Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
The Weeknd has declared he is “not going anywhere” after abandoning plans to retire his world-famous stage persona and admitting stepping away from music is no longer something he wants.
The Canadian singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, 36, had previously suggested Hurry Up Tomorrow could bring the curtain down on The Weeknd identity after a five-year creative period encompassing three albums, television, film and his sprawling After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour.
But Abel has now told GQ Hong Kong he intends only to “hibernate” after completing the tour’s final Asian leg, which concludes with two sold-out concerts in Kuala Lumpur on 4 and 5 November.
Explaining what he meant when he talked about disappearing, Abel said: “Disappearing simply means finally taking some time to focus all my energy on one project instead of juggling multiple things.”
He added: “This past five years for me has been creating four concept albums, countless music videos, a TV show, a feature film, and I’m still out here on a massive world tour spanning years. I think disappearing for a little while is well earned.”
Abel went on: “I’m not stepping away from anything. I’m just hibernating.
“I’m not going anywhere. My fans know I’ve shed my skin multiple times throughout my career. I was telling one story from 2020 until now, and that story has reached its conclusion. But that’s only the 2020 story.”
The comments mark a reversal after Abel repeatedly raised the prospect of ending The Weeknd persona as he approached the conclusion of the trilogy formed by After Hours, Dawn FM and Hurry Up Tomorrow.
He said the inspiration he had experienced during the past year had ultimately convinced him that retirement was not for him.
Abel added: “At one point I thought, ‘What if I just stopped?’ But then I realised what a waste all of that inspiration would be.
“I can’t let that happen. I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me. It’s a real privilege to do what I do. There’s nothing else like this job. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year has been overwhelming. I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I possibly can. The Weeknd isn’t going anywhere.”
Abel had already publicly signalled his change of heart during an After Hours Til Dawn concert in Stockholm in August.
He told the crowd: “I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you.”
The decision extends a career in which Abel has repeatedly reinvented The Weeknd, beginning with the mysterious online release of music that formed his House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence mixtapes.
He subsequently became one of the world’s biggest recording artists with albums including Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, After Hours and Dawn FM, while songs including Can’t Feel My Face, Starboy, Save Your Tears and Blinding Lights became global hits.
Spotify this year named Blinding Lights the most-streamed song in the platform’s 20-year history, while Abel ranked fourth among its most-streamed artists.
His latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, completed the trilogy that began with After Hours and continued with Dawn FM.
The record shared its title with the 2025 psychological thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, in which Abel appeared alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
Abel had previously moved into television with HBO’s The Idol, starring opposite Lily-Rose Depp.
The series ran for one season amid controversy over its explicit content.
His earlier uncertainty about The Weeknd persona followed a September 2022 concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles when he lost his voice shortly after beginning the performance and was forced to stop the show.
Speaking to Variety in 2025, Abel said: “I knew that I really needed to sit the f*** down and figure out my life. To understand what happened, face it, learn something new and start again. I’d had a kind of a mental breakdown, which is pretty much what this new album’s about.”
He added: “Part of me actually was thinking, ‘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.”
Abel is currently completing the final Asian leg of After Hours Til Dawn, with dates across Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts and DJ Yousuke Yukimatsu are appearing at selected concerts.
The stadium tour began in 2022 and has passed $1 billion in reported ticket sales. It has also been tied to Abel’s philanthropic work with Global Citizen, with money from ticket sales supporting education and hunger programmes.
The final scheduled concerts take place at TM Stadium Nasional in Kuala Lumpur on 4 and 5 November, with both dates listed as sold out.
