The Weeknd likes to be mysterious

3 August 2017

The Weeknd likes being "mysterious".

The Weeknd, Adriana Lima and Irina Shayk for Harper's Bazaar magazine

The 'Can't Feel My Face' singer insists he is "not in a rush" to show everyone who he really is and instead wants the focus to be on his music.

He said: "I'm not in a rush to let people know everything about me. Mystery is always great. Luckily, the only thing the world demands of me is music. I don't have to give them anything else for the rest of my life."

And the 27-year-old singer - who is dating 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' hitmaker Selena Gomez - might one day give his persona of The Weeknd "a break".

Asked if he'll ever let the public get to know the real him, he added to the September issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine: "Kind of like pulling a Ziggy Stardust. Maybe I'll retire from being the Weeknd. Or maybe I'll just give him a break."

Meanwhile, The Weeknd previously revealed he treats his albums "like films".

He said: "I kind of treat my albums like films when I write them, telling one big story. More visual candy and hopefully a venture into my first true love, cinema."

And he feels the landscape of music has changed since the "Golden Age" and says the money "really comes in" when he tours rather than when he makes his LPs.

He added: "We live in a world where artists don't really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age. It's not really coming in until you hit the stage."

And the 'Starboy' hitmaker - whose real name is Abel Tesfaye - likes to put a lot of effort into his live performances and previously revealed he wants them to "feel like opera".

He explained: "Environment is very important to me. Sometimes I have to perform during the day for festivals, and my music does not work in the daytime. It is night-time music. When you come to my show, I want it to feel like opera, like a theatre. The darkness is important for me ...

"Look at Kanye's shows - he changed the game. We're looking at floor seats differently now in arena shows. I want to animate the space like that on this tour."