Apple Tesfaye

Updated Jan 17, 2025 at 01:30PM EST by zerotohero.

Added Dec 03, 2024 at 11:25AM EST by zerotohero.

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About

The Apple Tesfaye meme emerged in November 2024 within the r/TheWeeknd ^[1] subreddit. It humorously merges Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, with a stock image of an apple, playing off of his association with Apple in the rollout of his upcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. The meme gained traction after a series of user interactions, culminating in a photoshopped image that blends Abel’s face with a stock image of an apple. The meme is notable for its blend of internet culture and the pop star's relationship with the tech giant.

Origin

The meme began on November 12, 2024, in r/TheWeeknd, when user r/Calvin_Kleenex ^[2] shared a post referencing a Twitter user who had called Abel Tesfaye "Apple Tesfaye." The post mentioned Abel's recent collaborations with Apple, particularly the “Dancing in the Flames” video filmed on an iPhone 16 Pro and the “Open Hearts Vision Pro exclusive video” for his album rollout. The meme quickly escalated when user r/platinumtwix ^[3] requested someone to create a photoshopped image featuring Abel's face from his "Save Your Tears" music video. Responding to the request, user u/zerotohero2024 ^[4] posted a montage combining an Apple product with Abel’s face, giving birth to the Apple Tesfaye meme.

Spread

Following its creation, the meme gained traction quickly within the subreddit, with users creating variations of the Apple Tesfaye image. The meme spread outside the subreddit as it was shared across social media platforms, particularly Twitter and Instagram, where fans of The Weeknd and tech enthusiasts joined in on the joke.

The meme's popularity grew further when the r/TheWeeknd subreddit changed their icon to "Apple Tesfaye" on November 22, 2024, further cementing its place in the community’s culture. ^[5]

Search Interest

Following the meme’s rise in popularity, the search interest in "Apple Tesfaye" saw a notable spike on platforms like Google Trends, reflecting the viral nature of the meme.