While U.S. musicians struggle to get by, a vast system of government grants keeps the Canadian music scene pumping out the hits. And it turns out, a vibrant music scene is a very good thing for a country to have.
Six years ago, Abel Tesfaye was just another musician making mixtapes and distributing songs for free on YouTube. Then Drake tweeted about him, fans went nuts, and—as the rock lore so often goes—he ascended from virtually nowhere to claim the celebrity throne. In February, Tesfaye—now far better known by his stage name, The Weeknd—was nominated for five Grammies and won two, including best R&B song for “Earned It,” originally written for the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, and best R&B album for Beauty Behind the Madness, which included that song and two more, “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” both also top Billboard hits.
