The Weeknd may be an internationally acclaimed musician, but don’t expect him to stick in the industry for much longer. The singer recently admitted that he plans to retire from music after the release of his next album.
The Weeknd recently branched out from music to test his acting chops in HBO’s new show The Idol. Speaking to W Magazine ahead of its release, the singer said that taking on the role made him question his pop star identity.
“It was tough to go from one head to another. Then, after the concert, I lost my voice,” the “Starboy” singer explained. “No voice came out at all. That’s never happened before.”
“My theory is that I forgot how to sing because I was playing Tedros, a character who doesn’t know how to sing,” he continued. “I may be looking too deeply into this, but it was terrifying. As The Weeknd, I’ve never skipped a concert. I’ve performed with the flu. I’ll die on that stage. But there was something very complicated going on with my mind at that moment.”
The Weeknd said he took this as a sign that it may be time to retire his onstage persona, so retirement isn’t out of the question.
“I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” he explained. “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.”
He later 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.”
Over his decade-long career, The Weeknd has reportedly had the equivalent of 59.8 million album sales. He’s released five studio albums plus multiple mixtapes, extended plays, and compilation albums.
In total, the singer is worth $300 million. He even reportedly makes six figures from single appearances alone. One report says The Weeknd charges a max of $6 million per private performance, a fee that’s as high as music legends like Prince and Michael Jackson charged.
Needless to say, The Weeknd owes his wealth largely to his music career, so it may not be financially savvy to walk away from it completely. But with hundreds of millions to his name, plus a rising acting career, maybe musical retirement is the best thing for The Weeknd at this moment.
Sources: W Magazine, Chart Masters, Advocate Channel,
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