Home Q News Music News The Weeknd explains (sort of) why he wears those bandages

The Weeknd explains (sort of) why he wears those bandages

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ABCWhen The Weeknd started promoting his smash album After Hours, he took on the role of a red jacketed character with a beat-up face, explaining to Variety, "This character is having a really bad night, and you can come with your own interpretation of what it is.”

But in a series of videos and performances, The Weeknd has moved on from just having bruises to wearing bandages on his face and on his entire head, showing himself being decapitated, and sporting what appears to be botched plastic surgery. So what's it all mean? The Canadian star explains himself — a little bit — in a new chat with Variety.

"The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated," explains The Weeknd.

Asked how all this fits into his original concept of a guy simply having a "bad night," the singer replies, "It’s all a progression and we watch The Character’s storyline hit heightened levels of danger and absurdity as his tale goes on."

When Variety asks why the handsome singer, born Abel Tesfaye, seems hell-bent on making himself as unattractive as possible, he responds, "I suppose you could take that being attractive isn’t important to me — but a compelling narrative is."

As for whether or not The Weeknd will be wearing bandages during his Super Bowl halftime performance, that remains to be seen, but as previously reported, he's spent $7 million of his own money making sure the 24-minute show embodies his "vision."

By Andrea Dresdale
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