When we think of the hottest singers at the moment, one of the first names that comes to mind is The Weeknd. But before this summer of successful hits, who really was The Weeknd?

Before 2011, The Weeknd was releasing his first mixtapes under his hated real name Abel Tesfaye, singing about drugs and a dark life of meaningless sex and homelessness. In 2011, the VP of Republic Records asked Tesfaye to represent him, but at the time, Tesfaye had no interest in becoming the next big hit. By 2013, he caved in and signed with Republic, but he wasn’t met with instant success. His songs were at the bottom of the charts, singing about things the average radio listener was not interested in. It wasn’t until Republic placed him on the steamy 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack that this new-name singer, The Weeknd, yielded 50 shades of pop domination.

The Weeknd’s number 1 hits are still about drugs and a hard life, but his captivating voice lures us in, despite his telling lyrics. In the number 1 summer song, Can’t Feel My Face, The Weeknd heralds a cocaine addiction. Although at first glance, the lyrics make it sound like he’s signing about a woman, there are speculative deeper meanings to the lyrics. He sings about sniffing cocaine, fueling his happiness and experiencing the feeling of not feeling anything. Hence, the title of the song, Can’t Feel My Face. There has been a lot of debate about this on social media, but plenty of tweets have gone out discussing the true meaning behind these lyrics. Director of WBBM-FM in Chicago Erik Bradley said, “I think the subtlety has made [this] song less alarming…it’s all about the play on words, and the melodies are hypnotic. It’s not my job to sit there and say, ‘I can’t play this son.’ It’s such a hit that I have to play it." Billboard exemplified this fact, noting that this song produces “an interesting trend: the population of pop songs that don’t just passively not to drug use, but make it their lyrical focal point. In some ways, popular music hasn’t been this high since the late 60’s when the Beatles, the Doors and Janis Joplin were turning their trips into hit records.". Similar pop hits include Tove Lo’s Habits (Stay High), Tiesto’s Wasted, and Lana Del Rey’s High By the Beach.

I have been listening to The Weeknd since his first album release, which many present-day fans haven’t listened to. When I saw his success over the past year, I was ecstatic, but slightly disappointed that this incredibly talented artist had now just become part of mainstream pop culture. The Weeknd, so popular now, sold out two shows in New York during his Fall 2015 tour in a week, and had to tack on an extra tour date to be able to perform for all his fans. His success is well deserved. But, we have to ask, where is the old Abel Tesfaye singing Glass Table Girls in his House of Balloons 2011 mixtape? Now all we hear are the addicting beats of Can’t Feel My Face and regretful emotions from The Hills.

Here are some interesting facts about The Weeknd that might help you understand his background and inspiration behind his tracks:

• He did not leave his home town of Toronto, Canada until he was 21.
• He was so insecure about his looks when he started in the music industry that he asked to be cropped out of all photos.
• He is proud of his Ethiopian decent, and can speak fluently in Ahmaric, his parents’ native language.
• His stage name was actually supposed to be the name of his breakout project, House of Balloons.
• At 17, he dropped out of high school, rented an apartment with a friend, and experimented with MDMA, Xanax, cocaine, mushrooms, and ketamine.