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The Weeknd Once Explained Why He Spent His Early Career in Anonymity: ‘I’m Going To Let the Music Speak for Itself’

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25.04.2026

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The Weeknd Once Explained Why He Spent His Early Career in Anonymity: ‘I’m Going To Let the Music Speak for Itself’

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It’s hard to imagine a time when The Weeknd wasn’t always one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Nowadays, he’s always extremely visible. Beyond the music, he plastered himself on movies and an HBO TV show. To think there was a point where no one knew what he looked like. But back in 2011, the mind behind House of Balloons was completely anonymous. People spent months trying to put a face to the angelic voice singing about drug binges and sex.

But by 2012, The Weeknd erased some of the mystery around him by finally revealing what he looked like. How come he didn’t do that from the start? It all stems from insecurity, something that would only amplify when faced with the prospect of celebrity. In a 2013 interview with Complex, the Toronto-born crooner admitted that he never did........

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