If you have been on the internet the past few days, you have likely encountered The Weeknd’s new sound, Dancing in the Flames. This song is electric, catchy, and makes you want to move. The music video was also shot on the iPhone 16 Pro, adding a new layer of excitement for me. This song isn’t just a fun new album from one of the world’s most famous artists; it’s the beginning of the end of an era. The Weeknd has died, and we are watching the birth of Abel Tesfaye, the artist who is about to take the world by storm. 

Fans of The Weeknd will know that Abel (the artist’s actual name) has been hinting at the end of the character for a while in various cryptic social media posts. This theory gained legitimacy as Dawn FM, his 2021 album, depicts his character’s death and journey through a fever dream-like sequence of purgatory imagery. If the message wasn’t clear enough, in a 2023 interview with W Magazine, Tesfaye said that he would “…kill The Weeknd” and that he’s “trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”

So, if The Weeknd is dying, where does Abel go from here? What kind of music do we expect the breakout artist to make? The answer is not explicitly known, but if we look at Abel’s musical inspiration, we can make an educated guess. I think we are about to see a spiritual revival of Michael Jackson’s work. 

Abel speaks of Michael Jackson a lot, but in an interview with the LA Times, he clarified the connection. He said that Michael Jackson was the artist that inspired him to start singing and songwriting. You can hear Jackson’s spirit in his vocalization and stylistic approach to singing. While the inspiration can be heard, the tone of The Weeknd’s music always flies in the face of the artistic intent behind Michael’s work. Jackson sung about peace, love, and understanding while The Weeknd sings of sex, drugs, and hedonism. They couldn’t be further apart. As a listener, I can tell you that I much prefer to hear the optimistic message of “Man in the Mirror” compared to the sullen, depressing tones of “Until I Bleed Out.”

The Weeknd will die (or take a long hiatus) in the next album. “Dancing in the Flames” has him singing the lyric, “..our final odyssey”, clearly telegraphing what is to come. What comes after is anyone’s guess, but I hope we hear a spiritual revival of Michael Jackson. I hope Abel is in a better place mentally and can create the music he wants to make without being tied to a persona of destruction and depression. From this fan’s perspective, I can tell you I am ready to move on. I am prepared to leave the angst, anger, short-sided pleasures, and violence of The Weeknd as a part of my history. I’m ready to grow up with an optimistic, fun, exciting, and bright view of the coming era of my life. I’m excited that Abel’s music isn’t something I must leave behind in my growth. This new era will meet me where I’m at.