The Weeknd says he's not entirely committed to the idea of dropping his stage name, despite bringing up the idea several times in recent years. Speaking about his new film, Hurry Up Tomorrow, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he suggested that it's not quite the death of "The Weeknd."
“It feels like it. I mean, I’ve kind of toyed with the idea in the past with albums. But it could also just be a rebirth. Who knows?” he told the outlet, as caught by Uproxx.
Back in January, he seemed to have a much more confident stance on dropping the name. He told Variety: “It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for. I feel like it comes with so much… You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
The Weeknd Name Change
He added: “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. But I just want to know what comes after. I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
As for Hurry Up Tomorrow, The Weeknd's new film is releasing in theaters on May 16, 2025. It serves as a companion piece to the singer's sixth studio album of the same name, which he dropped back in January. In addition to himself, it stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. Trey Edward Shults, who co-wrote the project with The Weeknd and Reza Fahim, serves as the director.
