Tickets For The Weeknd's Chicago Stadium Tour Stop On Sale Friday

By Justin Freeman in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 27, 2015 4:13PM

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We kind of wanted to, but we didn’t see The Weeknd (a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye) at Lollapalooza last month. When faced with the choice between The Weeknd, Flying Lotus, or Paul McCartney, we decided to see the former Beatle. At some point during McCartney’s set, we looked behind us and saw The Weeknd’s colossal lights as he performed on the opposite end of Grant Park to thousands of people and we thought to ourselves, “Damn Abel. I guess you earned it.”

Things have rapidly changed for The Weeknd. A few years ago, he was an anonymous singer releasing a trilogy of mysterious mix-tapes that were vastly different than anything in mainstream R&B at that time. Now The Weeknd is the mainstream as he headlines major music festivals, and we have awkward conversations with our folks about him because he was on the soundtrack to 50 Shades of Grey.

Friday is a big day for The Weeknd—his new album Beauty Behind the Madness is finally seeing release, and tickets to his international arena tour, hitting United Center on Nov. 6, go on sale. And after a few listens we can confirm The Weeknd’s new album continues his transformation from internet darling to full fledged pop music superstar. One listen to "Can't Feel My Face," a late contender for the bona fide song of the summer, is proof of that.

Chicago has a sizable presence on Beauty Behind the Madness. Treated Crew architect and Kanye West's former tour DJ, Mano, produced the album’s first single, “The Hills.” Mano also remixed “The Hills,” slowing it down immensely and giving it a menacing goth vibe, making it perfect for black boots, longer nights, and the approaching autumn.

Kanye West co-produced The Weeknd’s newest single, ”Tell Your Friends,” released earlier this week. “Tell Your Friends” is not full of Kanye’s usual bombastic flair. Instead Kanye and his collaborators take a more subtle approach with a simple piano chord backed by a basic drum pattern. In the video, The Weeknd sings over this minimalist beat as he's buried alive in the middle of a desert. Check it out.

The Weeknd performs at the United Center, Friday Nov. 6. Ticket prices range from $46.70 to $114.31 with Ticketmaster’s fees included. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28, and can be purchased here.