The Weeknd Gets Candid About Anxiety, Tells Interviewer He Had Panic Attack 'Right Before' Their Conversation
Key to the singer's day-to-day maintenance is his "relationship with God."
The Weeknd is bringing his remarkably massive, globally celebrated album trilogy to a fitting close with the recently announced Hurry Up Tomorrow. Fans already know this. But first, Abel is speaking with a striking sense of candor about mental health in a new interview released ahead of his much-anticipated show in São Paulo this weekend.
As always, you’re surely best served by simply reading the full piece here. In the conversation with Isabela Pacilio for Billboard Brazil, the repeated record smasher of an artist expressed a desire for his art to help those who hear it find ways to "overcome the abyss." The specifics of this abyss were not detailed, though it’s easy to imagine it falling somewhere under the more existential banner of emotions and desires so often explored in his songs. Abel spoke on how his personal faith, specifically his currently strengthened "relationship with God," has helped him in maintaining his own mental health stability.
While on that same topic, Abel revealed to the interviewer that he had actually suffered a panic attack mere moments before beginning their conversation.
"I just had a panic attack right before this interview," he said. "My anxiety is a constant battle, and I feel like it never goes away. I’m learning to control it, but I’ve already realized that it’s part of my life. I can’t escape it."
From there, Abel kept it candid with thoughts on the importance of making your own meaning during your time here on Earth, the "planned" nature of his entire catalog of music, his deception to a fame-averse life of privacy, and more. This is where you should go to read the full thing.
Saturday, fans not in attendance for the sold-out São Paulo show will be able to get in on the action from home thanks to an official YouTube stream of the performance. Tap in below.
While a release date for Hurry Up Tomorrow remains a mystery, the album is expected soon. In the meantime, brush up on the previous trilogy entries by giving The Weeknd's After Hours and Dawn FM a revisit. If widely held interpretations hold true, we're all in for something downright heavenly with the final chapter.
