The Weeknd Responds To "The Idol" Criticism

BYAlexander Cole7.8K Views
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The Weeknd Performs At Etihad Stadium
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 10: Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye performs live at Etihad Stadium as part of his After Hours til Dawn Tour on June 10, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The Weeknd isn't worried.

The Weeknd is one of the biggest global superstars in the entire world. Overall, he has sold tens of millions of records and continues to be at the top of his game. However, he is currently garnering a lot of criticism for his acting chops in The Idol. The new HBO show has been streaming fairly well, although the critics absolutely hate it. Moreover, the dialogue and sexual themes in the show are already rubbing people the wrong way. Needless to say, the show is gaining a lot of attention, a lot of it bad.

In case you haven't noticed, The Weeknd is someone who pays attention to social media. Consequently, you will sometimes find him responding to people on Twitter or Instagram. Recently, however, he talked about The Idol and its reception with GQ Magazine. In the interview, Abel made it clear that his character's depiction is deliberate. He is meant to be a bad person, and they aren't sugarcoating that. Furthermore, he is just happy to see people talking about the show.

The Weeknd Speaks

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 10: Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye performs live at Etihad Stadium as part of his After Hours til Dawn Tour on June 10, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

“I’m loving it. It’s definitely shaken up the culture for sure [laughs]. We knew we were making something dark and controversial but true to what we want to say," The Weeknd explained. “I just think discussion is healthy, no matter what. To me it’s like, I’m just happy that there’s conversation. That’s important for anything I do, especially this new medium that I’m in.” In the eyes of Abel, there is no such thing as bad press.

With Episode 3 set to drop this Sunday, it will be interesting to see where the show goes from here. Ultimately, season 1 will decide whether or not this is a show that deserves to go on any longer. Let us know your thoughts on The Idol, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the music world.

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About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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