Prince

The Weeknd isn’t shy in naming Prince as a massive influence, and that’s nowhere more evident than in Prince’s singing and songwriting styles. He could go from sexy to innocent, funny to seductive, desperate and mysterious — and always sincere. Same with the Weeknd.

When it comes to songwriting, both know how to use the tools at their disposal — intros, outros, bridges, chord changes and samples in both the melody and lyrics. Incidentally, the Weeknd and Prince made plans to collaborate and record in the late musician's Paisley Park studio before he died; Prince’s last TV appearance was in November 2015 when he awarded Tesfaye with an American Music Award.