Abel Tesfaye Reflects on Retiring Persona as The Weeknd: ‘It Never Ends Until You End It’
"It's a headspace I've gotta get into that I just don't have any more desire for," Tesfaye explains of his work as The Weeknd.
The Weeknd "Dancing In The Flames"
After almost 16 years spent as The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye says he is considering retiring his famous musical moniker after his upcoming projects.
Tesfaye spoke at length about his experiences with music in recent years as part of a new cover story with Variety, which coincides with the release of his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24. While discussing the journey that led to this new record, Tesfaye looked back to an infamous show at California’s SoFi Stadium in Sept. 2022. Just four songs in, Tesfaye’s failing voice necessitated the cancelation of the gig’s remainder.
As he explains though, a trip to his doctor resulted in nothing out of the ordinary. “And that’s when we came to the realization that it was all up here,” he told the publication while pointing at his head.
It was the combination of factors – ranging from the myriad items on his already-packed schedule to the mental exhaustion – that has since weighed heavily on Tesfaye as he strides toward the release of Hurry Up Tomorrow. Promoted with billboards that teased an impending end, and social posts that indicated his story would conclude with this final ‘chapter’, Variety pushed Tesfaye about what his repeated references “closing this chapter” relate to. “I would say my existence as the Weeknd,” he explains.
“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for,” he continues. “You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
“Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say. Don’t overstay at the party — you can end it now and live a happy life’,” he adds, looking back at his canceled 2022 show. “Put the bow on it: ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’? Now we’re here. When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak? Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot.”
As Tesfaye asserts, though the closing of this chapter may see The Weeknd as fans know it coming to an end, it won’t be the end of music that he makes.
“I don’t think I can stop doing that,” he says. “But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge.
“But I just want to know what comes after,” he adds. “I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
Tesfaye is scheduled to release his sixth studio album as The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24. On May 16, his film of the same name will be released via Lionsgate. Directed by Trey Edward Shults (Waves, It Comes At Night), the film will mark Tesfaye’s feature-starring debut, and serves as something of an extension of the forthcoming album.
