Music Sumo

There is perhaps no better case study of the Internet’s star-making capabilities than the career arc of Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye, better known to us as The Weeknd. Beginning with House of Balloons in March 2011, Tesfaye unleashed 3 mixtapes that circulated like wild fire, thanks to a public endorsement by Drake along the way. One year later, The Weeknd have been confirmed to appear at Coachella 2012, slated for April 13-15 and 20-22 in Indio, CA.

Remarkably, one of the biggest festivals in the US could also be his first ever show in the country. Tesfaye has performed in his hometown of Toronto, but has yet to play a show on American soil. Talk about setting a high standard – it’ll be a long time before he plays for a U.S. crowd larger than his first one.

Coachella is trickling out its 2012 lineup announcement this week, with the first…