The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye‘s alter ego, has been a major force in the music business for more than a decade; but it seems the alter ego may soon be retiring.
“The Idol” actor and co-creator recently spoke to W Magazine about his ambitions to release new music while going into great detail about the making of his next musical drama, which will air on HBO later this June.
“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he told the publication. “I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
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Abel has previously discussed a complex release schedule for his upcoming album and made suggestions regarding the conclusion of a trilogy that already includes the albums After Hours and Dawn FM. Though the specifics of those plans have not been entirely confirmed yet, the GRAMMY Award winner has stated that “the album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd… This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
The singer elaborated on the topic of alter egos by discussing the difficulties he faced juggling his time as The Weeknd with playing Tedros, a cult leader in the new HBO series that also stars Lily Rose-Depp.
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He continued, saying that the overlap contributed to his having to postpone a second show in Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium after losing his voice. “It was tough to go from one head to another,” he added.
“That’s never happened before,” he shared. “My theory is that I forgot how to sing because I was playing Tedros, a character who doesn’t know how to sing. I may be looking too deeply into this, but it was terrifying. As The Weeknd, I’ve never skipped a concert. I’ve performed with the flu. I’ll die on that stage. But there was something very complicated going on with my mind at that moment.”
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The idea of there no longer being The Weeknd is a hard one to process but we know that the closing of one chapter may be the start of something new! Regardless, we’re looking forward to Abel’s new artistic direction.
Let us know your thoughts on The Weeknd’s upcoming retirement by leaving a reaction below or sending us a DM on Instagram @celebsecrets.
