The Weeknd Has Second Thoughts About Retirement: “I’ll Never Disappear”

The Weeknd appears to have changed his mind about retiring his famous stage persona, telling fans in Sweden that he has no intention of disappearing from music anytime soon.

The singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, made the revelation during the opening night of his three-show run in Stockholm over the weekend.

Addressing the crowd, Tesfaye admitted that he had experimented with the idea of stepping away from The Weeknd, but quickly realised retirement was not for him.

“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 told the audience, according to fan-recorded footage.

Tesfaye then assured his fans: “I said, Imma be here forever with you, I’ll never disappear.”

The announcement marks a change from comments he made last year while discussing his album Hurry Up Tomorrow. At the time, he suggested that he might retire the name The Weeknd after completing his existing commitments.

Tesfaye explained that maintaining the persona had become increasingly tied to the pressure of chasing bigger achievements, including more shows, albums, awards and chart-topping singles.

The Weeknd has released music under the name since 2011 and has built one of the biggest careers in contemporary pop and R&B.

For now, it appears the singer is choosing to remain in the spotlight rather than close the chapter on his iconic alter ego.