idol cannes hair

Been telling yall this is a christian album.

Still can't access the site smh

I keep trying to tell them, but noooooooo

oh s***

Hurry Up Cloudfare

well Escape from LA is gonna be awkward now isn’t it?

crine

He said his entire discography was all planned out the entire time

Ain’t no way

I'm in

he just like me fr @Abyssus

Man crashed the site lol

Been known... I told y'all.
I knew it from the moment I saw The Knowing video

we're getting the craziest title track in his discog and thats saying something

i’m in

now i just gotta learn portuguese

But looks like it’s not a “title” track haha

In July, more than 420,000 people competed for tickets to The Weeknd 's highly anticipated show in São Paulo, scheduled for this Saturday (7) and just under a year after his last visit to the country. The overwhelming success of “Blinding Lights” helped give the 34-year-old Canadian the title of most popular artist on the planet by “Guinness World Records” in March last year – and which he just lost to Billie Eilish . On Billboard 's Hot 100 , the song reached the top, remained among the most listened to for 90 weeks and boosted the popularity of the albums “After Hours” (2020) and “Dawn FM” (2022)

Only 16% of those 420,000 people got the chance to see Abel Tesfaye in person – in what will be the first-hand revelation of the new era of his career. Success on stage and in the competitive music industry did not, however, exempt the composer from struggling with mental health. But, according to him, giving up was never in his plans. One of the key words of his new phase is, precisely, rebirth.

The choice of the capital of São Paulo for the start of this tour was not a coincidence. The Weeknd visited the city last October, performing two sold-out nights at Allianz Parque with the show “After Hours Til Dawn”. It was in the capital of São Paulo that Abel composed the central music of the new album, “Hurry Up Tomorrow” – affectionately nicknamed “Frankenstein” by the singer for exploring different sounds, but without losing its essence. Something he does masterfully.

The Canadian artist details the importance of the Brazilian public for the next steps in his career, which has lasted 14 years and includes great achievements such as being the most listened to artist on Spotify (until Billie surpassed him in August), with 105 million monthly listeners, winning four Grammy awards (despite not submitting his work for the awards since 2021, as a statement that shook the industry) and grossing more than R$2.8 billion in gross sales with the “After Hours Til Dawn” tour, which filled stadiums around the world.

“I can speak for all artists when I say that it is difficult to put into words the love and energy that the Brazilian people express when you are on stage,” says The Weeknd, in an exclusive interview with Billboard Brasil

“You feel music deeply. São Paulo and Rio reminded me that the frequencies we emit as musicians are important. They remind me why I wanted to make music: to connect. I will spend the rest of my life aware of that.”

Overcoming the abyss

The breadth of The Weeknd's discography is another factor that explains his success. He navigates pop , R&B, electropop and other genres very well , and is spot-on in his dark lyricism when he sings about the pains of love, fame and the challenges he faced (and still faces) to make a living from music.

Shortly after announcing the show in Brazil, the singer spoke on social media about “facing the abyss”. “The abyss can mean many things. For me, it’s something very specific”, he says in the interview, in a mysterious tone. “I’ve faced it long enough. Most of the time, I’ve overcome it. But I work on it every day. I hope that my music will help others face and overcome the abyss too.”

One of the abysses Abel faces is mental health. “What makes a grown man want to cry?/ What makes him want to take his own life?/ His happiness is never real,” he sings on 2018’s “I Was Never There.” In faith—he was raised in an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian family—and in music, the Canadian has found comfort in his darkest moments.

“I think about giving up every day. But I also find purpose every day,” says the singer, unafraid to open up and show vulnerability. “My relationship with God is stronger than ever. I find comfort in His presence when I need it most. I talk to Him constantly. It’s been a long journey, but I’m here,” he concludes.

Abel was born in Toronto, Canada, to Ethiopian immigrants. Inspired by Michael Jackson , he discovered his love for music at a young age. He has revealed that he was penalized for singing at inappropriate times, such as in class or at the dinner table. Despite being discouraged, he released his first mixtape as The Weeknd, “House of Balloons,” in 2011, while dividing his time between art and work at an American clothing retailer.

