It Looks Like Abel Tesfaye Really Is ‘Killing’ The Weeknd After His Latest Social Media Update

Last week, macabre singer The Weeknd announced his intention to “kill” The Weeknd persona in favor of performing under his real name, Abel Tesfaye. “I’m going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. “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.”

Over the weekend — you know, the one on the calendar — he took steps to further that plan on social media. Fans on Twitter noticed that he’d adjusted his handle on the platform; while he can still be found at @TheWeeknd (for now), the name above that reads Abel Tesfaye.

The change is just in time for Abel’s television acting debut in The Idol, which premieres on HBO in just a few weeks. The show has proven to be controversial for behind-the-scenes reports of production difficulties and sexualized, violent content, but Tesfaye hopes to silence his critics when it releases. It’ll also feature brand-new music from the evolving artist, who says that his next album as The Weeknd will be his last.