THE WEEKND IS OVER!

The end of an era might be nigh as the world’s most popular musical artist flips the record by changing his stage name.

After 14 years as The Weeknd, the Canadian singer-songwriter has announced that he is changing his stage name to his birth name – Abel Tesfaye.

“I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” the 33-year-old explained.

“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the The Weeknd chapter.

“I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”

The Weeknd first rose to fame in 2011 with the release of his mixtape, House of Balloons. He has since released four studio albums, all of which have been met with critical acclaim. His most recent album After Hours was released in 2020 and won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

Earlier this year, he was named the most popular artist in the world by Guinness World Records following an analysis of Spotify data, setting two records: the most monthly listeners on Spotify – 111.4 million – and the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the music streaming service.

His decision to change his stage name has been met with mixed reactions from fans. Some fans have expressed support for the change, while others have expressed disappointment.

“I’m sad to see The Weeknd go, but I’m excited to see what Abel Tesfaye does next,” said one fan on social media.

Abel has already updated his social media profiles to his birth name. In addition to changing his stage name, Tesfaye has also been busy working on new music. He recently announced that he is working on an album, which is set to be released later this year.