The Weeknd says he has an ‘off-and-on relationship’ with drug use as he gears up for the release of his fourth studio album After Hours next month
The Weeknd has always come off as a remarkably candid and down-to-earth musician, and his latest interview was no exception.
In a cover story for the 10th edition of fashion magazine CR Men, the freshly 30-year-old Canadian musician revealed that he has an ‘off-and-on relationship’ with drugs.
The Starboy hitmaker has previously confessed to having used addictive substances, and often references the topic in his lyrics — in fact, he received heat for the cocaine references in his summer 2015 hit Can’t Feel My Face.
Man of substance: In a cover story for the 10th edition of fashion magazine CR Men, Canadian musician The Weeknd revealed that he has an ‘off-and-on relationship’ with drugs
But now, the crooner said he’s not actively using any drugs as he goes through stages of being sober.
When asked if he still does drugs, he said: ‘I have an off-and-on relationship with it. It doesn’t consume my life but occasionally helps me open up my mind, especially when I’m creating, but when I perform I’m completely sober and try not to even drink.’
The Weeknd — whose birth name is Abel Tesfaye — has explained in the past that whilst he’s never needed to ‘detox’ himself from substances, he has had moments where he didn’t want to ‘spend a day without getting high.’
The Blinding Lights crooner said in 2015: ‘I never needed detox or anything. But I was addicted in the sense of ‘F**k, I don’t want to spend this day without getting high. Like, ’08 to 2010 — those are my hazy years.’
When asked if he still does drugs, he said: ‘It doesn’t consume my life but occasionally helps me open up my mind, especially when I’m creating, but when I perform I’m completely sober and try not to even drink’
And the following year, he said drugs were a ‘crutch’ for him, especially when it came to pushing through writer’s block.
He said: ‘Drugs were a crutch for me. There were songs on my first record that were seven minutes long, rambling — whatever thoughts I was having when I was under the influence at the time. I can’t see myself doing that now.
‘I’ll be completely honest with you. The past couple of albums, I do get back to that. Even on this new album. You have writer’s block. And sometimes you’re like, I can’t do this sober.’
Style moment: The Weeknd explained previously that while he’s never needed to ‘detox’ from substances, he’s had times when he didn’t want to ‘spend a day without getting high’
After Hours is the upcoming fourth studio album from The Weeknd, set for release on March 20.
Singles from the record have so far included Heartless and Blinding Lights, along with the haunting After Hours as a promotional single.
Heartless, in particular, is a breakup track thought to be about his famous exes Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez.
Artist: After Hours is the upcoming fourth studio album from The Weeknd, set for release on March 20; the singer seen here on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last month