Yahoo Lifestyle The Weeknd Says He Had a 'Mental Breakdown' — and Might Retire His Public Persona Because of It
In a new cover story interview with 'Variety,' The Weeknd also opened up about how it contributed to his forthcoming album 'Hurry Up Tomorrow.'
Brian Ziff for Variety
The Weekend for 'Variety' in January 2025The Weeknd might be doing away with his public persona.
In a new cover story interview with Variety, the R&B singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, opened up about experiencing a "mental breakdown" and how it led to him reconsidering how he presents in his music career.
During what was supposed to be his final tour date in 2022 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, The Weeknd lost his voice and ultimately had to reschedule his show while he was already on stage — an experience that made him feel "defeated."
Brian Ziff for Variety
The Weekend for 'Variety' in January 2025That moment, which he called "the last straw," stuck with him and the "self-imposed pressure" became crushing.
“I knew that I really needed to sit the f--- down and figure out my life,” The Weeknd told the publication “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.”
The experience at SoFi also contributed to his desire to retire his public persona.
“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," said The Weeknd.
He added, "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.”
The Weeknd clarified that he's not planning to quit music.
"I don’t think I can stop doing that,” he said. “But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered."
The Weeknd also explained that he was grappling with "the competition of it all" when it came to his musical project.
"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," the "After Hours" artist said.
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Brian Ziff for Variety
The Weeknd for 'Variety' in January 2025Related: The Weeknd Enlists Playboi Carti for Downtempo New Single 'Timeless' — Listen!
In December 2024, The Weeknd fueled speculation that he might be unloading his moniker when billboards surfaced in major cities that said, “The Weeknd Is Near” but with three missing letters that read, “The End Is Near.”
A few days later, he shared images from all of his albums alongside the caption “The Weeknd / The End Is Near / 8 beautiful chapters in this story.”
The Weeknd is set to release the final album in his trilogy, Hurry Up Tomorrow, on Jan. 24.
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