Canadian musician The Weeknd has announced that he is rebranding and killing off his alter ego, “The Weeknd.”
The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has hinted that he will now be recording music using his real name.
He even changed his Twitter and Instagram profiles from The Weeknd to Abel Tesfaye.
Tesfaye first rose to fame in 2011 with the release of his mixtape, “House of Balloons.”
He quickly became one of the most popular and successful artists in the world, releasing a string of hit albums, including “Beauty Behind the Madness” (2015), “Starboy” (2016), and “After Hours” (2020).
However, Tesfaye has long expressed dissatisfaction with his stage name.
In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, he said that he chose the name “The Weeknd” because he was “trying to create a character.”
He added that he now feels like he has “outgrown” the character and is ready to move on.
Tesfaye has always been a great story teller in his music and this becomes apparent if you take some time to study his body of work.
From Trilogy to his recent album Dawn FM, the story arc follows a struggling and broken musician-character (Trilogy) who travels to Tokyo in search of Love and excitement (Kiss Land). He comes back to America and breaks into stardorm and the mainstream, experiencing the highs and lows of being famous (Beauty Behind The Madness)-but he remains humble about it. He starts bragging about his fame and his success (Starboy), finds love and he updates his lifestyle to match his level of fame. The character loses his lover (My Dear Melancholy) and he slips back into darkness and depression, going back to his old dangerous lifestyle to go through the pain. The high life catches up with The Character who eventually dies (After Hours). He enters purgatory after his death (Dawn FM) hoping for redemption and looking forward to the after life.
Tesfaye’s decision to rebrand comes at a time when he is undergoing a number of changes in his personal life.
In a recent interview with Variety, Tesfaye said that he is “in a new chapter” of his life. He added that he is “excited” to start this new chapter and is “looking forward to sharing it with the world.”
It is unclear what Tesfaye’s new music will sound like. However, he has said that he is “not trying to make the same album twice.” He has also said that he is “not trying to be anyone else but myself.”
Tesfaye’s decision to rebrand is a bold move.
However, it is a move that is likely to be met with support from his fans. After all, Tesfaye has always been a risk-taker. He has never been afraid to experiment with his music or his image.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for The Weeknd. However, one thing is for sure: he is an artist who is always evolving. He is an artist who is always pushing the boundaries. And he is an artist who is always keeping his fans guessing.
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