Since chopping off his trademark Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired freeform locs in 2016, the Weeknd hasn't really veered away from his tapered Afro haircut. At the time, the singer (née Abel Tesfaye) told The Wall Street Journal that his hair got in the way of his beauty rest. "I could only sleep on one side of my face. Now the sleep is amazing, the shower is amazing because I don't have to spend two hours cleaning it," he said.
However, on Monday night at the Toronto Independent Film Festival, the Weeknd showed up with a different hairstyle and new facial hair. He was at the event to attend the premiere of Uncut Gems, a feature film in which he makes his first big-screen acting debut.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Instead of a high-top fade, Tesfaye sported a considerably larger, angular Afro, which was shorter along the back and sides. He also nixed his beard for a horseshoe mustache, which Twitter fans quickly compared to the famous 'staches of Lionel Richie, Bruno Mars, and El DeBarge.
The singer's new look comes a month after reports that he and supermodel Bella Hadid have ended their relationship — but don't call it a break-up makeover. Some fans consider the new style as confirmation that a new album is on the way.
Based on his Starboy big chop, The Weeknd's look could be symbolic of a new creative phase, or it could just simply be an itch to switch things up. Either way, we're here for it.