Photo: The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) | The Weeknd is now officially known online by his real name – Abel Makkonen Tesfaye – after following through on plans to update his social media accounts.
On Monday, the Canadian artist’s Twitter and Instagram accounts had updated to display his birth name rather than his artistic name.
And the change is part of a wider plan to “kill The Weeknd,” Tesfaye told W Magazine in an interview published May 8.
“I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” he said.
“It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter. 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.”
And Tesfaye revealed that his upcoming album might well be The Weeknd’s swansong.
“The album I’m working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd,” he told W Magazine.
“This is something that I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say.”
In March, Guinness World Records (GWR) announced that the singer-songwriter is statistically the most popular musician on the planet.
The 33-year-old took two new Guinness World Record titles. He had the most monthly listeners on Spotify, with 111.4 million as of March 20, and also became the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners.
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Read more here:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/entertainment/the-weeknd-abel-tesfaye-social-media-scli-intl/index.html
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Related Article: It’s official: The Weeknd is the Most Popular Artist in the World.
The singer-songwriter, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is statistically the most popular musician on the planet, according to Guinness World Records (GWR).
“No one else even comes close,” said the organization in a statement earlier this week.
The Canadian singer, 33, has set two new Guinness World Record titles. He currently has the most monthly listeners on Spotify, with 111.4 million as of March 20. He also became the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners.
The Weeknd’s record-breaking stats will come as bad news to Swifties, Sheerios and Beliebers – whose idols are trailing in his wake.
Miley Cyrus is The Weeknd’s closest competitor, with 82.4 million monthly listeners, according to GWR.
Next is Shakira (81.6 million), then Ariana Grande (80.6 million), Taylor Swift (80.2 million) and Rihanna (78.5 million). The closest male competitor is Ed Sheeran (77.5 million), GWR adds.
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Read more here:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/entertainment/the-weeknd-most-popular-artist-intl-scli/index.html
Photo: The Weeknd – Vanity Fair
https://www.facebook.com/theweeknd/
The Weeknd is No More. Singer Reverts to His Birth Name on Social Media
