The Weeknd pulls US chart hat-trick

Canadian singer The Weeknd on Wednesday proved himself to be a fast-rising star as he pulled off the rare feat of topping three premier US charts.

The Weeknd has scored a major summer hit with "Can't Feel My Face," whose wide-ranged pop vocals over a funky bassline have drawn comparisons to Michael Jackson.

The song rose to number one on the Billboard singles chart, replacing the latest by Justin Bieber, with another song by The Weeknd, "The Hills," at number two.

The Weeknd's album, "Beauty Behind the Madness," meanwhile spent a second week at number one. He also topped for the sixth week Billboard's Artist 100, which tracks all activity including radio airplay and social media sharing.

The Weeknd becomes the second artist after pop superstar Taylor Swift to top all three Billboard charts simultaneously since the Artist 100 chart was created in July 2014.

The 25-year-old, the son of Ethiopian immigrants whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, rose from obscurity in 2010 when he posted songs on YouTube.

He soon began collaborating with another rising Toronto-area star, the rapper Drake, and has also worked with stars including Beyonce and Ariana Grande.

The Weeknd debuted "Can't Feel My Face" in June during a performance at Apple's conference to announce the tech giant's new streaming service.
Source: AFP