The Weeknd makes dramatic ‘retirement’ U-turn

The Weeknd has declared he is “not going anywhere” after abandoning plans to retire his world-famous stage persona and admitting stepping away from music is no longer something he wants.

The Canadian singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, 36, had previously suggested Hurry Up Tomorrow could bring the curtain down on The Weeknd identity after a five-year creative period encompassing three albums, television, film and his sprawling After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour.

But Abel has now told GQ Hong Kong he intends only to “hibernate” after completing the tour’s final Asian leg, which concludes with two sold-out concerts in Kuala Lumpur on 4 and 5 November.

Explaining what he meant when he talked about disappearing, Abel said: “Disappearing simply means finally taking some time to focus all my energy on one project instead of juggling multiple things.”

He added: “This past five years for me has been creating four concept albums, countless music videos, a TV show, a feature film, and I’m still out here on a massive world tour spanning years. I think disappearing for a little while is well earned.”

Abel went on: “I’m not stepping away from anything. I’m just hibernating.

“I’m not going anywhere. My fans know I’ve shed my skin multiple times throughout my career. I was telling one story from 2020 until now, and that story has reached its conclusion. But that’s only the 2020 story.”

The comments mark a reversal after Abel repeatedly raised the prospect of ending The Weeknd persona as he approached the conclusion of the trilogy formed by After Hours, Dawn FM and Hurry Up Tomorrow.

He said the inspiration he had experienced during the past year had ultimately convinced him that retirement was not for him.

Abel added: “At one point I thought, ‘What if I just stopped?’ But then I realised what a waste all of that inspiration would be.

“I can’t let that happen. I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me. It’s a real privilege to do what I do. There’s nothing else like this job. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year has been overwhelming. I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I possibly can. The Weeknd isn’t going anywhere.”

Abel had already publicly signalled his change of heart during an After Hours Til Dawn concert in Stockholm in August.

He told the crowd: “I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you.”

The decision extends a career in which Abel has repeatedly reinvented The Weeknd, beginning with the mysterious online release of music that formed his House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence mixtapes.