The Weeknd
Courtesy of Republic RecordsHappy birthday to The Weeknd!
The “Starboy” (real name Abel Tesfaye) turned 32 years old on Wednesday (Feb. 16), and he has a whole lot to celebrate. Just in the past year, Tesfaye released Dawn FM, which arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 148,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week, according to MRC Data. The album was a follow-up to the 2020 Billboard 200-topping After Hours. Its single, “Blinding Lights” became Billboard‘s Greatest Songs of All Time Hot 100 chart topper, and earned a record-breaking most weeks as a top five hit (43 weeks), a top ten hit (57 weeks) and a top 40 hit (86 weeks). It also surpasses Chubby Checker’s 1960s classic “The Twist” as the all-time number one song.
In honor of his birthday, we want to know what your favorite The Weeknd song is. We’ve compiled his Hot 100 top 10 hits in the poll below, so let us know by casting your vote!
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
