"It could also just be a rebirth" — The Weeknd to seemingly stick to his stage moniker after initially announcing its retirement

Canadian singer The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, seemingly backtracked on his initial announcement of retiring his stage persona. While discussing his upcoming film, Hurry Up Tomorrow (companion to the namesake album) with Entertainment Weekly at this year's CinemaCon, the artist shared a glimpse into his reasoning.

In recent months, Tesfaye has frequently suggested that the said project would mark his last release under his beloved alter ego. This includes his New York Times interview last week.

However, during his interview with EW (published in May 2025), Abel explained it was not quite the moniker's death. Elaborating on this thinking, the musician explained that while Hurry Up Tomorrow felt like a final nail in the coffin for the character, it could also be a "rebirth," stating:

"It feels like (the end of The Weeknd). I mean, I've kind of toyed with the idea in the past with albums. But it could also just be a rebirth. Who knows?"

"I just want to know what comes after" — The Weeknd about mastering his alter ego and wanting to reinvent himself

The Weeknd's film and album Hurry Up Tomorrow were inspired by Abel's experience during a 2022 concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (After Hours Til Dawn tour), where he lost his voice mid-show. The artist translated the harrowing ordeal into the two projects.

During the album's release in January 2025, Tesfaye told Variety that his voice cracked mid-concert, prompting him to end the performance. His doctor would later tell him there was "nothing wrong" and his vocal cords were just "inflamed." Pointing to his head, he held out the outlet.

"And that's when we came to the realization that it was all up here."

He continued to explain that it stemmed from "a lot of self-imposed pressure" and stress. At the time, he was juggling between his tour (often flying between coasts) and shooting for his TV show The Idol.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Abel (@theweeknd)

It is worth noting that the project also concluded the album trilogy that began with 2020’s After Hours, followed by 2022’s Dawn FM. At the time, the Blinding Lights hitmaker hinted that the trilogy's finish would also reflect a broader chapter close. When asked to elaborate, Tesfaye asserted it referenced his "existence as the Weeknd." Speaking of the alter ego, he told Variety:

"It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for."

He continued:

"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."

Notably, songs from the album like Red Terror, Give Me Mercy, Drive, and Hurry Up Tomorrow dealt with subjects like resurrection, rebirth, change, and self-love.

Abel elaborated that for him "everything need(ed) to feel like a challenge." He added that the alter ego had been "mastered." He told the publication:

"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. I want to know what tomorrow looks like."

In the movie Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Weeknd plays a fictionalized version of himself (also named Abel)—an insomnia-wrecked musician who is taken on a wild ride by alluring stranger Anima (played by Jenna Ortega). Meanwhile, Barry Keoghan features as Abel's manager, Lee.

In February, the film's director, Trey Edward Shults, told EW that it was "absolutely" a possibility that the psychological thriller would mark the last hurrah for the Weeknd moniker. He told the outlet:

"I tried to make the movie in a way where, for his fans and people who want to approach it at that level, I hope it's very satisfying and you get a good meal out of it."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Hurry Up Tomorrow (@hurryuptomorrowmovie)

He added:

"And for people that aren't his fans and don't know anything about him or even care about the final capping of the Weeknd, I think you still have a great movie to go through."

Notably, during his May 2023 sit-down with W Magazine, the musician noted that he felt it was time to "close the chapter" on the moniker, expressing his desire to reinvent himself as a musician. He elaborated that while he would still continue making music, he still wanted to "kill" The Weeknd.

Around the same time, NBC News reported that the musician changed his name on social media to Abel Tesfaye while still keeping his handles as The Weeknd.

Hurry Up Tomorrow is set to hit cinemas this Friday (May 16).