The Weeknd’s Most Impressive Cover Performances of Other Artists’ Songs

A chart-topping pop icon and a true vocal chameleon, The Weeknd's signature sound is marked by an eerie falsetto, deep emotional expression, and an uncanny knack for reinterpreting the works of other artists. His versions show how he has been influenced by other musicians, as well as demonstrating his fearlessness in reimagining sound. Several popular music covers by The Weeknd showcase his versatility and respect for music history. 

The Weeknd is famous for his smooth and expressive voice. A lyric tenor, his vocal range covers three octaves and F2 to G♯5 in full. With his chest voice, he can sing between the low bass F and tenor G sharp. He can also reach a fifth octave with his head voice. This seamless switching between his chest and head voice adds intensity and color to the performance. It helps him create powerful emotions across every note.

The Weeknd also has distinctive vocal traits. His tone is bright, focused, and consistently controlled. He frequently uses melismas. This is when he sings multiple notes to one syllable to add drama and fluidity. He describes himself as a “vocal chameleon,” adapting his style according to songs, albums, and musical moods. This ability allows him to cover many types of artists. The Weeknd can essentially take any song, whether it's slow and soft or an edgy rock vocal, and make it his own.

The Weeknd's rendition of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" is an impressive and faithful cover, capturing the essence of the original song while incorporating his own vocal color.

The Weeknd performs with the emotional weight that characterizes much of Jackson's music. His falsetto suits the high notes well. The Weeknd applies melismas to glide and flow between notes, enhancing the drama of the performance. The Arabic ornamentations he adds give the piece an exotic, fresh take that doesn't compromise the song. The areas where he uses his head voice, particularly the chorus, highlight his control. The Weeknd takes influence from Michael Jackson but adds his own darker style to it. This is a cover that pays tribute to a legend and celebrates The Weeknd's own talents as a performer.

The Weeknd's cover of Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love" is a daring reinterpretation of a contemporary R&B classic, taking on a darker, sexier feel in his hands. His “vocal chameleon” method allows him to shift song energies while keeping the emotional weight with a more minimalistic approach than the original. He replaces pounding beats with more atmospheric production, providing a nocturnal, haunting vibe. 

The Weeknd sings fluidly in his chest and head voice. This gives him the ability to transition easily between low pitches and high pitches. The melismas he uses create an ethereal movement in the lyrics, lending them a dreamlike quality. Subtle arabesque ornamentations are also visible in his phrases, underlining the raw desire in the lyrics. His bright, concentrated delivery pierces through the reverb-heavy sound world to stunning effect.

This cover shows how well The Weeknd reinterprets female-led R&B songs in a fresh way. The Weeknd doesn't just sing "Drunk in Love"; he changes the song to match his style.

The Weeknd's rendition of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" brings out a new emotion. The original, which came out as a B-side in 1984, is short but powerful. Alternatively, the Weeknd's version doesn't go outright but has its chorus in Enemy. This creative move blends eras and genres effortlessly. The Smiths' cover features jangly guitars and light singing, while The Weeknd's version is much darker, slower, and more atmospheric.

In his cover, The Weeknd's serious tone clearly expresses yearning, and the ornamentations and the melismas increase this emotionality. The Weeknd effectively employs his head voice to be vulnerable and his chest voice to convey intimacy, lending a mysterious quality to the song.

This track was executed by The Weeknd by exchanging the guitars with echoing synthesizers, giving the cover a modular feel. This performance demonstrates The Weeknd's versatility by taking an indie rock staple and remixing it as an R&B song.

The Weeknd's version of Drake's "Trust Issues" is a moody, minimalist take on a modern hip-hop/R&B track. A longtime collaborator of fellow Torontonian Drake, The Weeknd delivers an emotional and stylistic contrast to the original. His broad vocal range allows him to go deeper into the lyrics. His smooth crossing to the head voice from the chest voice raises emotional tension, allowing The Weeknd to transform Drake's rap-flavored delivery into a haunting, melodic vocal line. His version leans into his “dark R&B” aesthetic with more ambience and reverb than the original.

The Weeknd sings every line instead of rapping one and singing the other, making the words feel more confessional. The tone of his voice is bright and focused, contrasting with the sadness of the song, and his melismas and embellishments give more depth and fluidity to enhance the song's introspective tone.

The Weeknd's performances of cover songs have helped establish his musical identity. By covering songs from different genres, he explores different vocal ranges and emotions than those associated with his music. These performances also honor his inspirations. He has cited Michael Jackson and Prince as inspirations for his singing style and has in turn embodied Jackson's control and Prince's boldness in his own music.

His reinterpretation aids in perfecting his sound in each iteration. Thus, The Weeknd comes out as an artist who can sing about rock, pop, and R&B and is deep and flexible. He also draws on this experience in his production and songwriting. Today, the Weeknd's music is a combination of New Wave of the 80s, Dream Pop, U.K. Garage, Trap, and Bedroom R&B. There is an aspect of psychedelic and electro house as well in his songs. This blending is founded on experimentation that ensures his special sound is properly cultivated.

The Weeknd is known for pioneering the “dark R&B” aesthetic. The music features moody production, melancholic lyrics, and slow, minor-key melodies. He also regularly uses synths, pianos, and drums to create a cinematic dimension. According to critic Julian Kimble, The Weeknd's work caused a “sharp pivot within R&B,” with After Hours viewed as his most complete album. It reflects years of growth and fearless genre-blending.

The Weeknd's ability to adapt songs from various genres while maintaining a distinct sound is impressive. His covers have broadened his music repertoire and influenced the development of his production style in his original work by borrowing ideas. The Weeknd doesn't merely cover songs but transforms them, paying homage to his musical influences while testing the boundaries of contemporary R&B and pop.