The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is not a guy who likes to do a lot of chatting with media so the fact that he sat down with DJ Zayne Lowe for an in-studio Beats 1 interview is a pretty big deal. In fact, it’s his first ever on-camera interview, an occurance The Weeknd attributed to his close relationship with Lowe, who has opened for him on tour.
Some of the subjects he tackled are moving to Los Angeles, splurging on cars and who the title of his just released album Starboy (stream below) is referencing. He also described his process, how he creates music and how his fans influence him.
In the interview, he also discussed working with Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey and Future, all of whom were featured on the album. The Weeknd referred to Del Rey as his closest friend in the industry and described Lamar as a genius.
The Weeknd explained that well his records examine darkness, he always tries to end on a high note. He also mentioned using alcohol in his early days to calm his nerves before performing, a practice he has put behind him. He added that at one point he was an atheist and a pessimist and has become more spiritual as of late.
On Drake, The Weeknd said in the beginning he was like a big brother to him, and while their relationship has changed, they are good with each other.
Lowe asked him why he cut his hair and The Weeknd said the vision wasn’t there anymore and it was a relief to cut it, especially because he can now wear hats and go out in public and be recognized less often.
Watch The Weeknd’s 12-minute music visual titled “Mania,” featuring six songs from Starboy here.
Image via Lowe’s Instagram.
