The Weeknd Hints at Dropping His Stage Name Amid New Movie Premiere

Music icon The Weeknd, known offstage as Abel Tesfaye, may be preparing to move on from the name that made him famous.

At the premiere of his new movie "Hurry Up Tomorrow," the 35-year-old singer revealed that he's thinking seriously about moving on from the name that made him a household name.

"Have I started? Yeah, it's getting there," Tesfaye told People. "I mean, I'm on tour right now, so I can't fully retire it."

Fans of The Weeknd have known for a while that Tesfaye has considered stepping away from his stage persona.

He's even suggested that "Hurry Up Tomorrow"—which also shares its title with his latest album released in January—might be his final project under the name The Weeknd.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he confirmed, "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."

While he hasn't made any official changes yet, the process has clearly begun. When asked how he feels about the change, Tesfaye kept things vague. "Oh, I can't tell you too much," he said with a smile.

The Weeknd Opens Up About Life Before the Spotlight

The artist shared his thoughts on his complex relationship with fame, expressing that his primary goal was for his work—not himself—to gain recognition.

He admitted that navigating personal fame was never something he intended to master, acknowledging the strangeness of the situation while accepting it as his current reality.

According to BangPremier, Tesfaye's story has always stood out. Long before sold-out concerts and Grammy Awards, he was working at a clothing store while secretly uploading his songs online.

In an earlier chat with actress Jenna Ortega for V Magazine, he shared that co-workers were playing his music without realizing it was his.

"That to me was the validation I needed to quit my job and focus on this 110%," he said.

He mentioned feeling fortunate to have maintained his anonymity during the early stages of his career.

According to him, it wasn't until about his third project that fans began to recognize his appearance. He considered this period of privacy a rare and valuable advantage that he was able to create for himself.

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The Weeknd