XO (also known as XO Records)[1][2] is a Canadian record label founded by singer the Weeknd, his managers Wassim Slaiby and Amir "Cash" Esmailian, and his creative director La Mar Taylor.[3] Slaiby also serves as the CEO.[4] As of 2012, it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed through Republic Records.[5]
| XO | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Universal Music Group |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Republic Records |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | Canada |
The label's current acts include the Weeknd, Belly, Nav and Chxrry22. The label has had six projects debut at number one on the Billboard 200: Beauty Behind The Madness, Starboy, My Dear Melancholy, Bad Habits, After Hours and Good Intentions, with the latter two both achieving this in the first half of 2020.[6]
History
editIn 2011, the Weeknd, Wassim Slaiby, Amir Esmailian and La Mar Taylor founded XO as an unofficial imprint to release the Weeknd's three mixtapes; House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The mixtapes earned the Weeknd a following and recognition from mainstream publications, and helped grow the record label's reputation through various performances, song references and business ventures.[7]
The meaning of "XO" has been debated by fans over time. Many fans argued that it means "hugs and kisses", whereas other fans argued that it stands for ecstasy and oxycontin. During the Weeknd’s early uprising of his career, he would occasionally record music under the influence of drugs, stating, "There were songs on my first record that were seven minutes long."[8]
When the Weeknd signed with Republic Records in 2012, XO was assumed as a subsidiary label. In 2015, rappers Belly and Derek Wise were signed to XO. In 2016, rapper Nav joined the label's roster. XO signed hip hop duo 88Glam in 2017,[9] following the independent release of their self-titled mixtape.[10] The duo left the label in 2020.[11] Singer Black Atlass joined in 2018, he left the label in 2022.[12][13] Singer Chxrry22 joined in 2022, becoming the first female artist signed to XO.[14]
On June 6, 2018, the Weeknd announced his new radio show Memento Mori run by the label on Apple Music 1. The first show aired on June 8, 2018, where the Weeknd would play a mixture of songs that have influenced him in the music scene. Often, he would invite his fellow XO members as well for other musicians as guests to host their own episodes in the scene to share their own taste in music. Each episode is run in the span of 2–3 hours.[15]
Roster
editCurrent acts
edit| Act | Year signed |
Releases under the label |
|---|---|---|
| The Weeknd | Founder | 12 |
| Belly | 2015 | 7 |
| Nav | 2016 | 7 |
| Chxrry22 | 2022 | 2 |
| LEEKO | 2025 | COMING UP |
Former acts
edit| Act | Year signed |
Releases under the label |
|---|---|---|
| 88Glam | 2017–2020 | 2 |
| Black Atlass | 2018–2022 | 2 |
In-house producers
edit| Act | Year |
|---|---|
| Illangelo[16] | 2011 |
| DaHeala[17] | 2013 |
| DannyBoyStyles[18] | 2013 |
| Belly[18] | 2013 |
| Nav[19] | 2016 |
Discography
editXO has officially released thirteen studio albums, four EPs, and four compilation albums (including two greatest hits albums). Unofficially, the label has released thirteen mixtapes.
