The Weeknd has signaled the beginning of the end regarding his stage alias by returning to his government name on Twitter.
After teasing the retirement of his stage name earlier this month, the Canadian crooner changed his Twitter username to his real name, Abel Tesfaye, over the weekend.
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Fans were quick to notice the name change and some had theories about what it could mean for his musical future, while others held a faux funeral for The Weeknd.
“@theweeknd for 12 years has watered us, nourished copiously with perfect and timeless productions,” read one tweet, which The Weeknd retweeted to his over 17 million followers.
“The sum of the masterpieces is incalculable. Whatever the reason for his ‘disappearance’ for Abel Tesfaye, I respect it, support him but above all, hope that it’s a desired choice.”
Abel has been turning his focus to his upcoming HBO series The Idol, which premieres on HBO Max on June 4.
The raunchy and already controversial series finds the Toronto megastar playing the role of a self-help guru, club owner and leader of a modern-day cult, who starts dating a pop artist looking to regain her celebrity status (played by actress Lily-Rose Depp).
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The Weeknd also revealed plans for a new project titled The Idol Vol. 1, which is slated to be a companion album to the show.
Looking to further make his mark in Hollywood, the XO hitmaker is also set to co-write, produce and star in an upcoming movie alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
Earlier in May, Abel Tesfaye hinted at wanting to “kill The Weeknd” and move away from his stage name following his next album.
“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he told W magazine. “I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd,” he said. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
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Elsewhere, he added: “The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd. This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
