The Weeknd has revealed that he ‘kind of [had a] mental breakdown’ after losing his voice onstage which has now led him to consider once again ditching his stage moniker and going by his real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye.
In an interview with Variety, the Blinding Lights star detailed how he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out during a concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in September 2022.
Describing his voice as his ‘secret weapon’ the shock loss of his vocals suddenly left him questioning everything. ‘I knew that I really needed to sit the f*** down and figure out my life,’ he said.
‘To understand what happened, face it, learn something new and start again. I’d had a kind of a mental breakdown, which is pretty much what this new album’s about.’
The 34-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter noted how his voice had never failed him before, even when performing with a high fever and being completely sick.
‘I’d been onstage in the middle of a breakup or a death in the family; and I’d lost my voice during a performance,’ he said.
The Weeknd has opened up about losing his voice onstage and how that inspired his next album. Seen here May 23, 2023
‘But I was always able to fight through it…I was doing all these vocal exercises onstage, like “Be-be-be-be-be-be,” trying to get it back…I was defeated on the world stage with everyone watching.’
At the time, he explained what was happening to his audience, apologized, offered refunds and promised a rescheduled date.
‘I had to go out there and face it. And also, so they could see “I can’t physically give you the show that you paid for.” When I watched the video later, the reaction actually wasn’t that bad,’ he explained.
The vision he had of the moment in his head was much different.
‘In my head, all I heard was booing and screaming and hate and anger. That’s how defeated I felt…I saw my doctor the next day, and he said, “There’s nothing wrong with you—your [vocal cords] are inflamed, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
‘And that’s when we came to the realization that it was all up here,’ he said, pointing to his head, before revealing the inspiration that came out of it for his Hurry Up Now album and film.
‘I had a good chunk of the album done, but then [SoFi] happened, and other things happened after, and you go right back to the drawing board,’ he said, explaining that it was a ‘pinnacle’ moment in his life.
‘In the process, I got closer, and I became more grateful – I know it sounds cliché and soft or whatever, but it’s the truth. I’ve been working on myself to not push people away,’ he admitted.
As a result of his mental break that caused him to lose his singing voice, he worked with the sense that, ‘This could all be gone.’
‘It’s almost like my whole life flashed before my eyes. And then I started thinking about family – my mother, my father, the people in my life,’ the singer said.
The upcoming album – due out January 26 – is called Hurry Up Tomorrow and it is the final piece of his trilogy which includes 2020s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM. The three albums create a narrative that revolves around a semi-autobiographical figure.
The Weeknd has opened up about losing his voice onstage and how that inspired his next album. Seen here May 23, 2023
In an interview with Variety , he detailed how he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out during a concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Seen here July 7, 2023
‘My body, and specifically my voice, had never failed me before,’ he said. Seen here September 21, 2024
The accompanying film is a suspense thriller co-written by and starring The Weeknd alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
The Weeknd’s character in the film, due out May 16, struggles with his sense of self and fame, including an event that mirrors his experience at his SoFi concert.
And his new album could be his last under the moniker of The Weekend.
The singer, born Abel Tesfaye, is considering performing and recording under his given name moving forward.
‘Part of me actually was thinking, “You lost your voice because it’s done; you said what you had to say.
“Don’t overstay at the party – you can end it now and live a happy life,”‘ he explained.
‘You know? Put the bow on it: Hurry Up Tomorrow. Now we’re here. When is the right time to leave, if not at your peak?
‘Once you understand who I am too much, then it’s time to pivot,’ he said.
‘I’d been onstage with a high fever, completely sick; I’d been onstage in the middle of a breakup or a death in the family; and I’d lost my voice during a performance,’ he said. Seen here September 7, 2024
‘But I was always able to fight through it…I was defeated on the world stage with everyone watching.’ Seen here October 5, 2024
And The Weeknd’s experience with his television show The Idol has also given him a new perspective.
‘I’m really proud of it – we all are. It’s unfortunate that, you know, it wasn’t met with the warmest [response], but we knew what we were making – something provocative and dark.
‘Not everything you put out is going to connect, and that’s fine. If it doesn’t, then…it was a time…Believe it or not, none of [the criticism] felt personal. Of course, it gets to you – I’m not saying I wasn’t affected by it; I’m saying I didn’t take it personally,’ he said.
‘I’m not expecting everybody to love ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ either. Some people might hate it, but that’s not why I’m doing this.
‘I’m doing it because I’m an artist; it’s how I feel, and this is what I want to say.’