'Kill The Weeknd': Abel Tesfaye plans to retire stage name
MANILA, Philippines — Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd has admitted his plans to retire his stage name and proceed in the future using his real name, Abel Tesfaye.
The Weeknd appeared on the cover story of W Magazine with Lily Rose-Depp, his co-star on the upcoming series "The Idol," where he touched upon his music career moving forward.
"I'm going through a cathartic path right now. It's getting to a place and a time where I'm getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter," said The Weeknd. "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."
The singer added that his untitled follow-up to 2020's "After Hours" and 2022's "Dawn FM" may be his "last hurrah" using The Weeknd as a moniker, "This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I've said everything I can say."
Related: The Weeknd’s Dawn FM is existential sound trip
Abel adopted the stage name The Weeknd in 2010 and rose to global fame following the release of his Grammy-winning second album "Beauty Behind the Madness" in 2015 featuring the songs "Can't Feel My Face," "Earned It," and "In The Night."
He then followed it up with 2016's "Starboy" and the aformentioned "After Hours" and "Dawn FM," releasing hits like "Die For You," "Blinding Lights," "Save Your Tears," "Out of Time," and "Starboy."
Prior to "The Idol," The Weeknd's only prior scripted onscreen appearance was the 2019 Netflix film "Uncut Gems" starring Adam Sandler. Two years later, the singer performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Last March, Guinness World Records awarded The Weeknd as the "most popular artist" in the world after obtaining the records for "most monthly listeners on Spotify" and "first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify."
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