His full interview with Jimmy Fallon airs tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET.
The Weeknd and Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'
The Weeknd says Tom Cruise did him a solid with the actor’s lip-sync performance of “Can’t Feel My Face,” the singer says during his first-ever interview on The Tonight Show Thursday (May 15) in an exclusive Billboard preview clip.
Host Jimmy Fallon told The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) one of the first times his late-night talk show used one of his songs was in 2015 during a Lip Sync Battle segment featuring Cruise, who praised the singer as being “enormously talented” before launching into his performance of “Can’t Feel My Face.”
“I definitely saw that. It actually helped the song,” said The Weeknd. “It helped it peak to the record-breaking top, thanks to him obviously.” “Can’t Feel My Face,” the third single from his sophomore album Beauty Behind the Madness, became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 a decade ago.
The Weeknd’s full Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon interview — his first sit-down late-night interview — airs in full tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC, and streaming on Peacock. The Weeknd is promoting his upcoming feature film Hurry Up Tomorrow, based on his album of the same name, out in theaters on Friday.
Watch a preview clip exclusively on Billboard before.
This article first appeared on Billboard U.S.
Charlotte Cardin is the first artist announced for the Billboard global initiative, which is coming to Canada for the first time in 2025. The series of artist-led conversations will take place in June at NXNE in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Billboard is bringing a major global initiative to Canada.
The inaugural Billboard Summit will bring some of the world’s biggest artists to Toronto's NXNE Festival for a series of dynamic, artist-led conversations.
The full-day event will go beyond industry panel conversations to centre musicians talking about what they’re most passionate about: their processes, collaborations and breakthroughs.
Charlotte Cardin is the first artist announced to join the Summit. The Montreal-based singer and songwriter has had an international breakout over the last few years, charting on multiple Billboard charts and touring throughout Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Her global rise led from Billboard Canada Women in Music, where she was named Woman of the Year in 2024, to the global Billboard Women in Music stage in Los Angeles this past March, where she represented Canada as Global Woman of the Year.
Cardin will speak on the topic of Breaking Through Barriers, sharing experiences and moments that have defined her career, offering inspiration to anyone striving to push boundaries.
Other soon-to-be-announced names will include artists from around the world – from trailblazing Canadians who’ve built influential brands that have resonated across borders to international artists who’ve set chart and live music records throughout the globe.
“I’m excited to welcome this global Billboard event to Canada,” says Richard Trapunski, National Editor of Billboard Canada. “It’s rare to get this kind of unfiltered access to the level of talent and the ideas they’ll bring to the Billboard Summit this summer. There’s nothing else like it in Toronto.”
The Billboard Summit will take place at TIFF Lightbox, the headquarters of the Toronto International Film Festival – a pivotal spot for Oscar-winning movies to launch and A-list cultural icons to gather each year.
The Summit is also in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). It’s a knowledge-driven experience designed for aspiring artists, industry professionals and music enthusiasts. The event will be free to attend for TMU students, and the event will also be open to the public and industry leaders – a must-attend for anyone looking to expand their network, gain insights and be inspired by groundbreaking conversations.
“The Billboard Summit isn’t just an event – it’s where the future of music is being written in real time,” says Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews, Professor of Creative Industries at TMU. “With top-tier artists and executives under one roof, this is your front-row seat to the insights and connections shaping the industry today. This carefully curated experience is unprecedented in our industry.”
Stay tuned for the full programming announcement, featuring an exciting lineup of diverse voices and thought-provoking speakers.
Billboard Canada’s parent company AMG co-owns NXNE and its brands are official media partners of NXNE.
Billboard Summit @ NXNE community partners include FACTOR Canada, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio Canada, Ardene, Unison Fund, C2 Montreal, Amazon Music Canada and Amazon Prime.