The Weeknd is wasting no time ramping up the buzz machine for his incoming new music.
For, fresh from trumpeting news that ‘The Dawn Is Coming’ with the unleashing of a titillating trailer, the star appears on the cover of GQ Magazine.
No stranger to blazing a trail, the singer makes history as the first person to appear on the inaugural Global Issue of the publication – which, for the first time, will sport the same cover across 17 countries.
As well as posing it up in a dapper shoot lensed by Daniel Jackson, the performer opened up about “The Weeknd” character and its air of mystery, as well as comparisons to Michael Jackson, the GRAMMY drama, his next record, and more.
Head below for pics and quotes…
On The Difference Between Abel & The Weeknd:
“The lines were blurry at the beginning. And as my career developed—as I developed as a man—it’s become very clear that Abel is someone I go home to every night. And The Weeknd is someone I go to work as.”
On Being Perceived As Being A Dark Figure:
“I am not dark. My art is dark, and I’ve gone through dark times. I’ve used those dark times as inspiration for my art. But I feel like because I’m not dark, I was able to channel it and put it into my music and into my art.”
On His Initial Anonymity:
“I don’t know. Maybe there is a deeper issue with that, but I feel like with me it’s never been about the artist and the image of the artist. With House of Balloons, nobody knew what I looked like. And I felt like it was the most unbiased reaction you can get to the music, because you couldn’t put a face to it. Especially R&B, which is a genre that is heavily influenced by how the artist looks.”
On Being Compared To Michael Jackson:
“It’s a roller coaster, because Michael is somebody that I admire. He’s not like a real person, you know? When I started making music, that’s all I wanted to aspire to, just like every other musician. So then when I started getting those types of comparisons, I invited them, because it’s like who wouldn’t want that? But I guess the older I got, and the more I started understanding who I was, it was very important for me to realize: How do I become that for someone else? Because I know James Brown was that for Michael. And I’m not trying to say I’m Michael’s successor or whatnot. But I’m excited to be the first Weeknd.”
On The GRAMMYs Drama & Not Submitting His Music Anymore:
“I just don’t care. Because that will never be the reason why I do what I do. It never really was before. And I’m glad that I can make music and not have to think about that. I’ll never be in that conversation ever again.
I mean, I have no interest. Everyone’s like, “No, just do better next time.” I will do better, but not for you. I’m going to do better for me.”
On What Success Looks Life For His Next LP:
“What makes any of my albums a successful album, especially this one, is me putting it out and getting excited to make the next one. So the excitement to make the next project means that this one was successful to me. I want to do this forever. And even if I start getting into different mediums and different types of expressions, music will be right there. I’m not going to step away from it.”
Bruh there’s a between confidence and being full of it.
He is full of it. You had a song that had moved the culture or the world. So bringing Michael or James brown up I don’t get it.
As for the grammys he has already won two. Talk to artist that have never won one but who was 2x successful at the time. Stop asking him
He brought them up because he was ASKED. Y’all just look for reasons to be mad. He gets MJ comparisons all the time because of his voice. He is honored, but knows who he is as an artist – and it’s not MJ!
MJ must be rolling over in his grave. This cheap pop music wacko…
Boy sit down. You don’t even dance. Give us a break. You JUST had an album hoeeee
Mani is top 20 on Apple Music US
Top 50 global
Camicky nowhere to be found. Let that sink in
We love to see it.
Oh Honey…give it a rest.
She’s projected to slide down into the top50 next week now after all the hype has been settled…and that was per the link that YOU posted on another page.
The song is cute but it does nothing for music or her own sound for that matter OR the lane she is trying to create for herself.
Her best song, sound, video, and overall vibe was Waves. I don’t know how we got to this current train wreck she is in today…
If you talk to her, tell her to stick to what was previously done and give us more bops from that arena of music.
No other girl is in the mainstream doing sounds like that with BOMB choreo like she did.
We need THAT…not another s*** Aaliyah/Beyoncé knock off.
I’m rooting for ya girl but tell her we need something new consistent and forwardly innovating.
ALL of this chile 💯
@TGJ y’all knew what y’all were doing when y’all posted this news the way that y’all did. Messy, messy, messy….
Chile listen….I was about to come in here and read for filth 😜😅 but his response was pretty valid and significant.
Very thought out and it made perfect sense actually.
I agree with all he said.
I never got MJ from The Weeknd or ever drew a comparison between the 2 other than similar voice styles but beyond that, nothing else.
He’s among the few mainstream artist (just like Bruno Mars) that has been the most consistent with his sound, style, and brand after all these years. I think he’s carved a lane out for himself that is different from what has been done before/currently and will definitely be mentioned along the lines as a MJ type for a new generation to come.
I love that he is always taking his crown off to the ones who paved the way before him from Usher to MJ to Prince and more.
I do think the Super Bowl performance was a bit lackluster and a bit too soon for him in his career but there’s time to make up for it in the future with other opportunities and avenues I suppose.
Best of luck to this s*** King 👑
Séxy? The Weeknd? Chile we must done be looking at a different man…
Somebody is giving this man wayyyyy too much credit for him to even think this highly of himself 🙄
These photos look good! House of Balloons was dope af and I started to get into his music however I found when he finally got his big break commercially he started to come across fake to me and I don’t why! His mainstream persona just felt different but I’m happy for his success nonetheless
Bit…he had ONE song that he sounded SIMILAR to MJ on, about not feeling his face because he was high off coke…don’t MJ in that.
Is this Towanda Braxton’s fiancé?
This dude is a studio singer with horrible live vocals and no stage presents or performing skills making bubble gum pop music. But people actually think he’s in the conversation with Michael Jackson, James Brown and think he’s better than Usher.Damn I guess aliens have taken over the world…SMDH