Pop superstar The Weeknd has revealed that stress and "self-imposed pressure" led to his sudden voice loss during a September 2022 concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The incident, which forced him to abruptly end the show, marked the first time his voice had ever failed him on stage.
The Canadian singer-songwriter, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, shared details about the experience in a recent Variety interview. Despite medical examination showing only minor vocal cord inflammation, The Weeknd believes the root cause was psychological rather than physical.
"I'd been on stage with a high fever, completely sick; I'd been on stage in the middle of a breakup or a death in the family... But I was always able to fight through it," the artist explained. The SoFi Stadium incident proved different, leaving him feeling "defeated on the world stage with everyone watching."
At the time, The Weeknd was juggling multiple commitments, including his After Hours Til Dawn tour and filming HBO's "The Idol." He described frequent cross-country flights between concerts and film shoots as contributing factors to his mounting stress.
The singer reflected that the voice loss might have stemmed from accumulated pressure throughout his life. "Maybe it was that year, but maybe it was my whole life: survival, school, family, friendships, relationships, making it in the music industry. I'd always kind of suppressed it," he admitted.
The experience prompted The Weeknd to reassess his upcoming projects, including his sixth studio album "Hurry Up Tomorrow." He completely revamped the album following the incident, recognizing it as a "pinnacle moment" in his life.
"Hurry Up Tomorrow" is scheduled for release on January 26, accompanied by a film of the same name premiering May 16. The film, described as a "musically driven psychological thriller," will feature The Weeknd alongside actors Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.