JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Is The Weeknd Retiring After Mental Breakdown? 'Popular' Singer Reflects on Career Turning Point
The Weeknd opens up on retirement plans following a mental breakdown. Read on to know what the R&B singer said.
The Weeknd is rethinking the image of himself he presents to the public after a mental health battle that has immensely impacted his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow.
In his latest Variety cover, the Blinding Lights hitmaker, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, said a "mental breakdown" made him reevaluate everything around his music and the stress that came with it.
Tesfaye told the publication that he knew he "really needed" to think and figure out his life. He said, "To understand what happened, face it, learn something new, and start again. I’d had a kind of a mental breakdown, which is pretty much what this new album’s about."
In retrospect, the Starboy singer thinks this turning point in his career began during his 2022 tour when he lost his voice in the middle of a performance at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium. This also forced him to reschedule the show. To Abel, this was "the last straw," which left him feeling defeated as he reflected on the intense self-imposed expectations of his career.
This experience not only molded his new album but also shaped his mind towards considering retiring from the stage name The Weeknd. Tesfaye said that he had already said enough as the persona and had even considered closing out on a high note. He said, "When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak?"
Tesfaye, however, has clarified that this is not the end of his music career because, despite evolving within his public persona, he is looking for something new. The Grammy-winning hitmaker said, "I don’t think I can stop doing that. But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered."
The final installment in Abel Tesfaye's trilogy Hurry Up Tomorrow arrives on January 24, 2025.
ALSO READ: The Weeknd’s New Album Hurry Up Tomorrow: Here’s Everything All We Know
Latest Articles
