Abel Tesfaye “brainstorming” next move as he prepares to retire The Weeknd moniker

The Weeknd has spoken about what’s next for him after he retires his beloved stage name.

• READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ review: stadium-filling superstar prepares to move on

The singer – real name Abel Tesfaye – has long been vocal about wanting to “kill” the Weeknd moniker for several years. He’s even gone so far as to say that his latest album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ and its accompanying film of the same name will be his last as The Weeknd.

With the film releasing today (May 15) in the United States, the Canadian pop and R&B singer has done several press rounds to promote the movie, which apart from himself in the lead role, stars Barry Keoghan and Jenna Ortega.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of the film on Tuesday (May 13), Tesfaye revealed that he’s opening to acting more – he’s already appeared in Uncut Gems and The Idol – “if it connects with me”.

As for what he’s planning next should he really retire the Weeknd brand, Tesfaye said: “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.”

Back in January, The Weeknd explained why he wanted to retire the moniker, though he was sure to reiterate that he isn’t done with 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. 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.”

In a four-star review of the ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ album, Nick Levine wrote for NME: “If this is a swansong for The Weeknd, it’s a fitting one. Tesfaye is pushing forward before he exhausts the collective fascination with his alter ego, and that’s no small achievement. When he sings “I’d rather leave somewhat of a legacy” on ‘The Abyss’, it’s clear there’s no “somewhat” about it.”

The official synopsis for his Hurry Up Tomorrow film reads: “A musician [Tesfaye] plagued by insomnia gets pulled into an odyssey with a stranger [Ortega] who begins to unravel the very core of his existence.”

The star still has a series of live dates lined up for the summer, too, with a North American stadium tour running from May to September. Playboi Carti and Mike Dean are set to join as special guests, and you can find tickets here.

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