The Weeknd Denies Retirement Again: "I'm Not Leaving Anything"
The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) has once again pushed back on retirement rumors, telling GQ Hong Kong in a new interview that he's "not leaving anything" behind — he's simply "hibernating." The comments follow months of speculation that he planned to retire the Weeknd name, including remarks last year, reported by NME, that his current persona was "a headspace I no longer have any desire to enter," with a joke about following Ye's lead and going by "ABEL" instead. At a show last August he told the crowd he'd "never be gone."
A Chapter Ending, Not a Career Ending
In the new interview, Tesfaye frames the retirement talk as a shift between creative eras rather than an exit. He says fans know he's "shed his skin" multiple times across his career, and that the story he's been telling since 2020 has reached its conclusion — but stresses that's "just the 2020 story."
He admits he genuinely considered stepping away, wondering "what if I just stopped," but pulled back after realizing it would waste accumulated inspiration. He says he's "seen a little bit of what retirement looks like" and concluded it isn't for him, calling the ability to keep doing this work a real privilege and describing an overwhelming sense of gratitude over the past year. Pop Crave relayed the remarks on social media on September 16.
The Trilogy's Close and the Wembley Run
The Weeknd had previously framed the retirement of the persona around the release of Hurry Up Tomorrow, the 2025 closer to his trilogy. NME's four-star review argued Tesfaye is walking away before collective fascination burns out, pointing to the line "I'd rather leave somewhat of a legacy" from "The Abyss" and noting there's no "somewhat" about it.
On stage, he just wrapped five sold-out nights at London's Wembley Stadium, with the final show on August 19, following two dates at Manchester's Etihad Stadium in June.
Ticket Sales Raised Over $350,000
For this tour, £1 from every UK ticket and €1 from every European ticket sold was donated, raising more than $350,000 combined for the UN World Food Programme and Global Citizen.
- Funds go toward the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, supporting children's access to education worldwide
- Funds also go toward The Weeknd's XO Humanitarian Fund, backing World Food Programme efforts against the global food crisis
What's Not Confirmed
No new tour dates or album have been announced beyond the completed Wembley and Etihad shows and the released Hurry Up Tomorrow.