After being snubbed at the 2020 Grammys, The Weeknd, also known by his real name Abel Tesfaye, received a surprise Emmy nomination for his unique Super Bowl performance which sparked a ton of memes. In the span of his now-decade-long career, the former anonymous R&B/Pop singer has had one hell of a run that includes selling more than 10 million records and a host of award wins. The Canadian singer isn't letting up.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Weeknd discussed the uncertainty of the pandemic, being nominated for an Emmy, his highly-anticipated upcoming album, and the new HBO series he's developing with Euphoria creator Sam Levison.
“It was definitely unexpected, I had no idea that it was even possible to get nominated for an Emmy for the Super Bowl, so I was very grateful," said the singer. "I found out that they submitted for me, but I had no idea that you could submit. So, it was a pleasant surprise.”
Another pleasant surprise for the three-time Grammy winner is his shift into HBO's writer's room. The HBO series is tentatively titled The Idol and will feature Joseph Epstein as showrunner. As reported by Complex, The Idol will follow the story of “a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult.”
He told The Hollywood Reporter, "It’s been really cool because I’m working on this album this summer simultaneously with the writer’s room for the new TV show. So, I’ve been kind of going back and forth from finishing the album and pending up the show that we’re going to start shooting soon. It’s been quite a summer"
His most recent album After Hours is currently the most-streamed R&B album of all time. When asked about his evolving sound, he shared that his goal is to always organically switch it up. Although he's unsure when he will release his newest project, The Dawn is Coming, he expects to be finished recording by the end of the month.
As for touring and headlining festivals in the midst of COVID, The Weeknd is hopeful, "Oh my God, I just miss performing in general, especially this album. I didn’t get to really perform it to my fans. There’s just something about going on tour, and even going on festival runs, and just experiencing new music with the crowd. Hopefully, we get to do that."
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