The Weeknd is no longer planning to retire after he “tested” it out.
The 36-year-old singer-songwriter – whose real name is Abel Tesfaye – previously hinted he might shelve his moniker for good, but he’s had a change of heart.
Speaking at a recent concert in Stockholm, he said: “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear.
“I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels.
“Imma be here forever with you.”
In January 2025, The Weeknd hinted he was considering retiring his on-stage persona.
The Can’t Feel My Face hitmaker told Variety at the time: “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 number ones. It never ends until you end it.”
But the singer insisted he had no intention of actually walking away from the music business.
In May 2025, the star admitted he was “brainstorming” the end of his stage name.
He told The Hollywood Reporter: “We’re brainstorming it right now. I feel like we don’t have any definite answers, but I haven’t dropped it yet because I’m on tour, so I’ve still gotta get out there and see the fans.”
The Weeknd also teased he was “getting there” in the process of ditching the moniker.
He told PEOPLE magazine: “Have I started? Yeah, it’s getting there.
“I mean, I’m on tour right now, so I can’t fully retire it.”
The Grammy-winning star was pressed on whether the idea has brought up any emotions, and he replied: “Oh, I can’t tell you too much.”
In August last year, he was asked about the possibility of retiring his stage name.
He told the Guardian newspaper: “I haven’t thought that out. It’s not this calculated vision.”
