Abel Tesfaye has spent the last year convincing fans he was retiring the Weeknd persona, then convincing them he wasn’t, then convincing them again that he’s not stepping away at all. The singer, 36, told Variety last year that after 16 years as The Weeknd, he was ready to move on to his next era and leave the character behind. Now he’s doubled down on not ending it.
Tesfaye made his first public about-face last month in Stockholm, where he told a crowd, “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.” He repeated the promise in a new interview with GQ Hong Kong, saying he’s “not stepping away from anything. I’m just hibernating. I’m not going anywhere.”
Tesfaye Explains Retirement
In the GQ interview, Tesfaye clarified what he meant by “disappearing.” He said it doesn’t mean quitting music entirely. “Disappearing simply means finally taking some time to focus all my energy on one project instead of juggling multiple things,” he told the magazine. He pointed to his recent workload: “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.”
He added, “I think disappearing for a little while is well earned.” The distinction between retirement and hibernation is thin, but Tesfaye insists the difference matters. He framed the break as a pause rather than a goodbye.
What He Said About Inspiration
Tesfaye also addressed what he might do after the Weeknd is fully gone. “I can’t even put into words the amount of inspiration I’ve felt over the last year. I can’t contain it,” he said. He admitted a momentary doubt: “At one point I thought, ‘What if I just stopped?’ But then I realized 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,” he concluded.
The Tour Schedule
Tesfaye is currently in the middle of the After Hours til Dawn tour, which kicked off in 2023. He recently wrapped a sold-out two-night run in Lisbon, Portugal. He is gearing up to take the ongoing tour to Asia with a pair of shows at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Japan on Sept. 19 and 20.
The tour continues through Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong, before finishing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Nov. 4-5 at TM Stadium National. It’s a nearly four-year global run.
The Pattern
Tesfaye says he tested retirement, found he doesn’t like it, and returned to the stage. He frames the break as a necessary pause rather than a permanent exit.
Key Facts Box
- Tesfaye is 36
- The Weeknd has been releasing music since 2011
- Tesfaye told Variety last year he was thinking of retiring the persona
- He said in Stockholm he’d never disappear
- The After Hours til Dawn tour started in 2023
- Shows in Japan: Sept. 19-20 at Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa
- Final shows: Nov. 4-5 at TM Stadium National, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Source material: “After Threatening to ‘Retire’ The Weekend Persona, Abel Tesfaye Hits Reverse and Says He’s ‘Not Stepping Away From Anything’,” Billboard.
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