AceShowbiz - The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has hinted at retiring his public persona after experiencing a "mental breakdown" and losing his voice on stage.

During an interview with Variety, the R&B singer revealed that he had a "kind of a mental breakdown" after losing his voice during a performance in 2022. The experience made him realize that he needed to "sit the f*** down and figure out my life."

Tesfaye also said that he was grappling with "the competition of it all" when it came to his musical project. "It becomes this rat race: more accolades, more success, more shows, more albums, more awards and more No. 1s. It never ends until you end it," he said.

The singer's revelation comes after he posted a series of cryptic messages on social media, including billboards that read "The Weeknd Is Near" but with three missing letters to read "The End Is Near." He also shared images from all of his albums with the caption "The Weeknd / The End Is Near / 8 beautiful chapters in this story."

Tesfaye emphasized that he's not quitting music, but he believes he has "mastered" the Weeknd persona. "I don't think I can stop doing that,” he said. "But everything needs to feel like a challenge. And for me right now, the Weeknd, whatever that is, it's been mastered."

The Weeknd's latest album, "Hurry Up Tomorrow," is set to be released on January 24 and he is set to launch the final leg of his "After Hours Til Dawn" tour later this year.