Abel Tesfaye enters the stage, the full name of the decades breakthrough star widely known as The Weeknd, now with the acting notch in his career path. For Interview Magazine‘s latest edition The Weeknd / Abel Tesfaye talks his latest show The Idol and poses for a spectacular cover story captured by Photographer Eli Rusell Linnetz. In charge of the styling was Fashion Stylist Matthew Henson cladding The Weeknd in a full look from American brand COACH. Abel sits down for an interview with Interview Magazine’s by Jeremy O. Harris a renowned playwright and actor.
“Because if you hear somebody speaking Amharic from miles away, you don’t have to hear the words. All you have to hear is the tone and the frequency, and you’re like, “Those are two Ethiopian aunties talking.” There’s a certain rhythm that you feel and a key that you hit. That was the first language I spoke. And then of course there was Ethiopian music, which was played in our household. It’s in my DNA. You hear it in my music, not literally, but the style and the vibrato, and the way I sing is very unconventional,” shares Abel talking with Harris for Interview Magazine discussing how Ethiopian actually shaped his voice tone.
Continuing to talk about the upcoming HBO show, Abel adds: “I think a lot about the ways this show, The Idol, has this great exaggeration of so many of our anxieties about those people we meet in Hollywood. You play the type of person that everyone who has spent a significant amount of time in nightlife has an anxiety around. You can’t seem to escape that person. It’s like every time you go out to the club, that person is always there. They always have a table, and they always seem to be friends with someone you know. This guy is always skeezy. He always has the worst style. The hair is always wrong. He is somehow always in the background of pap photos with people and you’re like, “But that person? Okay.” What was your excitement about not only making this character, but playing him?”
Read the full Interview Magazine cover story and see more images from the striking fashion shoot on interviewmagazine.com.
Photographed by Eli Russell Linnetz
Styled by Matthew Henson
Barber: Daronn Carr at Blend L.A.
Grooming: Christine Nelli at Kalpana
Set Design: James Rene at Jones Management
Fashion Assistant: Breaunna Trask
Tailor: David Viato
Production: erl Studio
View the spectacular trailer for THE IDOL starring Abel Tesfaye The Weeknd, Lily Rose Depp, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Mike Dean, Da’vine Joy Randolph, Hari Nef and more. The Idol Season 1 is set to premiere in May 2023 , exact date is to follow.
