The Weeknd has hinted that his new album Hurry Up Tomorrow might spell the end of his musical project, and now pop singer Abel Tesfaye has shed light on his reasons for retiring as "the Weeknd" and his plans for what comes next.
Speaking with Variety for a rare interview, he described Hurry Up Tomorrow as "closing this chapter," and he clarified that this isn't simply the end of his After Hours trilogy, but his entire "existence as the Weeknd."
"It's a headspace I've gotta get into that I just don't have any more desire for," he said. "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."
Referring to a moment he lost his voice during a 2022 show, he continued, "'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. 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."
He added that he's not quitting music entirely: "I don't think I can stop doing that," he says emphatically. "But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it's been mastered. No one's gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I'm not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I've overcome every challenge as this persona."
He does seem excited about the challenge of acting, however, since he's making a Hurry Up Tomorrow film in spite of the poor reception to his 2023 show The Idol. He said, "But I just want to know what comes after. I want to know what tomorrow looks like."
Hurry Up Tomorrow is out January 31 after being postponed out of "respect and concern" for those affected by the Los Angeles County wildfires. It's one of Exclaim!'s most anticipated albums of 2025.