Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, popularly known as The Weeknd (born February 16, 1990 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada), is a Canadian R&B/hip-hop musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He chose his stage name in tribute to when he was 17 years old, when, along with his friend La Mar Taylor, he dropped out of high school, took his mattress, and "left one weekend and never came home". However, his estranged former producer Jeremy Rose claims the name was his idea.
On “Blinding Lights,” the second single to The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, Abel speaks on his significant other, comparing their effect on him to lighting up his life. The song is an up-tempo electropop track with large 80s-inspired synths and electronic dance music drums, similar to the sonic direction of his November 2016 album, Starboy.
On November 24, 2019, the track premiered in the trailer for a Mercedes Benz TV advert, before officially releasing five days later. It follows the lead single “Heartless,” released two days prior.
The Mercedes Benz commercial debuted minutes after the song’s release and was heavily centered around it. The Weeknd played a central role in the advert, as he drove around in his Mercedes car and performed the track.
The song leaked on November 26th, 2019, a few days before its official release. Abel acknowledged in a tweet, where he confirmed its official release:
“oh yah… and more new music tonight (in HQ😉)“
