With every step of The Weeknd’s brief but bountiful ride thus far, the Canadian singer/songwriter born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye has consistently stepped up in his game to the point of leading the entire alternative R&B charge. First up was his feverishly received mixtapes series, followed by a trio of standard studio albums that launched tours of increasingly sizeable scope, and specifically related to Chicago somewhere in between, a co-headlining Lollapalooza slot opposite Paul McCartney.

Following that final collaboration, The Weeknd really ramped up the action, fusing The Romantics/Tears For Fears sample-laden “Secrets” with the mega-popular “Can’t Feel My Face,” followed by the equally contagious “I Feel It Coming” as if he stepped straight out of Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall” era.

Yet his “Starboy- Legend Of The Fall” outing could very well be grander than all of the above combined, packing out all 360 degrees of the Allstate Arena (who’s security was noticeably heightened in the wake of the Manchester terrorist attacks) with a spaceship-like set featuring projections to match the many moods of the extravaganza. As the rocket-styled panels aimed towards the venue’s ceiling, The Weeknd popped up below its epicenter to the soulful dance pop explosions of “Starboy” and “Party Monster,” racing around the runway while his nimble band held down the groove on center stage.

From there, the 27-year-old repeatedly revealed how he’s managed to sell more than 16 million singles, collect two Grammy Awards and snag an Academy Award nomination, flexing his vocal chops on the smooth R&B of both “True Colors” and “Angel,” shifting to the retro/futuristic melting pot “In The Night” and the sophisticated club banger “Rockin’.” The headliner was also generous in sharing the spotlight with his opening acts, bringing out Belly for his own “Might Not,” 6lack on his original “PRBLMS” and Rae Sremmurd to deliver their breakthrough “Black Beatles.”

Following that final collaboration, The Weeknd really ramped up the action, fusing The Romantics/Tears For Fears sample-laden “Secrets” with the mega-popular “Can’t Feel My Face,” followed by the equally contagious “I Feel It Coming” as if he stepped straight out of Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall” era. Whether or not he’ll ever be crowned with a royal title is up for debate, but if “one of the loudest, if not the loudest” crowds he’s ever heard has any say, they may very well have seen a “Legend” in the making.

---

Click here for more photos of The Weeknd from the Allstate Arena.

For additional information on The Weeknd visit TheWeeknd.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Allstate Arena include Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull (Jun. 3); Tool (Jun. 8); New Kids On The Block, Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men (Jun. 15 and 16); B96 Pepsi Summer Bash (Jun. 24); Barry Manilow (Jul. 29); Shawn Mendes (Aug. 3); Hans Zimmer (Aug. 4); Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Aug. 31 and Sept. 1); Ed Sheeran (Sept. 15 and 16); Scorpions (Sept. 23); Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull (Oct. 7); Janet Jackson (Oct. 26) and Halsey (Nov. 19). For additional details, visit Rosemont.com/Allstate/, LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com.