For the millions of XO fans worldwide, Abel Tesfaye—known universally as The Weeknd—is more than just a pop star. He is an architect of atmosphere, a curator of nocturnal melancholy. While his studio albums (Trilogy, Beauty Behind the Madness, After Hours, and Dawn FM) are polished monuments to his genius, there exists a shadowy, parallel universe that hardcore fans obsess over: the world of unreleased The Weeknd songs.
These tracks are the holy grail of the fanbase. They offer a raw, unfiltered look at the creative process. From his gritty, mixtape-era demos to the synth-heavy outtakes from Starboy and emotional cuts that didn’t make After Hours, the unreleased catalog proves that even Abel’s "throwaways" are better than most artists’ hits.
In this article, we will explore the history, the most sought-after leaks, the legal battles, and how you can navigate the deep web of The Weeknd’s lost discography.
When The Weeknd linked with Daft Punk, the world expected a full collaborative album. Instead, we got two tracks: "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming." However, session tapes reveal at least four other unreleased The Weeknd songs produced by the robotic duo.
The most circulated is "Take Me Back to LA" —a surprisingly slow, vocoder-heavy track that feels like Random Access Memories meets Trilogy. Another is "On Top," a minimal funk groove that was scrapped because it sounded "too much like a Discovery B-side." Until Daft Punk's unreleased archives open (if ever), these low-quality snippets are all fans have. They remain the white whales of Weeknd collectors.
It is important to note that listening to unreleased The Weeknd songs usually requires accessing pirated content or YouTube re-uploads that get striked within hours. While hardcore fans argue that "if the artist didn't want us to hear it, they shouldn't have recorded it," the legal reality is harsh. The Weeknd’s team (Universal Music and XO) aggressively scrubs the internet of these tracks. Unreleased The Weeknd Songs
However, a curious trend has emerged: Abel has admitted in interviews that he "accidentally" listens to his own leaks online. Furthermore, he has occasionally performed unreleased songs live—like "Hold Your Heart" during the After Hours tour—implying that he sees the leaks as a focus group.
This is where things get messy. As The Weeknd transitioned into a pop juggernaut with "Can’t Feel My Face," his unreleased catalog exploded in genre diversity. The Max Martin sessions produced dozens of unreleased The Weeknd songs that sound like pure 80s pop—too saccharine for the dark R&B vibe of the final album.
Key leaks from this era include "Patient" (a melancholic piano ballad), "Insomnia" (which shares DNA with "In the Night"), and the infamous "For Your Eyes Only" . This latter track is perhaps the most controversial leak of his career, as it featured an uncredited interpolation of a major pop hit, leading to its immediate shelving due to legal threats.
Fans argue that the unreleased The Weeknd songs from 2014-2015 are the most emotionally transparent. Without the pressure of radio singles, Abel sings about his crumbling relationship with Bella Hadid in explicit, uncomfortable detail.
As The Weeknd closes the chapter on his "new trilogy" (After Hours, Dawn FM, and the upcoming final album), speculation is rampant. Will he clear his vault for an anniversary box set? Will AI be used to restore unfinished demos? Or will these songs remain buried, only to surface in 2045 as lost digital artifacts? For the millions of XO fans worldwide, Abel
For now, the hunt continues. Subreddits like r/TheWeekndLeaks and obscure Discord servers trade files with the secrecy of spy novelists. Every few months, a new cache of unreleased The Weeknd songs drops, sending the fandom into a frenzy.
One thing is certain: Abel Tesfaye could release nothing but B-sides for the next decade and still have a career. Because in the world of pop music, nobody has a trash can as fascinating as The Weeknd’s.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The author does not condone piracy or copyright infringement. Always support artists by streaming official releases.
Kiss Land was The Weeknd’s first studio album, a commercial risk that leaned into horror movie aesthetics. The recording sessions in Japan and America produced nearly 30 tracks, but only 10 made the album.
The Lost Tapes:
Before Trilogy was a compilation, it was three separate mixtapes. However, the original sessions for House of Balloons were chaotic and prolific. Dozens of songs were recorded in that tiny, rented apartment in Toronto that never saw the light of day.
Key Unreleased Tracks from this Era:
These early leaks are rough. You can hear the clipping in the microphones and the cheap reverb plugins. But that grit is precisely why fans love them.
It is crucial to mention the ethical perspective. The Weeknd, like many artists, despises leaks. In a 2013 interview, he called leaking "artistic theft." In 2020, his team successfully sued several online forums for distributing "Hold Your Heart" before its official release.
When you listen to unreleased material, you are often hearing unfinished work. Abel has stated that he sometimes abandons songs because the mix is wrong or the lyrics aren't honest enough. Hearing these moments can feel invasive. However, for the academic fan, these tracks show the craft behind the curtain. When The Weeknd linked with Daft Punk, the