The Weeknd: Artist Essentials

First released: 2019 (year verified)

The original recording's single metadata establishes 2019, before its later album or annual-list appearance. The later package year does not redate the selected single.

Recording: Original 2019 studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original single: Blinding Lights

After Hours - original 2020 program and earlier 2019 singles
The original album retains Heartless and Blinding Lights as November 2019 releases before the 2020 album. In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears and the title recording use their original solo productions; later guest remixes are separate. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2015 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2015 release history of Beauty Behind the Madness. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original 2015 studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Beauty Behind the Madness

Beauty Behind the Madness - original program and earlier single fields
The original 2015 program identifies The Hills, Can't Feel My Face and In the Night. Often retains its original 2014 single field. The longer Earned It album item is not substituted for the chosen shorter soundtrack presentation. The essay's inaccurate blanket description of the soundtrack as a 2014 release is not used. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2015 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2015 release history of Beauty Behind the Madness. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original 2015 studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Beauty Behind the Madness

Beauty Behind the Madness - original program and earlier single fields
The original 2015 program identifies The Hills, Can't Feel My Face and In the Night. Often retains its original 2014 single field. The longer Earned It album item is not substituted for the chosen shorter soundtrack presentation. The essay's inaccurate blanket description of the soundtrack as a 2014 release is not used. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2016 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2016 release history of Starboy. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
Role in this collection: Primary vocalist with featured electronic duo Daft Punk

Original album: Starboy

Starboy - original 2016 program and Daft Punk credits
The original album separately credits Daft Punk on Starboy and I Feel It Coming, both with pre-album 2016 single fields. Party Monster, Reminder and the original solo Die for You belong to this program; later remixes and guests do not inherit its album date. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Starboy deluxe - original solo and later named guest-remix editions
The original 2016 solo Die for You is separated from the added 2023 Remix. The original Starboy and Reminder are likewise distinct from named Kygo and guest-rapper remixes. The deluxe header's 2016 date is not applied to those later additions. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2020 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2020 release history of After Hours. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original 2020 solo studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: After Hours

After Hours - original 2020 program and earlier 2019 singles
The original album retains Heartless and Blinding Lights as November 2019 releases before the 2020 album. In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears and the title recording use their original solo productions; later guest remixes are separate. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Save Your Tears - separately credited 2021 Ariana Grande remix
The 2021 single explicitly credits The Weeknd & Ariana Grande and labels the recording Remix. It is used only to distinguish that actual annual joint-credit candidate from the selected 2020 solo recording and its own retained annual ID. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2016 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2016 release history of Starboy. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original 2016 solo studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original album: Starboy

Starboy - original 2016 program and Daft Punk credits
The original album separately credits Daft Punk on Starboy and I Feel It Coming, both with pre-album 2016 single fields. Party Monster, Reminder and the original solo Die for You belong to this program; later remixes and guests do not inherit its album date. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Starboy deluxe - original solo and later named guest-remix editions
The original 2016 solo Die for You is separated from the added 2023 Remix. The original Starboy and Reminder are likewise distinct from named Kygo and guest-rapper remixes. The deluxe header's 2016 date is not applied to those later additions. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Starboy - recording-level Ariana Grande remix identity
The distributor explicitly credits the original 2016 Die for You to The Weeknd and its February 2023 Remix to The Weeknd & Ariana Grande. This supports a known different guest-vocal recording, rather than an unresolved title-only annual join. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2016 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2016 release history of Starboy. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
Role in this collection: Primary vocalist with featured electronic duo Daft Punk

Original album: Starboy

Starboy - original 2016 program and Daft Punk credits
The original album separately credits Daft Punk on Starboy and I Feel It Coming, both with pre-album 2016 single fields. Party Monster, Reminder and the original solo Die for You belong to this program; later remixes and guests do not inherit its album date. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2018 (year verified)

The original recording is documented in the 2018 release history of My Dear Melancholy,. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.

Recording: Original 2018 studio recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original EP: My Dear Melancholy,

My Dear Melancholy - original 2018 EP
The original six-track 2018 program identifies Call Out My Name. The selected lead recording is not the separately documented live concert presentation. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2014 (year verified)

The original soundtrack's shorter recording item retains its December 2014 single field before the 2015 soundtrack. Only this supported original year is used; it is not generalized to the longer album presentation.

Recording: Original short single and soundtrack presentation
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original single: Earned It

Fifty Shades of Grey - original short Earned It presentation
The original soundtrack program identifies its approximately 4:10 Earned It item and preserves the recording's December 2014 single field before the February 2015 soundtrack. That shorter presentation is selected; equivalence to the longer Beauty Behind the Madness item is not assumed. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Beauty Behind the Madness - original program and earlier single fields
The original 2015 program identifies The Hills, Can't Feel My Face and In the Night. Often retains its original 2014 single field. The longer Earned It album item is not substituted for the chosen shorter soundtrack presentation. The essay's inaccurate blanket description of the soundtrack as a 2014 release is not used. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

First released: 2011 (year verified)

Republic explicitly documents the original mixtape's public website release in 2011, and the distributor separately identifies the Original nine-track program. The later Trilogy commercial presentation and bonus tracks are not selected.

Recording: Original 2011 House of Balloons mixtape recording
Credit: The Weeknd
Role in this collection: Primary artist

Original mixtape: House of Balloons

House of Balloons (Original) - original mixtape program
The explicitly Original nine-track program identifies Wicked Games (Original) and preserves the original March 2011 release year. The later commercial Trilogy presentation and added Twenty Eight are not selected or assigned this date. | Reviewed 2026-10-18

Republic Records - original House of Balloons release history
The label explicitly states that the original mixtape was made public through the artist's website in March 2011, and lists Wicked Games within its original nine-song sequence. The current CD and separately identified bonus track are not treated as the original release format or date. | Reviewed 2026-10-18