknd, the show faced controversy and behind-the-scenes issues before its debut. Despite drawing a strong audience response and reaching millions of viewers, HBO and the creators have chosen not to move forward with a second season. The Weeknd, who also co-starred in the series, expressed resilience in the face of offscreen drama and aimed to create something special and entertaining.
HBO has canceled the controversial series "The Idol" after one season. The decision comes after a lack of clarity about the show's potential for a second season. The series, created by Sam Levinson and The Weeknd, received mixed reviews and had middling ratings. Despite initially premiering with 913,000 viewers, it grew to 7 million viewers after the first week. The show's cancellation follows allegations of a toxic set and a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Selena Gomez clarifies that her new song, "Single Soon," is not about her former partner, the Weeknd. Speculation arose after fans believed the lyrics referenced their past relationship. Gomez responded to an article addressing the speculation, stating it was "more false." She explained that the mention of the "weekend" in the song referred to Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, not the Weeknd himself. Gomez discussed drawing inspiration from private relationships for her upcoming album and emphasized her continued friendship with the Weeknd after their breakup in 2017.
Selena Gomez responded to speculation that her new song, "Single Soon," is about her ex-boyfriend The Weeknd, stating that the assumption is false. The Grammy nominee clarified that the track is a playful anthem about being comfortable in one's own skin and enjoying one's own company.
Selena Gomez finds it "scary" that her vocals were artificially added to an AI version of The Weeknd's 2016 single "Starboy" featuring her ex's vocals. The reworked song, which also included new artwork, was shared on social media. Gomez and The Weeknd dated briefly in 2016 before breaking up. Meanwhile, Gomez is set to release her upcoming single "Single Soon," which is expected to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Trending Songs chart.