The Weeknd is set to release his new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on January 24, and it could be the final one under that moniker.
In a new interview with Variety, the Canadian star (real name Abel Tesfaye) discusses "closing this chapter." When asked if by that he means his After Hours trilogy, which includes 2020's After Hours, 2022's Dawn FM, and the upcoming Hurry Up Tomorrow, he indicates that it goes beyond the three-album arc.
“I would say my existence as the Weeknd,” he replies after a pause.
“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for," he continues. "I feel like it comes with so much ... 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.”
Variety points out that a key moment on September 3, 2022 may have decided The Weeknd's fate: when Tesfaye suddenly lost his ability to sing during the final date of his After Hours Til Dawn North American Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
“Part of me actually was thinking, ‘You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say. Don’t overstay at the party — you can end it now and live a happy life. You know? Put the bow on it: ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’? Now we’re here," Tesfaye explains. "When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak? Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot.”
Hurry Up Tomorrow, which will be accompanied by a theatrical film of the same name starring Barry Keoghan and Jenna Ortega (out May 16), concludes the trilogy, which all together, Tesfaye explains, tells a semi-autobiographical narrative “touching on a kind of purgatory and getting to the darkest part until you find the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The album is set to explore different sounds than the Weeknd's previous albums, notably "classic R&B, straight pop, acoustic guitars, fast beats and an epic, sweeping song, probably the finale, that recalls Prince’s 'Purple Rain,' Variety notes. It will also feature many guests, with pioneering electronic producer Giorgio Moroder being the only one he would reveal.
Elsewhere in the interview, Tesfaye talks about the mixed reactions to his button-pushing HBO series The Idol, which was criticized for its gratuitous sex and deeply misogynstic depiction on the music industry.
“I’m really proud of it — we all are," he admits. "It’s unfortunate that, you know, it wasn’t met with the warmest [response], but we knew what we were making — something provocative and dark. Maybe it could have been told in a different way, maybe not. It was bigger than I expected. Not everything you put out is going to connect, and that’s fine. If it doesn’t, then it was a time.”
Read the full interview here.
This week's Variety cover story:
— Variety (@Variety) January 10, 2025
The Weeknd on the 'Breakdown' That Inspired His ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Album and Film, and Why He Might Retire the Weeknd: ‘It Never Ends Until You End It'https://t.co/O0MQCl71h3 pic.twitter.com/pR32KpGp9Y