The Weeknd on retiring his persona: "It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for"

At the tail end of lat year, The Weeknd announced Hurry Up Tomorrow – the culmination of his trio of studio albums, which follows Dawn FM (2022) and After Hours (2020). In a recent interview with Variety, he revealed that he may hang up his 'The Weeknd' persona once the album and accompanying film has been released.

Discussing the references he's made to closing a chapter, The Weekend reveals that he means retiring this version of himself: "It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. 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," he explains.

The Weeknd gets deep about why he might be retiring “The Weeknd” persona: “It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. 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.”… pic.twitter.com/iwIMrwzIvN

— Variety (@Variety) January 10, 2025

Speaking of a show he had two cancel in 2022, when he lost his voice after four songs, he continued: "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. 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."

Whilst he may be thinking of retiring his persona, that doesn't mean he's stepping away from music. "Everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered. No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now," he continues. "I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona, and that’s why I’m really excited about this film, because I love this challenge."