Photo Credit: Giorgio Trovato
Spotify has announced The Weeknd has become the first artist in the platform’s history to reach 100 million monthly listeners.
Spotify’s most-played song of all time is his hit “Blinding Lights,” which has amassed more than 3.4 billion plays. The honor comes just days after the singer dropped his new remix of “Die For You” featuring Ariana Grande. The track went viral on TikTok, inspiring the latest remix. The song re-entered the Top 40 on the charts and is expected to climb higher as it continues to spread on TikTok.
The Weeknd got his start by uploading his music to YouTube in 2010. He exploded in popularity after Drake highlighted some of the singer’s early works. Following that surge, The Weeknd produced a nine-song mixtape he called House of Balloons—which he released for free. His fourth album After Hours featured the lead single “Blinding Lights,” which is the longest-running top-five single on the US Hot 100 charts.
Spotify’s Most Played Artists Data — February 2023
| 1. The Weeknd | 100.45 million |
|---|---|
| 2. Miley Cyrus | 82.5 million |
| 3. Taylor Swift | 80.33 million |
| 4. Rihanna | 79.44 million |
| 5. Shakira | 77.46 million |
| 6. Ed Sheeran | 77.43 million |
| 7. Sam Smith | 73.97 million |
| 8. David Guetta | 71.52 million |
| 9. SZA | 69.2 million |
| 10. Drake | 68.63 million |
“Die For You” has managed to find a new lease on life thanks to TikTok. The song now soundtracks more than 150,000 videos on the platform, with more being created every day. The song doesn’t have a dance or a meme associated with it—people just vibe with the R&B sound of the song and use it as backing for all kinds of videos.
This past weekend, the star released The Weeknd: Live at SoFi Stadium, which was shot during his After Hours ‘Til Dawn tour. That tour is scheduled to hit its European leg this summer. The Weeknd is also prepping for the upcoming release of his first TV drama, The Idol. He helped create that drama series with Euphoria’s Sam Levinson. The story follows a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult who develops a complicated relationship with an up-and-coming pop idol.