Abel Tesfaye—aka The Weeknd—might dominate the charts, but when it comes to fame? He’s over it. The global music sensation made his feature film debut this week with Hurry Up Tomorrow, a psychological thriller that premiered on May 13 at AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York. And while the red carpet buzzed with A-listers and camera flashes, Tesfaye made it crystal clear: he’s not here for celebrity worship.
“It can really be a full-time job, and I just have no interest in that,” he told a journalist. “I think I’m good at hiding.”
The film, directed by Waves filmmaker Trey Edward Shults, hits close to home. Hurry Up Tomorrow is inspired by a real-life onstage incident in 2022 when The Weeknd lost his voice mid-performance in front of 80,000 stunned fans at LA’s SoFi Stadium. The cause? Not physical strain, but psychological stress—a revelation that reshaped his relationship with both music and performance.
“Failure sucks, but don’t be scared of it,” Tesfaye said. “That’s the best school.”
The film doesn’t just dramatize that chaos—it turns it into catharsis.
The Weeknd isn’t going it alone. Joining him on screen are Wednesday icon Jenna Ortega and Saltburn breakout Barry Keoghan. Ortega, who plays the mysterious Anima, reflected on the intensity of playing someone who’s both artist and persona.
“People think they’re getting to know musicians for who they are,” she noted. “But really, they’re watching a version.”
And yes—Jenna’s Carrie Bradshaw-coded style moment on the red carpet didn’t hurt the hype.
While Keoghan showed off baby pics and Ortega lit up fan selfies, The Weeknd found comfort in the shadows—controlling the vibe from the DJ booth at the Boom Boom Room. Fame may be fickle, but Tesfaye’s connection to sound and story? Still as raw as ever.
At Vogue Vocal, we live for the quiet power moves—like Abel Tesfaye trading spotlights for scripts, and turning vulnerability into art. If this debut is any sign, Hurry Up Tomorrow won’t be the last time we see The Weeknd rewriting the rules of celebrity.
Stay tuned—because at Vogue Vocal, we don’t just watch culture unfold, we narrate it.
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