By Natalia Rueda 
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, better known to the world as The Weeknd, has announced his plans to officially move away from his stage name and embrace his birth name.
The 33-year-old Canadian singer known for his chart-topping hits such as “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Blinding Lights,” made the announcement on Monday through the updating of his Twitter and Instagram accounts. The switch is part of the larger plan to “kill The Weeknd”, revealed his plans to W Magazine in an interview last week, saying “I’m going through a cathartic path right now…I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
The past few months have been a period of transition for Tesfaye, as he has focused on his artistic participation in the upcoming drama series “The Idol,” which will premiere on Max on June 4. Tesfaye stars alongside Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of actor Johnny Depp.
The artist’s Twitter and Instagram accounts have already been updated to show his birth name instead of his stage name, and Tesfaye says that this could be his last album under the name The Weeknd, saying “The album I’m working on right now is probably my last as The Weeknd. This is something I have to do. As The Weeknd, I’ve said all I can say.”
Tesfaye has been one of the most popular and successful names in the music industry for the past decade, and his fans have been eagerly awaiting his upcoming album and the chance to see him embrace his true identity. It’s unclear what this new era for Tesfaye will bring, but his fans no doubt have much to look forward to.