The Weeknd Talks Sex, Drugs and R&B in the Latest Issue of 'Rolling Stone'
“But when she started petting my hair, that’s when I was like, ‘I definitely need a drink.’”
As the latest artist to cover Rolling Stone magazine, Abel Tesfaye (more commonly known by his moniker, The Weeknd) sits down for an in-depth interview with Josh Eells. Titled, “Sex, Drugs, and R&B: Inside The Weeknd’s Dark Twisted Fantasy,” the essay is a no-bars look into the meteoric rise of the Canadian singer-songwriter. Discussing everything from Taylor Swift petting his hair, to his “hazy years” of drug use, to losing his virginity to an older woman, the interview is a rare look into Tesfaye’s early years and how he regards himself within today’s music industry. You can head over to Rolling Stone to read the full article.
Check out our select quotes from the interview below:
On his encounter with Taylor Swift:
“She actually schooled me on my own shit. She was like, ‘I’ve been listening to ‘The Morning’ [from House of Balloons] for years — it’s one of my favorite songs ever!’ I mean, she might have just Googled it. But she seemed genuine. But the whole time she was talking, she was kind of, like, petting my hair? I think she was just drawn to it — she must have been a little gone off a few drinks. And of course I’m not going to be like, ‘Hey, can you stop?’ I mean, it felt good! But when she started petting my hair, that’s when I was like, ‘I definitely need a drink.’”
His drug use:
“I never needed detox or anything, but I was addicted in the sense of ‘Fuck, I don’t want to spend this day without getting high.’ Like, ‘08 to 2010 — those are my hazy years. I have this lyric that goes, ‘I’m not scared of the fall/I’ve felt the ground before.’ And in this industry, I’m not really scared of failing, because I already know what it means to be on the ground.”
His thoughts on his career:
“We live in an era when everything is so excessive, I think it’s refreshing for everybody to be like, ‘Who the fuck is this guy?’ I think that’s why my career is going to be so long: Because I haven’t given people everything.” … “People tell me I’m changing the culture, I already can’t turn on the radio. I think I’m gonna drop one more album, one more powerful body of work, then take a little break — go to Tokyo or Ethiopia or some shit.”