The project entered the Billboard 200 , anticipating the success of subsequent releases. "Wicked Games ", the first single, debuted at number 53 on the Hot 100 in 2013. In the following years, he remained at number one on the chart with hits such as "Can't Feel My Face", "Save Your Tears" and "Die For You".

When asked about taking care of his mind, the singer is even more honest. Brutally honest, as is rarely seen in showbiz. “It’s funny that you should mention this. I just had a panic attack right before this interview. My anxiety is a constant battle, and I feel like it never goes away. I’m learning to control it, but I’ve already realized that it’s part of my life. I can’t escape it.”

Abel spent part of his adolescence living on the streets, but he assures us: the main difficulty he faced in life was questioning his purpose and his connection with art.

“The biggest challenge is not knowing if you’re cut out for this, not knowing if it was meant to be. Most people still don’t know. I feel very lucky. I was able to take these depressive and nihilistic feelings and put them into my work. That ended up being my therapy,” he says, citing the philosophical school of thought that believes life has no value or purpose, often associated with the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

All planned

On YouTube, The Weeknd has accumulated almost 28 billion views on his channel. “Call Out My Name”, “The Hills” and “Starboy” are also part of his extensive list of hits. Expectations for Abel’s new era are the highest – both from fans and music critics . “Dawn FM”, from January 2022, was acclaimed by the British newspaper “The Guardian”, from which it received a top score: “Abel Tesfaye confirms his status as one of the greatest of all time, with an album of icy splendor influenced by the 1980s”. Another newspaper that praised the album was the North American newspaper “The New York Times”. “His fifth album … is elegant, vigorous and also, once again, a light reinterpretation of what big-scale music can sound like today, in an era in which most global stars have abandoned that concept.”

“There’s always pressure to top my last project,” he says of the new era, to be presented for the first time at this show in São Paulo.
“Growth is important. Sometimes it might not be what people want to hear from me at the moment, but when the body of work is complete, I hope they can appreciate what I’ve been trying to achieve. I’ve been working on this discography for a long time. It was all planned out,” he assures, avoiding monotony.

“I always try to achieve something that I haven’t done before, musically. Sometimes it might not be clear on the first listen to the album, but fans seem to figure it out over time,” he believes.

Being at the top, for the Canadian, is subjective. “The only pressure for me is to be better than the older version of myself, focusing on growth, achieving my own goals, not someone else’s.”

Abel also spoke about the joys and pains of fame, a common theme in his work, whether in music or visual arts. When asked about how to keep his feet firmly on the ground, he repeated the sincerity demonstrated throughout the conversation with Billboard Brasil

“I stay away from people as much as possible. I try to have as much privacy in my life as possible. I never give off that ‘famous’ energy. I think trying to be famous is a talent in itself. I haven’t mastered that talent… And I don’t intend to,” he says, avoiding the industry buzz.

Last year, the composer spoke about controlling the way he is seen and heard by the public. Amidst the transition of concepts in his career, he revisits the idea.

“I honestly don’t even remember saying this. But everyone would love to be able to control the narrative. It’s impossible. So you try your best and make the most of it. Less is more . I’ve learned a lot in the last two years and it’s definitely the least amount of control I’ve ever had. But I’ve learned a lot, and that’s the most important thing,” he says

“Too much control is not healthy. Collaboration is important, whether it’s artistically, with ideas, or even with energy. I’ve been on both sides of the fence, being too controlling and not having enough control. And leaning too far to either side can be dangerous. It’s a constant balancing act, but the results are the best.”

Mending the dark parts of himself, The Weeknd's Frankenstein must bring the singer's lessons learned at the height of his fame - and continue with the purpose he chose for his life, bringing comfort and refuge to those who face their own demons.

i think he called “nicknamed” it Frankenstein because its gonna be a bunch of transitions/different sounds

pouring honey on u goat

"My anxiety is a constant battle, and I feel like it never goes away. I’m learning to control it, but I’ve already realized that it’s part of my life. I can’t escape it.”

Me too brother, me too.