The Weeknd stops here; why the music icon is looking to change his name after new album

Mired currently in controversy about scenes in his television debut, The Idol, perhaps the cache behind his name has become a little murky, however The Weeknd has revealed that once his latest album drops, he is planning on changing his stage name. Instead, he will be going by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye.

"It's getting to a place and time where I'm getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter," he said in an interview with W Magazine. "I'll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as the Weeknd. But I still want to kill the Weeknd. And I will. Eventually." The musician is currently being listed under his real name as a cast member of HBO’s The Idol, with Tesfaye playing cult leader Tedros opposite Lily-Rose Depp.

This isn’t however the first time that The Weeknd has mentioned moving away, or “killing” his stage persona, akin to Blac Chyna dropping her stage name when undertaking activities outside of her “character.” In 2022, he toyed with the idea of the mononym Abel, taking to his Twitter account to write “ “you guys are hilarious. I feel like I should change my stage name to ABEL at this point lol.” He then followed his tweet up by saying that he’ll “maybe pull a YE and just legally change my name to ABEL. no last name. Like Madonna or Cher or Prince. I don’t know, it seems like a lot.”

Though perhaps those ideas faded after the numerous controversies that plagued Kanye West, but with a transition from music to television and film, could a difficulty creatively between both personas be the reason for the switch up? The Weeknd in the same interview with W Magazine admitted getting into his The Idol character so much, he would forget some important skills - namely, singing. 

“My theory is that I forgot how to sing because I was playing Tedros, a character who doesn't know how to sing. I may be looking too deeply into this, but it was terrifying," he said.

No release date has been announced regarding The Weeknd’s potentially final album under his stage name, however the first episode of HBO’s The Idol, which The Weeknd co-wrote and co-produced with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, will be screening as part of the Cannes Film Festival, which begins May 16 2023, before moving to HBO and screening from June 6 2023.

Though The Weeknd’s name change comes from a potential change of career, the same can’t be said for some of these other musicians who changed their name during the peak of their popularity.

Prince

In 1993, Prince announced that he was changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol, which he referred to as "The Love Symbol" or "Symbol" for short. The symbol was a combination of the male and female gender symbols, and Prince adopted it as a way to represent his artistic and personal freedom. The move was also seen as a way to circumvent his contract with Warner Bros., as the label did not have the right to use the symbol without his permission.

During this period, Prince was referred to as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince" or simply "The Artist," which became a popular way of referring to him in the media. He continued to use the symbol as his name until 2000, when his contract with Warner Bros. expired and he changed his name back to Prince

Sean Combs

Where to begin with Sean Combs - there’s been so many name changes for the music impresario that it became a long-running joke for many celebrity commentators. In 1997, Sean Combs released his debut album "No Way Out" under the stage name Puff Daddy, which became his most successful album to date. However, after a legal dispute with another artist who also went by the name Puff Daddy, Combs decided to change his stage name to P. Diddy in 2001.

In 2005, Combs dropped the "P" and became known simply as Diddy. He explained that he wanted to simplify his name and create a new persona that was more mature and sophisticated. However, in 2011, he announced that he was changing his name again, this time to "Swag" for one week as a marketing stunt for his new album. Later in 2014, Combs announced that he was reverting back to the name Puff Daddy, stating that he wanted to pay homage to his roots and the name that made him successful.

Nina Simone

Sometimes the change isn’t from a creative standpoint but instead to hide away from plain sight, as was the case with Nina Simone. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, Simone changed her name in the 1950s as a way to conceal her musical career from her family. 

Simone began playing the piano at a young age and showed immense talent, eventually earning a scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York City. However, her family disapproved of her interest in "devil's music" and discouraged her from pursuing a career in the music industry. 

To keep her performances hidden from her family, Simone began playing in nightclubs under the name "Nina Simone," which she adopted as a stage name. "Nina" means "little one" in Spanish, and "Simone" was reportedly inspired by the French actress Simone Signore

Snoop Dogg

Anyone remember that brief moment that Snoop Dogg changed his name to Snoop Lion and recorded a reggae inspired record? If you missed it, go back to 2012 when Snoop spent time in Jamaica, where he spent time with Rastafarian musicians and was given the name "Snoop Lion" by a high priest. He was drawn to the movement's message of peace, love, and unity, and felt that the name change represented a new chapter in his life.

Snoop's new persona as Snoop Lion was reflected in his music as well. He released a reggae album called "Reincarnated" under his new name, which explored themes of spirituality, social justice, and personal growth