How did Abel Tesfaye get the moniker The Weeknd? Singer shares plans to shed his stage persona after ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’

In his Variety interview on January 11, 2025, artist The Weeknd revealed that he will shed his stage persona after releasing his album and movie Hurry Up Tomorrow. He shared he had outgrown the stage name and how a "mental breakdown" made him think about his singing career.

The singer lost his voice during his After Hours til Dawn North American tour in 2022 at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium. He apologized to his fans and promised them a refund and a rescheduled date, garnering his fans' support.

The singer told Variety that he would only get rid of the stage name The Weeknd and continue to make music. He shared that he is not planning to retire from the music industry.

In a Reddit Q&A in 2013, the singer revealed why he picked his stage name. He shared that when he was 17, he hated his real name, Abel Tesfaye. He left home on a weekend, and the stage name sounded "cool." He removed an "e" because there's already a Canadian band named The Weekend.

The Weeknd revealed the secret behind his stage name. [Image via Reddit/TheWeekndXOXO]

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The Weeknd to shed his stage name: What happened in his After Hours Til Dawn North American tour in 2022?

2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - Show - Source: Getty

In his recent interview with Variety, the singer shared that he no longer feels connected to his The Weeknd persona, and with the stage name comes pressure to live up to it.

"It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. 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."

In an interview with W Magazine on May 8, 2023, Abel Tesfaye discussed his "identity crisis" and how he wanted to shed his persona and rebirth as an artist.

"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."

Tesfaye also shared that the 2022 tour incident played a big part in his decision to drop his stage name. He said his voice was his "secret weapon," which never failed him. He performed with fever and while going through a close one's death and heartbreak. So when he suddenly lost his voice, he had a mental breakdown.

"My voice has always been my secret weapon, my superpower, to get through whatever I need to get through. And in that moment, reality hit: Everything can change after this moment."

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Abel's sixth studio album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, will be released on January 24, 2025. The official teaser, posted on September 3, 2024, excited fans.

The singer's upcoming movie, Hurry Up Tomorrow, will be released in theaters on May 16, 2025. Trey Edward Shults directed the film, featuring Jenna Ortega, Barry Keoghan, and the singer himself.