The end of The Weeknd and the power of owning your name

One of pop music's biggest stars is calling it quits — well, kind of... The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is wrapping up his three-album journey of self-discovery and annihilation with the release of his sixth studio album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow." Tesfaye enlists heavy hitters like Giorgio Moroder, Anitta, Playboi Carti, Lana Del Rey and Travis Scott to aid him to "kill" his pop star persona, a "character" that has lived with Tesfaye since his mysterious and anonymous 2011 debut with the mixtape “House of Balloons,” groaning about drugs, girls and fame. As the son of two Ethiopian immigrants who migrated to Canada, Tesfaye is ready to reclaim his given name and identity — struggles that many diaspora people like myself know all too well. We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism While Tesfaye has been an advocate for the Ethiopian plight, donating millions to aid Ethiopians affected by the perils of war or funding research to preserve and further Ethiopic Studies at Toronto University, inhabiting his given name is the next step in rectifying the pain and generational trauma so prevalent in "Hurry Up Tomorrow."