The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, tells PEOPLE about retiring his stage moniker at the New York City premiere of his 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' film

During the release of his album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, the singer asserted that it marked a ’chapter close’ on The Weeknd.

He first signaled the end of his longtime stage name in 2023 after he ditched his moniker on social media. In an interview with W Magazine, the singer said he was "getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter.