The Weeknd has announced that it's time for a change... He doesn't want to be The Weeknd anymore.
In a recent interview with W Magazine for their Pop Issue, the 'Blinding Lights' musician - whose legal name is Abel Tesfaye - spoke candidly about why he feels it's time to get rid of his stage name.
"I'm going through a cathartic path right now. It's getting to a place and a time where I'm getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter. I'll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill the Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I'm definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn," the 33-year-old revealed.
While Tesfaye - who is starring alongside Lily Rose Depp in HBO's upcoming drama series The Idol - didn't provide specifics, he did reveal that he thought his upcoming record would be his last using the moniker, adding: "The album I'm working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd… This is something that I have to do. As the Weeknd, I've said everything I can say."
The Weeknd - real name Abel Tesfaye - said in a recent interview he is hoping to drop his stage name. Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy
The Weeknd has previously toyed with the idea of changing his name. In fact, last year he told fans on Twitter prior to the release of his 'Out of Time' music video: "You guys are hilarious. i feel like i should change my stage name to ABEL at this point lol."
He then added in a separate tweet: "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."
If he does choose to go by Abel, he'll join a host of other celebrities who dropped their stage names in favor of something different - including Thandiwe Newton (whose stage name Thandie Newton was actually a misspelling), Blac Chyna who changed her name back to Angela White, and rapper Lil Xan reverting back to his legal name Diego.
As we wait for what The Weeknd is set to decide, he previously suggested that his upcoming album is part of a trilogy. Whether this includes his 2020 album After Hours and 2022's Dawn FM is yet to be confirmed.
The 33-year-old - whose legal name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye - has been toying with the idea of altering his identity by switching up his name.
In fact, the Canadian singer discussed this in a recent interview with W Magazine for their Pop Issue, speaking candidly about why he feels it's time to get rid of his stage name.
"I'm going through a cathartic path right now. It's getting to a place and a time where I'm getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter. I'll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I'm definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn," the 'Blinding Lights' singer revealed.
The Canadian crooner has been toying with the idea of changing his stage name. Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy
While Tesfaye didn't provide specifics, he did reveal that he thought his upcoming record would be his last using the moniker, adding: "The album I'm working on now is probably my last hurrah as The Weeknd… This is something that I have to do. As the Weeknd, I've said everything I can say."
Last year, he took to Twitter to write: "You guys are hilarious. i feel like i should change my stage name to ABEL at this point lol."
"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," he then added in a separate tweet.
Well, it seems like the tweets were foreshadowing an event that took place this weekend, with The Weeknd changing his name on Instagram to his birth name (while still keeping his handle @theweeknd).
Credit: Instagram.com
Tesfaye - who has previously been romantically linked to Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez - has won numerous accolades and broken many records during the span of his career, with the Guinness World Records announcing this year the the musician is officially the world's most popular artist.
As such, he's been bestowed with two Guinness World Records - the first being the artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify (at 111.4 million as at March 20), and the second being the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners. According to the world record reference company, a surge in listens was triggered by the fact that a remix of 'Die for You' (which also features pop sensation Ariana Grande) went viral on TikTok.
The song eventually shot to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, which is The Weeknd's seventh time in the highly coveted position. The original 'Die for You' was released in 2016 on his album 'Starboy.'
Perhaps the change has something to do with Tesfaye's transition into taking more acting roles. Having had a cameo in Uncut Gems in 2019, the musician is starring alongside Lily-Rose Depp in HBO Max's upcoming series The Idol - which follows the story of an aspiring pop idol (Depp) and her complex relationship with a self-help guru and cult leader (Tesfaye).
The drama series will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month, and will hit the streaming site on June 4.
The Weeknd has apologized for canceling his concert on Saturday evening after losing his voice early into the set.
The Weeknd - whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - was 15 minutes into his second sold-out night at Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium on the evening of August 3, when he suddenly stopped the show.
The 32-year-old star cited vocal problems and tearfully apologized to the 70,000 bewildered fans in attendance for not being able to put on "the concert I want to give you right now," before exiting the stage.
The 'Blinded Lights' singer had just kicked off what was meant to be an electrifying, 29-song set - featuring hits like 'Gasoline,' 'Sacrifice,' and 'How Do I Make You Love Me?' - when he stopped performing 'Can’t Feel My Face' to address the audience hoarsely.
Watch the concert video below:
After briefly walking off-stage, the singer returned in front of the crowd and said: "This is killing me. I don’t want to stop the show. But I can’t give you the concert that I want to give you right now."
"I’m going to make sure everybody’s good, get your money back, and I’ll do a show real soon for you guys, but I wanted to come out and personally apologize and not tweet it or Instagram it," he said, according to videos posted on Twitter.
"I wanted you guys to know that I can’t give you what I want to give you. I apologize. I’m so sorry. I love you guys so much," he concluded.
After making his personal apology to the audience, the 'Save your Tears' musician reassured fans that he would reschedule the show in his statement on his social media.
He wrote: "My voice went out during the first song and I’m devastated. Felt it go and my heart dropped. My deepest apologies to my fans here. I promise I’ll make it up to you with a new date."
Several fans in the audience posted their disappointment on Twitter after the Weeknd's announcement.
One user wrote: "I can’t believe what just happened. I had front row seats to The Weeknd at Sofi and he lost his voice midway through the 3rd song and had to end the show. I’m gutted for him and everyone else here holy s***."
Another user commented: "I'm bout to jump off the roof of SoFi after all the money I spent on drinks and for The Weeknd to walk off……………"
A third user said: "About to drown myself in this pinche sofi lake bc the Weeknd just canceled."
However, others praised the 'Call Out My Name' singer for making a tough decision, noting that he's been on tour since early July.
One user wrote: "The Weeknd has been singing nonstop for the past month or so and y’all wanna talk down on him for 'losing his voice' we lose our voices by singing 3 songs, don’t talk down on my bae fr."
Another chimed in and said: "The Weeknd sang this whole tour LIVE no lip-synching or heavy-ass backtrack, and as soon as he cancels one show for his sake, he's public enemy #1..."
This is not the first time the Weeknd has experienced problems during this tour. Originally, he was scheduled to play in arenas for this tour but he announced on October 2021 that he would change the venue to stadiums the following year.
The singer then pushed the tour back to summer 2021 to expand the After Hours Til Dawn tour, with the first concert date scheduled on July 8 in his hometown of Toronto, Canada.
However, that opening night was postponed at the last minute due to a wireless network outage at the city's Rogers Centre. The show was then rescheduled for September 22 with a second night added for September 23.
Kanye West has filed legal documents at Los Angeles Superior Court in a bid to officially change his name to "Ye".
On Tuesday, August 24, the 'Gold Digger' rapper cited "personal reasons" for the decision to do away with his famous first name, Kanye as well as his last name, West in favor of his two-letter nickname, Ye, NBC News reports.
He is also hoping to drop his middle name, Omari.
Before the name change becomes official, however, a judge must approve the filing.
West has made his preference for the relatively new moniker known for some years now.
Back in June 2018, he released his eighth studio album, titled Ye. Later that year, in September, the chart-topper, 44, announced on Twitter that he wanted to be known as Ye henceforth.
He wrote at the time: "The being formally [sic] known as Kanye West. I am YE."
And on the social media platform, his name is simply Ye.
In a 2018 interview with radio host Big Boy, West delved into the origins of the name, and opened up about how his Christian faith had influenced the album, and through that, his new name.
He said: "I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible, it means 'you'. So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us.
"It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye - just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything. The album is more of a reflection of who we are."
Credit: Alamy/Francis Specker
The recent news comes days before the father-of-four is expected to release his 10th album Donda in honor of his late mother. West has held listening parties at stadiums in order to promote the album's imminent release.
Some of these events have been attended by his four children - North, eight, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two - and his ex, Kim Kardashian, who he separated from earlier on in the year. The divorce proceedings are still ongoing.
The 40-year-old reality star did not ask that her last name be legally changed back to Kardashian when she filed for divorce in February. Their four children also have Grammy winner's last name.
The artist formerly known as Kanye West has once again rebranded.
Newly surfaced business documents filed in California have revealed that the rapper, 48, appears to have quietly changed his legal name once again, per Page Six.
Kanye West has once again changed his name. Credit: Arnold Jerocki / Getty
The change surfaced in paperwork submitted by his chief financial officer, Hussain Lalani, on behalf of several of West’s companies.
And while many of us are aware that the rapper changed his name to "Ye" - he apparently thinks it is so nice, he's named himself twice, as the controversial music star is know reportedly going by the name “Ye Ye.”
From “Kanye Omari West” to “Ye” to “Ye Ye”
This isn’t West’s first identity switch-up. Back in 2021, he famously dropped Kanye Omari West for the mononym Ye. He explained the shift in court documents as being for “personal reasons.”
The name aligned with his 2018 album Ye, and at the time, he declared on X, “I am YE,” adding: “The being formally known as Kanye West.”
He doubled down on the biblical reasoning in a Big Boy interview, saying: “‘Ye’ was the most commonly used word in the Bible. In the Bible, it means ‘you.’ So I’m you, I’m us, it’s us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye. Just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything.”
Businesses Are Already Reflecting the New Name
The latest filing shows that his clothing line, Yeezy Apparel, as well as his music companies — Yeezy Record Label LLC and Getting Out Our Dreams Inc — have updated internal documents to refer to him as “Ye Ye", per Page Six.
These changes were included in a “Statement of Information” submitted to California’s Secretary of State.
Previously, West was listed in filings as “Ye West.” The upgrade to “Ye Ye” marks yet another evolution in his public and business identity. One of his key companies, Ox Paha Inc., which has submitted hundreds of trademark applications on his behalf, now also lists his name as “Ye Ye.”
