The Weeknd Goes Heavy on Twitter Opposite the Grammys After Pulling Self out of Awards

By Daniel S. Levine

The Weeknd had a fun weekend on Twitter leading up to his new music video for "Out of Time." The Grammys are also this weekend, but Abel Tesfaye is not paying attention to that. The Weeknd was critical of the Grammys after his blockbuster album After Hours was snubbed in March 2021, so he plans to keep his record label from submitting his work to the Record Academy for the rest of his career.

The Weeknd has been joking around with fans throughout the past week and frequently responding to their messages. He has also dropped stills for the "Out of Time" video. It is the third single from Dawn FM, which he released in January. The album also includes "Take My Breath" and "Sacrifice."

Although The Weeknd never directly referenced the Grammys, he retweeted a fan who pointed out that many of the trending topics on Twitter related to his work. "Wow, what a day... Today belongs to us," he wrote. "And 'Out of Time' TUESDAY!"

In another tweet, The Weeknd aired out an idea to change his stage name. "You guys are hilarious. I feel like I should change my stage name to ABEL at this point lol," he wrote. "maybe pull a YE and just legally change my name to ABEL. No last name. Like Madonna or Cher or Prince. I don't know. It seems like a lot."

The Weeknd has continued to push the envelope with the visual element of his music videos. The videos for "Take My Breath" and "Sacrifice" tell parts of the same story, which is expected to continue in the "Out of Time" video. He also starred in an Amazon Prime Video special, The Dawn FM Experience, released on Feb. 26. The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Stadium Tour kicks off on July 8 in Toronto. Doja Cat is his opening act for the entire tour.

Last year, After Hours was expected to be a significant player at the Grammy Awards, but the album was surprisingly snubbed. In May 2021, even after the Recording Academy agreed to eliminate the "secret" nomination-review committees, the "Blinding Lights" singer told Variety he does not want his record label to submit his work for consideration ever again.

"I think the industry and public alike need to see the transparent system truly at play for the win to be celebrated, but it's an important start," The Weeknd said. "I remain uninterested in being a part of the Grammys, especially with their own admission of corruption for all these decades. I will not be submitting in the future."

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