The Weeknd on Ariana Grande and the Art of Pop Music

After landing two back-to-back number one hits with “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” The Weeknd has achieved something only eleven other artists in history have, and that roster includes heavyweight talent like Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

It seems fair to say then that The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, knows how to write hits. But that wasn’t always the case. In Rolling Stone’s current cover story Tesfaye opened up in a candid interview about the road to his success.