The Weeknd has changed his name to Abel Tesfaye on all his social media accounts after announcing that he wanted to “kill” his stage name and “be reborn”.
The 33-year-old singer has performed under the monicker since 2009.
In an interview with W Magazine earlier this month, Tesfaye revealed his plans to ditch his alter ego after one “last hurrah”.
“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter,” he said.
“I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
“The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd,” he said. “This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
In other news, Tesfaye’s highly anticipated and controversial new drama The Idol is set to be released on HBO in the US on 4 June at 9pm.
The drama is created by Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and stars Lily-Rose Depp as troubled popstar Jocelyn who falls prey to sordid cult leader Tedros (Tesfaye).
During a cover shoot for W magazine earlier this month, Levinson reflected on how the show was conceived, telling the publication that the “Save Your Tears” singer had come up with the original premise for the show with his producing partner Reza Fahim.
“Abel came to us with a pitch,” he said. “He said something that I’ll always remember: ‘If I wanted to start a cult, I could.’ What he meant is that his fans were so loyal and devoted that they would follow him anywhere.
“That was the germ of the idea for The Idol: what happens when a pop star falls for the wrong guy and no one speaks up.”
The Idol will be available to watch on HBO in the US on 4 June at 9 pm. The series will also be available to stream on Max, Warner Bros’ rebranded service which launches on 23 May.
