Not Kanye, Not Jay-Z… The First Black Artist to Do This at MetLife Is The Weeknd!

When it comes to the pantheon of Black musical excellence, a few names are often dropped immediately: Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, and others who have not only redefined the cultural zeitgeist but also shattered ticket sales records and sold out venues across the globe. So when news broke that The Weeknd had become the first Black artist to sell out MetLife Stadium as a solo headliner, many fans and industry insiders were stunned—not because he isn’t deserving, but because it hadn’t been done before. Not by Kanye. Not by Jay-Z. It was The Weeknd, the enigmatic, genre-bending superstar from Toronto, who reached this milestone first.

This moment marked not only a personal victory for the artist born Abel Tesfaye, but also a broader shift in how Black excellence in alternative and pop music is recognized and celebrated. In this article, we’ll explore how The Weeknd broke through historic boundaries, what this means for the industry, and why this moment is far more than just a sold-out show—it’s a cultural reckoning.

The Significance of MetLife Stadium

Before diving into The Weeknd’s specific achievement, let’s put MetLife Stadium into context. Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife is one of the largest and most prestigious venues in North America. It boasts a capacity of over 82,000 seats and is home to both the New York Giants and New York Jets. In the world of live music, selling out MetLife is a symbol of true stadium-level superstardom.

Few artists ever headline MetLife. Even fewer sell it out. And solo Black artists? That list is even more exclusive. Most of the time, massive events at MetLife are reserved for legacy acts like U2, Bruce Springsteen, or Taylor Swift, or for mega-collaborative tours like On the Run II with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The distinction here is critical: The Weeknd sold out MetLife on his own, as a solo headliner, with no co-bill, no supporting superstars, just Abel Tesfaye and the world he created.

How The Weeknd Became a Global Force

To understand why this moment is so groundbreaking, it’s essential to retrace the path that led The Weeknd here. Unlike many of his contemporaries, The Weeknd didn’t start his career with a major label or media blitz. In fact, his earliest tracks were uploaded anonymously to YouTube, shrouded in mystery. His trilogy of mixtapes—House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence—introduced listeners to a dark, brooding, and often brutal emotional landscape that felt like R&B, but also entirely unlike anything else in the genre.

His early appeal wasn’t mainstream. He wasn’t making pop radio hits; he was crafting emotional soundscapes of sex, drugs, and self-destruction, more akin to the moody introspection of indie artists than to the shiny polish of Top 40 stars. But that’s exactly what drew people in. Slowly, his underground buzz grew into a full-blown global obsession.

When he finally made his official debut with Kiss Land and then followed it with Beauty Behind the Madness, which featured the chart-smashing “Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd had cemented his transformation from cult favorite to mainstream powerhouse.

But still, few expected him to reach Stadium King status—especially not before more established Black artists like Jay-Z or Drake. That was, until he released After Hours.

After Hours and the Reinvention of Pop Stardom

Released in 2020, After Hours was a genre-defying masterpiece that blended synth-pop, R&B, darkwave, and electropop into a sonic and visual world unlike anything else on the charts. The album’s lead single, “Blinding Lights,” became the biggest hit of the decade. It broke multiple Billboard records, became the most-streamed song in Spotify history, and catapulted The Weeknd into another realm of fame.

But perhaps more importantly, The Weeknd became a cultural architect, curating a unique persona and aesthetic that transcended music. His crimson blazer, bloodied face, and noir visuals became symbolic of a larger narrative arc about fame, identity, and isolation. His Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2021—performed in the middle of a pandemic—was one of the most cinematic performances in the event’s history, and was self-funded to the tune of $7 million to preserve his creative vision.

That performance, seen by over 96 million people, was a preview of what was to come. If there were any doubts that The Weeknd could command a stadium on his own, they were buried beneath the lights and spectacle of that show.

The Dawn FM Tour and MetLife Milestone

When The Weeknd launched the “After Hours til Dawn Tour,” fans expected greatness—but what they got was legendary. Blending the neon-drenched world of After Hours with the philosophical, experimental tone of Dawn FM, the tour became a dazzling showcase of everything that made The Weeknd unique: cinematic storytelling, genre fusion, emotional vulnerability, and massive, arena-filling choruses.

MetLife Stadium was one of the most anticipated stops on the tour. And when tickets went on sale, they vanished almost instantly. When the night finally came, over 80,000 fans packed the venue, singing along to every lyric from “Save Your Tears” to “The Hills.” And just like that, The Weeknd became the first Black solo artist to ever sell out MetLife Stadium.

There were no guest appearances. No surprise cameos. Just The Weeknd, on a colossal stage, commanding every heartbeat in the building. It was historic—not only because of the numbers but because of what it symbolized: a shifting definition of Black musical excellence.

A Milestone That Challenges the Norm

For decades, the Black artists who dominated stadiums were primarily those in hip-hop or traditional R&B, usually in collaborative formats or with additional heavy-hitting co-headliners. The idea that someone who came from alternative R&B, embraced synth-pop, and sang about psychological darkness rather than aspirational bravado could fill a stadium was virtually unthinkable.

That’s what makes The Weeknd’s accomplishment so disruptive—and so important. He’s not just the first Black solo artist to headline MetLife; he did it his way, on his own terms, without compromising his vision or fitting into any industry-molded box. He challenged the expectations of what a Black male pop star should look like, sound like, and talk about.

In doing so, he opened the door for more genre-fluid, emotionally honest, and visually daring Black artists to rise without needing to fit the traditional archetypes of either rap superstar or R&B crooner.

Why It Wasn’t Kanye, Jay-Z, or Drake

This moment also invites reflection. How is it that neither Kanye West, with all his avant-garde creativity and cultural impact, nor Jay-Z, with his undisputed legacy and business acumen, ever sold out MetLife solo? Why not Drake, arguably the most commercially successful rapper of the past decade?

The answer lies in the nuances of how their tours are structured, their approach to collaboration, and even the audience demographics they most heavily draw. Many of the biggest MetLife shows by Black artists have been duo tours, or part of festival-style lineups. Others have relied on heavily produced shows with guest artists to bolster ticket sales.

The Weeknd didn’t need a co-star. That’s the key distinction. He became the first to make MetLife his own stage, rather than sharing the spotlight.

Impact on the Next Generation

Now that this ceiling has been shattered, it’s important to ask what comes next. For younger Black artists who dabble in nontraditional genres, from Steve Lacy to SZA, from Tyler, The Creator to Doja Cat, this moment serves as a loud and clear declaration: You can be alternative, experimental, and still headline stadiums.

This is particularly crucial for artists who often feel the pressure to conform to mainstream expectations in order to “make it.” The Weeknd’s MetLife milestone proves that authenticity, even when dark or unconventional, can not only succeed—it can rewrite the rules of the game.

A Moment Etched in History

The phrase “Not Kanye, Not Jay-Z… but The Weeknd” is more than just a clickbait headline. It’s a testament to a changing tide in the music industry. It’s about celebrating a first that took far too long to happen. And it’s about recognizing that greatness can emerge from unexpected places—from a quiet kid in Toronto uploading songs to YouTube, to a stadium-conquering global icon.

What The Weeknd did at MetLife Stadium isn’t just a personal achievement; it’s a historical pivot. It rewrites assumptions about race, genre, and commercial viability. And it plants a flag for the future of music—a future that’s more diverse, more inclusive, and more willing to embrace the unconventional.

So yes, it wasn’t Kanye. It wasn’t Jay-Z. It wasn’t Drake. It was The Weeknd. And in doing so, he didn’t just sell out a stadium—he lit the path for others to follow.