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The Weeknd Hints At Third Album In 'Dawn FM' And 'After Hours' Trilogy
The Weeknd ignited speculation about a third album in his latest trilogy, following After Hours and Dawn FM.
His recent Instagram post featured the caption “3” and images of the two previous projects. It concluded with a question mark, suggesting a new addition to the series. Frequent collaborator Mike Dean further fueled the rumors with an enthusiastic comment on the post.
Weeknd’s announcement arrived on the second anniversary of Dawn FM. The 16-song LP boasted appearances from Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator. Additionally, tracks like “Out of Time,” “Gasoline” and “Is There Someone Else?” rose as fan favorites. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 148,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week.
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The “Starboy” hitmaker spent much of the past year on the road in promotion of his recent project amid controversies surrounding the now-canceled HBO show “The Idol.” The Europe leg of his “After Hours ’til Dawn Tour” kicked off in June 2023. Major stops included Amsterdam, Dublin, London, Madrid and Manchester.
Interestingly, the singer also pondered retiring his stage name after the upcoming body of work, potentially releasing future music as Abel Tesfaye. He told W Magazine, “I’m going through a cathartic path right now… It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter.”
He continued, “I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.” Notably, his last guest appearance on a track came in the form of Diddy’s “Another One Of Me.” The standout cut from The Love Album: Off the Grid featured 21 Savage and French Montana.
Last month, The Weeknd headlined the inaugural Fortnite Festival. It allowed players to perform their favorite songs from the Canadian musician solo or with their friends by tapping out notes. Additionally, there were playable skins available for purchase.