The Weeknd Says Deftones Inspired His Music

Pop star The Weeknd is best known for his irresistibly singable R&B and synth-pop jams such as “The Hills” and “Save Your Tears,” the former of which has racked up over one billion YouTube views. But the Canadian-born singer, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, credits an unexpected influence on his early material on top of the Prince and Michael Jackson you’d expect: Deftones.

The Weeknd took to Twitter earlier this week to credit the Sacramento metal act for inspiration on Trilogy, his 2012 release composed of re-mixed and remastered versions of his 2011 mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, and three previously-unreleased songs.

“DEFTONES HUGE INSPO DURING TRILGOY [sic] ERA,” he tweeted, hashtagging Memento Mori, his Apple Beats radio show.

We’ll embed Trilogy below, and it’s not difficult to hear the influence, mostly in the atmospherics that have become a trademark part of Deftones’ sound. Give it a spin!

[via Metal Injection]