NEED TO KNOW
- During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Weeknd revealed that he was working at an American Apparel before he became a household name as a musician
- A decade after quitting, he is still working with his former boss, who is now one of his creative directors
- The Weeknd added that quitting his job was his biggest ambition at the time, and he got the confidence to do so because of the response to his music
The Weeknd opened up about the job that he had before finding breakout success and the surprising way that he is still working with his boss all these years later.
The 35-year-old Hurry Up Tomorrow hitmaker is one of the most successful musicians in recent history. However, like many other artists, he had humble beginnings.
While making his late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, May 15, the star revealed that his biggest goal before making it big was “to quit my job.”
What was he doing at the time? “I was working at American Apparel,” he said. “I was like 19; I was trying to fold clothes.”
At the time, he said, “nobody knew what I looked like” because his persona was shrouded in mystery, and he didn’t show his face. That actually worked in his favor and helped him gain the confidence to quit.
“People working at American Apparel started playing the music. And that was the validation I needed. I was like, ‘I’m quitting this job, and this is mine. Yeah, it’s my full-time life,’ ” he recalled.
While he left American Apparel behind, he is still working with his boss from the company. Now, they share a different relationship.
“My boss is actually one of my creative directors. He does all my typography for my albums now,” he explained.
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Although this was The Weeknd’s first time on late-night TV, the artist has his own unique history with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
While speaking to host Jimmy Fallon, he credited a viral moment when Tom Cruise lip-synched his song “Can’t Feel My Face” on the show in 2015 with helping it take off. The anthem went on to top the Billboard Hot 100.
To return the favor 10 years later, The Weeknd read out a statement hyping up Cruise’s new movie Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, which premieres in theaters on May 23.
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, was on the show promoting his own film Hurry Up Tomorrow, which arrives in theaters on May 16 and stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
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He also delivered a live performance of his songs “Baptized in Fear” and “Open Hearts” off his new album. For the occasion, he belted out the songs with the support of a live band in front of flashing lights.
On top of his new album, The Weeknd is also in the midst of his After Hours til Dawn 2025 Tour, which kicked off in Phoenix, Ariz. on May 9.
The show will resume with a performance in Detroit on May 24 and is scheduled to run through Sept. 3.
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