The Weeknd Confirms He Is No Longer Retiring His Moniker

The Weeknd announced during a recent concert that he is no longer planning to retire his stage name

Abel Tesfaye previously considered retiring the moniker to pursue film projects and release work under his birth name

The singer confirmed during his live performance that his brief trial with retirement changed his mind

The Weeknd has officially confirmed that he will not be retiring his iconic stage moniker after all. The Toronto artist—born Abel Tesfaye—addressed the crowd at a recent live show to clarify that he plans to keep his long-running creative persona alive.

During a recent show in Stockholm, he spoke on how he tested retirement, “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear. I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you.” The artist also revealed that he had a taste of retirement and that he came to the conclusion that it was not as he expected.

The announcement marks a departure from previous statements where Tesfaye teased concluding his run as The Weeknd around the Hurry Up Tomorrow era. The multi-hyphenate previously told Variety that transitioning to his real name would facilitate branching out into acting and other mediums, especially after feeling he had mastered the challenges associated with the character. The hesitation originally began after a rocky performance at SoFi Stadium, where losing his voice prompted questions about exiting the persona at its peak. However, the Canadian singer has now reaffirmed his commitment to the moniker for the foreseeable future.