The Weeknd is one of the most popular singers on the music scene over the past few years, racking up multiple Grammy Awards, American Music Awards and even a nomination for an Oscar. Despite being an A-list performer, The Weeknd is known for his mysterious persona and unique sense of style, which might lead people to wonder if The Weeknd has any tattoos.
The Weeknd does not have any known tattoos. The singer is often known to wear long sleeved shirts or hoodies, but on the rare occasions he’s been spotted in more revealing apparel, there have not been any signs of body ink.
Read more below about The Weeknd, the multiple performers he’s collaborated with who love tattoos, and the many fans who get tattoos inspired by the singer.
Toronto, Tattoos and Theology
The Weeknd was born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye on February 16, 1990, born to Ethiopian immigrants who settled in Toronto, Canada. His parents split when The Weeknd was a child, leaving the singer to be raised by his mom and grandmother.
One of the reasons it is surprising that The Weeknd does not have any tattoos is that he was raised in the strict Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Many Coptic Christians in Africa have a small cross tattooed on their wrist, identifying them as Christians.
Though The Weeknd was born and raised in Canada, his parents and extended family all grew up in Ethiopia and many people who are part of The Ethiopian Orthodox Church in other countries, still have the decorative cross tattooed on their bodies. The Weeknd credits his Ethiopian heritage and love of the country’s native music as part of the reason his work is so diverse, as well as adhering to the mostly vegan diet the church requires, means it would not be outside the realm of possibility for The Weeknd to have the tattoo.
Collaborations and Body Art
Regardless of The Weeknd’s lack of body art, the high-profile musicians he collaborates with more than make up for it. From Drake to Taylor Swift, these stars are sporting some serious ink.
Drake, the musician who helped kick start The Weeknd’s career, has 35 tattoos, which is way more tattoos than most people have. The Canadian rapper’s ink ranges from a portrait of Lil’ Wayne to a Halloween Jack O Lantern.
Mega superstar Beyonce collaborated with The Weeknd on a song titled “6 Inch” back in 2016. Beyonce herself has had four tattoos at various points in her career, with most of them being on her hands or fingers and referencing her marriage to Jay-Z and her children.
Though The Weeknd’s first encounter with pop princess Taylor Swift was awkward, the duo have performed alongside each other when The Weeknd made appearances on stage during Swift’s 1989 tour. Though technically Taylor’s tattoos are not real, she sports them often enough that they have become a part of her look in the past few years.
Obsessive Ink
Not only do The Weeknd’s collaborators have a ton of tattoos, but so do The Weeknd’s fans. As the singer has gained popularity, some of his fans have taken their love of the artist to the next level by getting tattoos of, or relating to, The Weeknd.
You can see some very dedicated fans of The Weeknd get tattoos in his honor in the YouTube video below.
Most of these fan tattoos center around the letters XO. XO is the name of The Weeknd’s record label which was founded in 2012, though some fans claim it has a different meaning.
Rumors around the mysterious meaning of XO have fans guessing everything from the general usage of “hugs and kisses” to many believing it’s a cryptic drug reference to Ecstasy and oxycontin. Given The Weeknd’s history with narcotics, there could be some truth to the rumor, but there has been no definitive confirmation either way.
There’s no guarantee The Weeknd will ever get a tattoo despite being surrounded by friends and fans sporting the artwork. The Weeknd has always marched to the beat of his own drum, so it won’t be a surprise if he does not follow the same path.