The Weeknd celebrates historic end to 2024 and looks forward to ‘new album, new tour, new movie, new everything’ in 2025
A recap of The Weeknd’s Spotify Billions Club Live concert event on December 17, and a look into what’s next for the mega musician in 2025.
Ethiopian Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd performs on stage at Spotify's first-ever Billions Club Live concert event on December 17 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Sheridan Hunter)
By Sheridan Hunter
December 24, 2024 at 9:32PM PST
A week ago today, Spotify hosted its first-ever Billions Club Live concert event in Santa Monica to celebrate the artist with the most songs to reach one billion streams on the platform: The Weeknd.
Racking up 25 hits in the billions club, the Ethiopian Canadian singer-songwriter, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, performed for nearly 2,000 loyal listeners as they filled the Barker Hangar for the exclusive one-night-only show.
“This is a good little turn out! I like this,” The Weeknd cheered.
Tapping audio engineer and frequent collaborator Mike Dean, along with drummer Ricky Lewis and guitarist Patrick Greenaway, The Weeknd delivered an electrifying performance with song renditions and strobe lighting sequences similar to that of his 2022 After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour. Specifically with his slowed-down rendition of “Wicked Games” – his debut single from his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons – which, “I know that song didn’t hit a billion, but I felt like I had to do it. It’s necessary, at least one House of Balloons song,” he said.
Praising Spotify for putting on the event during the holiday season, The Weeknd was able to give his top fans “a little holiday gift for XO, you know… for the OG XO fans supporting me from day one,” he said.
With the crowd singing along word-for-word to some of his greatest hits like “Starboy,” “The Hills” and “Blinding Lights” – the most-streamed song on Spotify with over four billion streams – The Weeknd reminded everyone why he is the “most popular musician on the planet.”
“Every time they try to forget who I am, XO, we gotta remind them every single time!” he sang during “Reminder” from his 2016 braggadocious album Starboy. “Bragging just sounds good, man,” he said during his interview with Billboard at the time.
With no plans of slowing down anytime soon, The Weeknd offered a sneak peek into what’s to come in the New Year: “2024 is almost done, but 2025 we got some new s–t coming out,” he said. “New album, new tour, new movie, new everything! We’re shutting this s–t down.”
Kickstarting this era of newness is Hurry Up Tomorrow – The Weeknd’s sixth studio album and final installment of his new trilogy that sparked in 2020 with the artistic reinvention of After Hours, and kept ablaze in 2022 with the radio-like journey through purgatory, Dawn FM.
On Friday, The Weeknd announced his film under the same name will be released in theaters on May 16, 2025. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the psychological thriller will star The Weeknd alongside actors Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. According to Variety, the film is inspired by and will feature new music from The Weeknd, and is described as a “‘first of its kind theatrical experience.’”
Teasing a snippet of the album towards the end of the show, Hurry Up Tomorrow is set to officially release on January 24, 2025 and will be followed by another one-night-only show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena the day after to celebrate its release. So far, The Weeknd has put out three singles from his new era, including “Dancing In The Flames,” “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo” featuring Anitta.
Ending the night on a high note, The Weeknd offered an affirmation for his fans to hold onto as he enters his new era: “In 2025, everything will be fine. 2025, everything will be fine. I’m gon’ come back for you, XO. But until then, hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow!” he sang as he exited the stage before briefly returning for his energetic encore of “Timeless” and “São Paulo.”
“Los Angeles, I f–king love you! Spotify, I love you! XO, I f–king love you! You guys are the best! Happy holidays, and I’ll see you in 2025. It’s gonna be a big year,” he said.
Check out the entire setlist from the historic night below:
1. “Call Out My Name”
2. “Moth To A Flame” by Swedish House Mafia with The Weeknd
3. “After Hours”
4. “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein with The Weeknd
5. “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin with The Weeknd and 21 Savage
6. “Popular” with Playboi Carti and Madonna
7. “Starboy” with Daft Punk
8. “Heartless”
9. “Reminder”
10. “Stargirl Interlude” with Lana Del Rey
11. “One Of The Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp
12. “The Hills”
13. “Often”
14. “I Was Never There” with Gesaffelstein
15. “Wicked Games”
16. “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
17. “Die For You”
18. “I Feel It Coming” with Daft Punk
19. “Can’t Feel My Face”
20. “Save Your Tears”
21. “Blinding Lights”
22. “Timeless” with Playboi Carti
23. “São Paulo” with Anitta