The Weeknd reveals he had a 'mental breakdown' ahead of new album and is thinking of going by his real name
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The Weeknd has revealed that he 'kind of [had a] mental breakdown' after losing his voice onstage which has now led him to consider once again ditching his stage moniker and going by his real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. In an interview with Variety, the Blinding Lights star detailed how he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out during a concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in September 2022.
![[The Weeknd has opened up about losing his voice onstage and how that inspired his next album. Seen here May 23, 2023]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/20/93972375-14272019-The_Weeknd_has_opened_up_about_losing_his_voice_onstage_and_how_-a-4_1736542039483.jpg)
Describing his voice as his 'secret weapon' the shock loss of his vocals suddenly left him questioning everything. 'I knew that I really needed to sit the f*** down and figure out my life,' he said. 'To understand what happened, face it, learn something new and start again. I'd had a kind of a mental breakdown, which is pretty much what this new album's about.'.
![[In an interview with Variety , he detailed how he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out during a concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Seen here July 7, 2023]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/20/93973909-14272019-In_an_interview_with_Variety_he_detailed_how_he_opened_his_mouth-a-6_1736542039656.jpg)
The 34-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter noted how his voice had never failed him before, even when performing with a high fever and being completely sick. 'I’d been onstage in the middle of a breakup or a death in the family; and I’d lost my voice during a performance,' he said.
![['My body, and specifically my voice, had never failed me before,' he said. Seen here September 21, 2024]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/20/93973905-14272019-_My_body_and_specifically_my_voice_had_never_failed_me_before_he-a-2_1736542039482.jpg)
The Weeknd has opened up about losing his voice onstage and how that inspired his next album. Seen here May 23, 2023. 'But I was always able to fight through it…I was doing all these vocal exercises onstage, like "Be-be-be-be-be-be," trying to get it back…I was defeated on the world stage with everyone watching.'.
![['I’d been onstage with a high fever, completely sick; I’d been onstage in the middle of a breakup or a death in the family; and I’d lost my voice during a performance,' he said. Seen here September 7, 2024]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/20/93972381-14272019-_I_d_been_onstage_with_a_high_fever_completely_sick_I_d_been_ons-a-5_1736542039483.jpg)
At the time, he explained what was happening to his audience, apologized, offered refunds and promised a rescheduled date. 'I had to go out there and face it. And also, so they could see "I can’t physically give you the show that you paid for." When I watched the video later, the reaction actually wasn’t that bad,' he explained.
![['But I was always able to fight through it…I was defeated on the world stage with everyone watching.' Seen here October 5, 2024]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/10/20/93972383-14272019-_But_I_was_always_able_to_fight_through_it_I_was_defeated_on_the-a-3_1736542039482.jpg)
