The Weeknd’s Current Success through his Production

By Divya Sharma

With his song Blinding Lights holding the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks and it being dubbed “The Song of the Quarantine,” many are asking, “What is making The Weeknd so successful?” It is most definitely his ability to appeal to a wide audience through his production. The production of his songs includes influences from various styles and genres such as soul, 80’s synth (like in Blinding Lights), alternative, r & b, and more. On every song, he ventures out, choosing a different style for each one. Instead of being confined to one narrow sound for every record like other artists, his music is constantly changing, keeping people on their toes. Even though he has songs that are so unique to each other, his music is still very distinct. They all sound like they are his and could not be mistaken for belonging to any other artist. Through the inspiration of different styles of music in each of his records, The Weeknd is able to bring together an audience with diverse musical taste and have them find some common ground in the production of his music.