Why Was The Weeknd's Face Covered In Bandages?

Source: The Blast

The Weeknd’s latest music album, ‘After Hours’ created a buzz since the moment it was released in January 2020. Abel Tesfaye (stage name The Weekend) is known for his R&B tracks, as seen in this album.

Besides, this record album has an uncanny vibe to it which is complemented by the retro tunes of the 1980s. Still, the long-playing record gives a satisfying feeling to the audience which follows it.

Promoting this studio album on various platforms through performances, or visuals, ‘After Hours’, has gathered a critical and fan acclaim. 

Dressed in a red suit and a black shirt along with a series of various bruises, bandages, blood and frequent make-up transformations that make the face look deformed, The Weeknd has gained the attention of many. 

With this Tesfaye desires to put forward, the link between the odd Hollywood celebrity culture of plastic surgery and the measures taken by the community to manipulate their bodies to seek validation, more specifically to meet the standards set by people.

 

After Hours 

‘After Hours’ is the fourth album released by the singer. Furthermore, this long-playing (LP) album is a compilation of fourteen songs, that have a sort of eerie vibe to it yet is satisfying enough to make the listeners groove to it. 

The songs in this studio record are namely: Alone Again, Too Late, Hardest to Love, Scared to Live, Snowchild, Escape from LA, Heartless, Faith, Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears, Repeat After Me (Interlude), After Hours, and the final track being Until I Bleed. 

This album released in January 2020 and since then has won hearts of many. In support of this statement, the google statistics display this likeness as around 97% of Google users liked ‘After Hours’ studio album. 

The Weeknd and songs native to this album have been nominated several times, in many renowned music award ceremonies. Further, Blinding lights have been in the trending charts for an appreciable time period.

Owing to the unsetting feel associated with this LP, it has witnessed an expansive range of interpretations drawn regarding itself. 

Some viewers believe that ‘After Hours’ record displays the darkest stage of singer’s life and his attempt at withdrawing himself from that gloomy environment. 

An argument favouring this opinion is that the lyrics of the most tracks have drugs mentioned in it like: “Put that cocaine on a plate” is an excerpt from the one of the album’s track, Faith.

Some listeners have this particular stance that this record exhibits the strained and metrical relationship of this popular R&B singer with a supermodel, Bella Hadid. 

Most people believe that this whole narrative is inspired by the singer’s arrest in Las Vegas where he punched a police officer on the head in the year 2015. 

However, Tesfaye was out on bail after some time and even paid a fund of $1000 for injured police officers, completed an anger management course, underwent a total alcohol evaluation besides a community service of around fifty hours.

In all, this studio album has a wide range of exposition and is open to such reviews too.

 

Bruised Look Narrative

The Canadian singer has been seen in a strange look since the release of this critically-acclaimed record. With a sort of dichromate appearance, i.e., a red suit with a black shirt, Tesfaye has attained appreciable heed.

Besides, the look became dramatic with bruises, bandages wrapped around the face and the accompanied bleeding. 

When asked about the idea behind this manifestation, The Weekend thought that this aura of his reflected the absurd culture of celebrities to manipulate their skins to seek validation and further meet the beauty goals constructed by the society as a whole.

Besides, this he even added in an interview that the LP was all a progression and the audience witnessed the character’s storyline touching the maxima of danger and absurdity as the story continues. 

Moreover, Tesfaye is not scared to portray himself as scarred, bruised or sick. According to him, looking unattractive is of no importance to him but a smartly put-forth narrative is.

 

Performances Given by Tesfaye

The Weeknd has been skilful in promoting the concept behind his latest studio record. Further, he has been consistent with his appearance as explained above which compels the spectators to put their focus on that bit.

This further incites them to boggle their minds with the possible reasons for the same. However, after the angle shared by him, the look possibly provides an impetus to promote his idea clear and far.

Tesfaye started bringing this bruised and bloody look to public initially in January last year on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he showed a bandaged nose.

Next incident occurred in tandem for two months, later in March on the show Saturday Night Live. Further, in August, The Weeknd dropped the bandaged nose but was still loaded with professionally made-up bruises.

Next event in line was in November, at the American Music Awards, where he had a bandaged face look with deeply-reddened eyes. To the spectators, he looked as if he was recovering from a certain therapy or illness.

Most recently, the ‘Save Your Tears’ video had Weeknd’s face completely botched with Botox which induced an uncanny vibe but on the other hand helped the singer to propagate his concept.

Written by - Khushboo Dhuliya 

Edited by - Christeena George