The Weeknd has repeatedly toyed with the idea of stepping back, at least from the persona, hinting that he might prefer to be known, as an artist, simply as ABEL. He mentioned it in 2022, and by 2025 he was still clinging to a similar storyline, suggesting that no one could do The Weeknd better than he has already done. In other words, it’s finished.
Recently, he has been seen backing off from that stance, telling a concert that “he would never disappear,” and now he confirms it in an interview with GQ Hong Kong. In that outlet he said that “he’s not going anywhere” and that he’s simply “hibernating.”
Now that his tour is approaching its end and, consequently, his trilogy, with the final show in Malaysia in November, he looks at things differently: “I caught a glimpse of what retirement would be like, and it’s not for me. It’s a true privilege to do what I do. There is nothing like this work. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year has been immense. I’ll keep doing it as long as I can. The Weeknd is not going anywhere.”
Additionally, he adds: “My fans know I’ve shed many skins over the course of my career. I’ve told a story from 2020 up to now, and that story has reached its end. But it’s only the story of 2020.”
