The Weeknd Says ‘The Idol’ Failed Due to ‘Too Many Cooks’ Behind the Show: ‘You Can’t Force Something’

The Weeknd, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, believes his 2023 series”The Idol” failed primarily due to “too many cooks” in production.

“The best films have as much of a singular voice as possible, and everybody working on it cares about it just as much as the director and the actors,” he told the Guardian in an interview published Saturday. “With ‘Idol,’ our instincts were ‘This isn’t right,’ but we wanted it to work. … Too many cooks in the kitchen.”

Though “people cared about” the limited TV series, he continued, “I think it got to a point where everyone was trying to get to the finish line. You can’t force something, you’ve just got to let it be whatever it is, even if it’s half-baked.”

When he tried to push back, the Weeknd added, “I become ‘difficult’, and the worst thing you can be called in Hollywood is difficult. ‘Difficult’ spreads!”

“The Idol” was panned by critics and canceled after one season on HBO.

“The Idol was one of HBO’s most provocative original programs, and we’re pleased by the strong audience response,” a spokesperson for HBO said in a statement at the time. “After much thought and consideration, HBO, as well as the creators and producers, have decided not to move forward with a second season. We’re grateful to the creators, cast and crew for their incredible work.”

The singer also examined his own relationship with emotions and vulnerability in the 2025 thriller “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” which he co-wrote with Shults and Reza Fahim. “Men have this forcefield – it’s like we want to come off as invincible, and vulnerability is something you run away from.”

The singer included himself in that characterization.

“I was able to be vulnerable in my music, but I was able to hide behind music,” he continued. “For me to trust someone like Trey to allow myself to be vulnerable, that was new for me. It felt like a therapy session for all of us. I was able to face my child self. We go through so much that we don’t even remember as children, we just suppress everything. If you don’t deal with it, it comes out.”

His latest album, also titled “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” deals in the same themes. The Weeknd explained many of the songs acknowledge the fact that his fans expect a certain kind of music from him, but also that it’s not something he wants to do forever. “I was being tongue-in-cheek about it: this is what you guys love me for,” he said.

“But it can’t just be debauchery. You don’t want to stay at the party too long – the next thing you know you’re 40 years old and you’re … I don’t want to do that. We all want to age gracefully.”

And though he may eventually hang up his identity as The Weeknd (“I haven’t thought that out. It’s not this calculated vision,” he said), the singer wants to continue to produce creative work.

“As an artist, you have duties, and you also have dreams. The key to my longevity is to continue dreaming. There is definitely something that isn’t fulfilled for me, and the only way you can go there is if you close a chapter somewhere else,” he said.

The Weeknd, whose parents are Ethiopian, continued, “I want to tap into a different part of my life: my heritage. I’ve never been to Ethiopia – I can’t imagine what going back to Africa is going to do for me, spiritually, emotionally, creatively. You need to reconnect with everything about yourself.”

Read the interview at The Guardian.

The post The Weeknd Says ‘The Idol’ Failed Due to ‘Too Many Cooks’ Behind the Show: ‘You Can’t Force Something’ appeared first on TheWrap.