Abel Tesfaye may quickly be the artist previously often known as The Weeknd. As he enters the subsequent part of his Hollywood profession with HBO’s The idol, the “Blinding Lights” singer hinted that he needed to “kill” his stage identify. Tesfaye, 33, plans to proceed making music, however he may achieve this underneath a special identify.
In a brand new interview with W Journal, Tesfaye stated he was now on a “cathartic journey”. “I am coming to a spot and a time the place I am on the brink of shut the Weeknd chapter,” the singer stated. “I will at all times do music, perhaps as Abel, perhaps as The Weeknd. However I nonetheless wish to kill The Weeknd. And I’ll. Ultimately. I am undoubtedly making an attempt to do away with that pores and skin and be reborn.”
Tesfaye is at the moment engaged on a brand new album, which will probably be launched as The Weeknd when prepared. This might be the top of a trilogy he began with after hours in 2020 and continued with Daybreak FM Final 12 months. Though visuals have at all times been part of The Weeknd’s work, the music movies for these two albums have change into an essential a part of each inventive assertion.
“Visuals are very important to my profession,” stated Tesfaye W Journal. “The album I am engaged on proper now might be my final hurrah as The Weeknd. It is one thing I’ve to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve stated every part I can say.”
Elsewhere within the interview, Tesfaye talked about how troublesome it was for him to change between two roles, The Weeknd and his The idol character, Tedros. He was nonetheless engaged on the present whereas wrapping up his fall 2022 tour. Elements of his September 2 present at SoFi Stadium have been even filmed for The idol, together with his co-star Lily-Rose Depp becoming a member of him on stage. “I needed to take off the Weeknd outfit, placed on Tedros’ wig, tour with Jocelyn, after which return to being The Weeknd,” he defined. “It was laborious to go from one head to a different.”
In the course of the September 3 present, Tesfaye informed the gang that he had misplaced his voice and needed to cease the efficiency. Followers have been supplied a refund, or they might preserve their tickets for the rescheduled present. It returned to SoFi Stadium for performances on November 26 and 27. Tesfaye thinks he could have misplaced his voice as a result of he forgot methods to sing after taking part in Tedros.
“I could also be this too deeply, nevertheless it was terrifying,” he stated. “As The Weeknd, I by no means skipped a gig. I carried out with the flu. I’ll die on that stage. However there was one thing very sophisticated happening in my head on the time.”
Tesfaye created The idol with Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. Tedros is a self-help guru who leads a cult. Depp performs Joselyn, an aspiring pop idol who begins a relationship with Tedros after a nervous breakdown forces her to cancel a tour. Amy Seimetz was the unique director, however she abruptly left the present after about 80% had been filmed. Levinson then took over as director and remade a lot of the sequence. The sequence will premiere on the Cannes Movie Pageant this month earlier than premiering on HBO on June 4.