Ye and Censori are no strangers to controversy. Credit: Gilbert Flores / Getty
Still No Public Announcement — But He’s Not Happy Being Called “Kanye”
Despite the legal filings, Ye has yet to formally announce the switch to “Ye Ye” on social media. However, he’s made it clear that using his birth name is off-limits.
He stormed out of a recent interview with Piers Morgan, allegedly over being called “Kanye.”
Piers later posted on Instagram: “I interviewed Kanye West again today. As I expected, given what I’ve said about him recently, it didn’t last long or go well. This was him right before he stomped off like a big baby before I could ask him why he’s become a vile, Hitler-loving, Nazi-slathering, anti-Semitic pr**k.”
After a fan pointed out on X that the name-calling likely triggered his walkout, Morgan clapped back: “His X account name is @kanyewest.”
Ye responded on June 1 by tweeting: “Ima finally stop using the @kanyewest twitter cause my name is Ye… Gonna start a ye account and it is what it is.”
West’s chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, has gone to bat for him in recent months, demanding that platforms, publications, and data services respect the name change. In a letter obtained by Page Six, Yiannopoulos wrote: “Ye is one of the most recognizable people in the world, on par with presidents and popes.”
He added, “He didn’t take the decision to change his name, potentially sacrificing some of the immense value captured by the brand of ‘Kanye West,’ lightly. The change was made fully, legally, and permanently. This is who he is now. His name is Ye.”
The letter continued: “He has on several occasions referred to it as his slave name. Ye is a black man in America who wants the right to full self-determination just like everyone else.”
Ye has repeatedly requested that people stop using his birth name. Credit: Gotham/Getty
New HQ and Old Controversies
In the same filing, the business addresses for Ye’s companies have been updated.
They’ve moved from a burnt-down church in Northridge to a $6.7 million office building on trendy Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles — property Ye purchased through Ox Paha in March 2023, The Sun reports.
That building, however, hasn’t exactly thrived. It’s been sitting idle, and earlier this year, police were called after a swastika was painted on the exterior — an incident that followed Ye’s previous antisemitic outbursts on X.
Meanwhile, Bianca Censori Launches Her Own Brand
While Ye is busy rebranding himself — again — his wife Bianca Censori is stepping into the spotlight on her own terms.
The Australian model, 30, known for her boundary-pushing wardrobe and public displays of affection with Ye, has quietly launched her own company.
Bianca Censori Inc. was registered in California last month. She’s also set up a separate business using her full name back home in Alphington, an upscale suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
Interestingly, her chief financial officer is also Hussain Lalani, the same exec handling Ye’s paperwork. Lalani is reportedly a specialist in cosmetic treatments, sparking speculation that Censori may be eyeing the beauty industry.
Taylor Swift is one of the most recognizable names on planet Earth, so the possibility of a name change after her marriage to fiancé Travis Kelce seems unthinkable.
After all, her name is plastered across millions of CDs, vinyl records, tour merchandise, and in more social media posts than you could possibly count.
The name has remained as one of the powerhouses of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades now, becoming a brand in itself - but it could all be set to change.
Swift, already a billionaire at 36, is set for life anyway, but many fans wouldn't be able to stomach a sudden name change, after recording 16 full-length studio albums.
But now, it has been exclusively reported by the Daily Mail that the singer will look to become Mrs Taylor Kelce.
Taylor Swift may no longer go by her famous name. Credit: Kate Green/Getty
Why is Taylor Swift changing her name?
An insider has told the publication: "Professionally, she'll always be Taylor Swift.
"The name has become one of the biggest brands in entertainment, and there's really no reason to change that."
They explained that the Bad Blood singer is 'very traditional,' and that she sees her soon-to-be-husband's name as a 'very meaningful step' in their relationship.
The insider added: "Personally, it's a different story; Taylor is very traditional, and when it comes to marriage, she'd love to take Travis' last name.
"In her personal life, the idea of being Taylor Kelce is something she genuinely looks forward to.
"She sees it as a meaningful step, especially knowing it would also be the family name their future children would share."
As a silver lining for Swifties, it's understood that while there will be a legal name change, she will keep her stage name as Taylor Swift.
That's right, they won't need to change their fandom name to the Kelces.
The source also clarified that they won't try to hyphenate their names, adding: "Both she and Travis think there's something incredibly special and beautiful about sharing the same last name, even if the world will always know her professionally as Taylor Swift."
Another source claimed: "She will take his last name when they wed, but for work she will still go by Taylor Swift.
"Jennifer Aniston did this when she married Brad Pitt."
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are set to tie the knot over the weekend. Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty
When is Taylor Swift marrying Travis Kelce?
It's believed that the pop star will marry her NFL player fiancé, Travis Kelce, at New York City's Madison Square Garden arena this weekend, in a multi-day celebration.
Reports state that events will ensue on Thursday (July 2), with a rehearsal dinner for close friends and family, before a larger, 1,000-guest party on Friday.
This is yet to be confirmed, with wide reports instead suggesting it to be the case.
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