Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye is known worldwide as "The Weeknd", a name he thought he would leave behind. However, after some deliberation, the musician has decided to keep his stage name.
The Weeknd had considered retirement, thus dropping his world-famous moniker, but has decided otherwise, much to the relief of his fans. The singer-songwriter made his decision clear during a concert on Saturday in Stockholm.
In a video made by a fan that has gone viral, the artiste can be heard saying, "I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you."
Back in April 2022, the 36-year-old wrote online that he was thinking of switching to his original name. "I feel like i should change my stage name to ABEL at this point lol. maybe pull a YE and just legally change my name to ABEL. no last name. Like Madonna or Cher or Prince."
A year later, he said in an interview, that his next album could well be his last, "The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as the Weeknd. This is something that I have to do. As the Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say".
"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. 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", he had told W magazine.
However, after Hurry Up Tomorrow released in 2025, he said he can't stop music but he still feels like the Weeknd has been "mastered". With the recent audio out, it seems like The Weeknd has dropped that plan altogether and will stick with the name he is known all over the world.
The Grammy winner is currently on his After Hours Til Dawn tour across Europe.
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