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Fans who were worried they would never hear new Weeknd music or see him on tour rejoice. The moody singer is not retiring after all.
The R&B singer previously said in interviews that he would end the Weeknd persona this year. However, a recent show in Sweden seems to have re-energized him.
“I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear. I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. I said, Imma be here forever with you, I’ll never disappear.”
Now, he’s confirmed in an interview with GQ, that he’s fully committed to the persona.
“I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me,” The Weeknd said. “It’s a real privilege to do what I do. There’s nothing else like this job. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year has been overwhelming. I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I possibly can. The Weeknd isn’t going anywhere.”
The Weeknd confirms he won't be retiring in a new interview with GQ Singapore.
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) September 16, 2026
"I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me," he says. "It's a real privilege to do what I do. There's nothing else like this job. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year… pic.twitter.com/xvtDWukr4M
The Weeknd Considered Retirement Last Year
Previously, it seemed like The Weeknd was going to retire, as in several interviews and social media posts, he played with the idea of ending the persona.
“It’s a headspace I’ve gotta get into that I just don’t have any more desire for,” he told Variety. “You have a persona, but then you have the competition of it all. It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it.”
He did say in that same interview that when the Weeknd retires, he would consider making music still, but only if it felt like a challenge.
“The Weeknd, whatever that is, it’s been mastered,” he said. “No one’s gonna do the Weeknd better than me, and I’m not gonna do it better than what it is right now. I think I’ve overcome every challenge as this persona. But I just want to know what comes after. I want to know what tomorrow looks like.”
Currently, he’s finishing his tour and working on an anniversary remaster of Kissland.
