The Weeknd ‘Had Kind of a Mental Breakdown’ In 2022

The singer was forced to cut short a Los Angeles show in September 2022, after his voice cracked and he was unable to hit his trademark high notes. Speaking with Variety for a new cover story, The Weeknd — real name Abel Tesfaye — said he felt “defeated on the world stage, with everyone watching” in that moment.

“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,'” he continued. “And that’s when we came to the realization that it was all up here,” said Tesfaye, with the outlet adding that he pointed to his head.

Saying he realized he “had kind of a mental breakdown,” Tesfaye said the concert incident was “the last straw” after experiencing exhaustion and stress. At the time, while also on a world tour, he was filming HBO’s The Idol, which was undergoing massive reshoots after replacing the show’s original director Amy Seimetz.

“There was a lot of self-imposed pressure: flying to L.A. between concerts, getting into character [for The Idol], shooting and then flying back for the next show,” he continued. “But what led up to it? Maybe it was that year, but maybe it was my whole life: survival, school, family, friendships, relationships, making it in the music industry. I’d always kind of suppressed it. You know, delusion helps!”

It all, however, made him realize he “really needed to sit the f–k down and figure out my life,” as he sought to “understand what happened, face it, learn something new and start again.” That journey, he added, inspired a lot of music on his upcoming album.

While speaking with Variety, Tesfaye also responded to the negative criticism he received for The Idol, on which he starred as a music guru/cult leader mentoring Lily-Rose Depp’s pop star. He also co-created the series with Euphoria’s Sam Levinson and was one of the show’s executive producers.

“We had a great cast and great crew. I made some really great friends, and I love seeing everybody thriving,” he told the outlet. “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. Maybe it could have been told in a different way, maybe not. It was bigger than I expected. Not everything you put out is going to connect, and that’s fine.”

“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 also stressed. “Like, nobody’s out to get you, you know? I love reading criticism, even if some of it didn’t feel constructive. 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.”

Tesfaye told the publication he may also have gotten to a point where he’s said all he wants to say as The Weeknd, suggesting he might release music under a different name after Hurry Up Tomorrow.

“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.’ You know?” he explained. “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 won’t, however, quit music.

“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,” he concluded, before bringing up his acting career and upcoming film After Hours.

“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,” he said. “But I just want to know what comes after. I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”

Read the full Variety profile here.