Sasha Frere-Jones: The Weeknd Opens Up About Paparazzi & Overcoming Stage Fright In Rare Interview. In: Billboard.com. 12. Dezember 2016; abgerufen im 1. Januar 1 (englisch): „The vibe on Starboy comes from that hip-hop culture of braggadocio, from Wu-Tang and 50 Cent, the kind of music I listened to as a kid […] For me, Bill Withers is at least top five among songwriters.“
Damien Scott: The Weeknd: Kiss And Tell. In: Complex.com. 13. Juli 2013, abgerufen am 21. Juli 2021 (englisch): „I’m a huge fan of R. Kelly’s. He’s a musical genius […] that’s me paying homage to R. Kelly, and even Prince to a certain extent.“
Aimee Ferrier: Features list revealed for The Weeknd's 'Hurry Up Tomorrow'. In: Far Out Magazine. 31. Januar 2025, abgerufen am 16. März 2025 (amerikanisches Englisch): „Talking to Variety, he explained that “Giorgio is a huge inspiration for this album,” adding, “His DNA has always been in all of my music, but I’m really honing in on it here, especially the operatic synths in Scarface. […]”“
Josh Ellis: Sex, Drugs and R&B: Inside the Weeknd’s Dark Twisted Fantasy. In: Rollingstone.com. 25. Oktober 2015, abgerufen am 21. Juli 2021 (englisch): „Jackson was even more important to his family than to most, because of their East African roots. ‘People forget — We Are the World is for Ethiopia,’ he says. ‘At home, if it wasn’t Ethiopian music, it was Michael. He was our icon.’“
Marc Hogan: The Weeknd Imbues ‘Enemy’. In: Spin. 26. Oktober 2012, abgerufen am 21. Juli 2021 (englisch): „He has tended to draw from rock critic-approved sources, though generally ones that already share elements of his sexual menace: Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees, as well as more predictable R&B influence Aaliyah.“
