The Weeknd: “GTA Vice City made me discover 80’s music”

Abel Tesfaye, Canadian pop star known universally as The Weeknd, says that GTA Vice City opened the doors to the 80s for him, making him discover the masterpieces of that iconic decade.

The Weeknd has its say on GTA Vice City’s cultural legacy

In the music of The Weeknd – whose real name is Abel Tesfaye – it is easy to glimpse typical 80s cues and sounds. The extensive use of synths, after all, literally marked a generation, and the Canadian pop star has never denied these influences. The second single from After Hours (released in March 2020) is called Blinding Lights and is, according to Bliboard, in the top 100 of the most popular US singles ever.

Abel Tesfaye, Canadian pop star known universally as The Weeknd

In a recent interview with Billboard, taken by the well-known British magazine NME (New Musical Express), The Weeknd spoke openly about his passion for the 80’s. In particular, he stated that he owed a lot to the musical universe contained in Grand Theft Auto:

“GTA Vice City, as a child, introduced me to a lot of music from the 80s. In fact, in the studio, picking up those sounds, I was pervaded by a sense of nostalgia. I felt like I went back to when as a child I drove the streets of Vice City listening to Michael Jackson and Hall & Oates “

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a game released in 2002, set in an 80’s Miami. Like all video games in the GTA saga it is strongly characterized by playlists containing musical masterpieces. After all, little Abel Tesfaye, born in 1990, was only 12 when the game went crazy on PC and PlayStation 2. GTA Vice City is part of the recent remastered release of RockStar Games, which revived the original trilogy with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. Meanwhile The Weeknd is enjoying the global success of After Hours and preparing for the next one world tour scheduled for 2022.