Studio albums
edit| Year | Album details | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Weeknd – Kiss Land |
|
| 2015 | The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness
|
|
| 2016 | The Weeknd – Starboy
|
|
| 2018 | Nav – Reckless
|
|
Black Atlass – Pain and Pleasure
|
| |
Belly – Immigrant
|
| |
88Glam – 88Glam2
|
| |
| 2019 | Nav – Bad Habits
|
|
| 2020 | The Weeknd – After Hours
|
|
88Glam – Close to Heaven Far from God
|
| |
Black Atlass – Dream Awake[24]
|
| |
Nav – Good Intentions[25]
|
| |
| 2021 | Belly – See You Next Wednesday[26]
|
|
| 2022 | The Weeknd – Dawn FM
|
|
| 2022 | Nav – Demons Protected by Angels
|
|
| TBA | The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow
|
|
EPs
edit| Year | EP details | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Weeknd – My Dear Melancholy,
|
|
| 2019 | Nav – Brown Boy[27]
|
|
| 2022 | Chxrry22 – The Other Side
|
|
| 2023 | Chxrry22 – Siren
|
|
Compilation albums
edit| Year | Album details | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Weeknd – Trilogy
|
|
| 2018 | The Weeknd – The Weeknd in Japan
|
|
2021
|
The Weeknd – The Highlights
|
|
| 2023 | The Weeknd – Live at SoFi Stadium
|
|
Mixtapes
edit| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2011 | The Weeknd – House of Balloons
|
The Weeknd – Thursday
| |
The Weeknd – Echoes of Silence
| |
| 2015 | Belly – Up For Days
|
| 2016 | Belly – Another Day in Paradise
|
Belly – Inzombia
| |
| 2017 | Nav – Nav
|
Nav and Metro Boomin – Perfect Timing
| |
Belly – Mumble Rap
| |
88Glam – 88Glam
| |
| 2020 | Nav – Brown Boy 2
|
Nav – Emergency Tsunami
| |
| 2023 | Belly – Mumble Rap 2
|
References
edit- ^ "Who Is Signed To XO? Dissecting The Weeknd's Canadian Collective". Umusic. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ "The Weeknd (@theweeknd)". Instagram. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ "The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl". Billboard. 2021.
- ^ "XO Records CEO Wassim 'SAL' Slaiby Cancels Annual Birthday Party Due to California Wildfires". Billboard. November 15, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ "Republic Records". universalmusic.com. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ Keating, Lauren (November 4, 2015). "The Weeknd Launches A Vape That Plays His Hit Single 'The Hills' As You Smoke". Tech Times. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ Jr, Robert Yaniz (February 13, 2021). "Why Do The Weeknd Fans Call Themselves the 'XO Crew'?". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ "88GLAM ANNOUNCE FIRST HEADLINING CANADIAN TOUR". Umusic. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
- ^ a b Berry, Peter. "88GLAM SIGN TO XO RECORDS, DROP '88GLAM: RELOADED' PROJECT". XXL. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ Gheciu, Alex Nino. "88GLAM Talk 'New Mania,' Leaving XO, and That 'Independent Flex'". Complex. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- ^ Goddard, Kevin. "Did The Weeknd Sign R&B Singer Black Atlass To XO Records?". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ Marsh, Ryan. "The Weeknd signs Black Atlass to XO Records". Rap Wave. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ Pavlakos, Louis (October 3, 2022). "Newest XO Signee Chxrry22 Releases the Other Side EP". Complex. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Penrose, Nerisha (June 6, 2018). "The Weeknd Announces New Beats 1 Radio Show Memento Mori". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ "The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl". Billboard. 2011.
- ^ "The Weeknd Co-Manager SAL Joins Guy Oseary's Maverick: Exclusive". Billboard. 2016.
- ^ a b "DannyBoyStyles, Producer for Beyonce, The Weeknd & Belly, On His Rise to Grammy Success". Billboard. 2017.
- ^ "Who Is Signed To XO? Dissecting The Weeknd's Canadian Collective". October 24, 2017. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
- ^ "Kiss Land by The Weeknd on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Beauty Behind the Madness by The Weeknd on iTunes". iTunes Store. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Lynch, John (September 22, 2016). "The Weeknd released a new single with Daft Punk and revealed a release date for his album". Business Insider. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Pain & Pleasure by Black Atlass on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Black Atlass Announces 'Dream Awake' Album". exclaim.ca. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ "NAV ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM 'GOOD INTENTIONS'". Rap-Up. April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ Grant, Shawn (August 21, 2021). "Belly Set to Drop 'See You Next Wednesday' Album on August 27". The Source. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ Giulione, Bianca (March 14, 2019). "NAV's 'Brown Boy' EP Surprise Released by Cash XO". Highsnobiety. Retrieved March 16, 2019.