XO (record label)


XO is a Canadian record label co-founded by singer The Weeknd, his creative director La Mar Taylor and his manager Amir "Cash" Esmailian. Wassim "Sal" Slaiby serves as CEO. As of 2012, it operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Republic Records. The label's current acts include The Weeknd, Belly, Nav, and Black Atlass. 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.

History

XO was created by Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd, as an unofficial imprint to release three mixtapes in 2011. The three releases, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, helped grow the singer's profile, and began promoting the "XO" moniker through various on-stage performances and references within songs. The Weeknd also began conducting advertising deals via the label to multiple outlets, namely collaborating with PAX Labs to release a limited edition version of the PAX 2 vaporizer, an electronic cigarette that could be used in shows during The Madness Fall Tour.
Upon securing a major recording contract with Republic Records in 2012, XO was also assumed as a subsidiary of Republic, and also acted as the distributors and manufacturers of any music created by XO. Belly was signed as the label's first artist in 2015, and Derek Wise was signed later that year. Nav was signed by the label in 2016. Upon entering classification as a subsidiary, the label has released seven projects by their artists.
On February 8, 2018, Montreal-born singer Black Atlass released a new song, "My Life", distributed by XO Records. Black Atlass had previously appeared alongside The Weeknd in his "Secrets" music video and in some ads involving the Puma x XO collections that dropped in 2017.
XO signed 88Glam in 2018, following the independent release of their self-titled mixtape. 88Glam departed from XO in 2020.

Roster

Current acts

Former acts

In-house producers

The label has officially released eleven studio albums, two EPs, and two compilation albums. Unofficially, the label has released eleven mixtapes.

Studio albums

EPs

Compilation albums

Mixtapes