SashaFrere-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.“
DamienScott: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. […]”“
JoshEllis: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.’“
MarcHogan: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.“
