Coachella, one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, or should I say a west coast wonderland for millennials, ended just shy of a few weeks ago. This mega concert featured a crazy lineup of incredibly talented artists, as well as some new faces surfacing into the music scene. As the news cycle refreshes and continues to change, one event has stayed buzzing on Twitter: Abel Tesfaye’s performance of the song “Call Out My Name.” Better known as “The Weekend”, he first appeared at Coachella as an unsure, imperfect artist in 2012, but returned with unapologetic confidence as a headliner with a purpose in 2018.
The Weeknd started his hour and a half set by performing his name to fame anthems such as “Wicked Games” and “Can’t Feel My Face.” Throughout the set, however, he introduced songs off of his relevantly new album “My Dear Melancholy." In two words, one could describe this album as beautiful sorrow. Tesfaye blessed the stage throughout his entire performance but once he began to sing “Call Out My Name” anyone in the audience could recognize the trembling pain in his voice. Tears sweltered in his eyes, and he truly placed his heartbreak on a platter for everyone at that moment.
The video of his performance began to trend on twitter and people started to respond immediately. While many recognized the quality of beauty in his performance through retweets, they also related so much to his heartbreak. Yet, I believe we all forgot to commend Abel Tesfaye for not only stripping his soul bare but also not being afraid to crush stereotypes.
So many young men are brought up in this world with the idea that it is not okay to cry, not okay to show emotion, or to show signs of weakness. So many young men go through heartbreak, or even worse experiences and are conditioned not to feel due to this construct of toxic masculinity. Having these portrayals of strong men who have learned to balance their emotions, creates a healthy image for those wanting to express who they are.
The Weeknd’s career path has drastically changed as he has shied away from the persona who degraded women and sang about his highs, to an artist who has shifted focus on much deeper material. Not only has his music matured, so has he as an individual. Abel Tesfaye is known for his sad songs and has always encompassed a person who would "drink the pain away." However, by confronting his hurt in his work, he is no longer suppressing his feelings. He is opening up an important conversation and is giving young men the confidence to feel.
Mainstream artists like Drake, J. Cole, and Post Malone have been defying issues of toxic masculinity in their music as of lately as well. Many of their songs are sending messages that teach young men that it is okay to have an emotional side. Rappers have always talked about the nitty gritty in life, but less often do they open up how it affects their emotional health. We are seeing a shift as specific artists are beginning to degrade women less and are chipping away at the tough guy exterior they once had. More and more artists are opening up to the idea of being vunerable - and their album sales aren't disagreeing. After all, I believe that J.Cole's "2014 Forest Hills Drive" album began this pattern in artists as he changed the rap game by singing about what deep down effects him. He shows gratitude, love, fear, reluctance, and most importantly, he feels.
As the music industry changes, and so does societal ideologies, toxic masculinity will hopefully not exist in young men's lives. Until that time comes, we thank artists like The Weeknd who aren't afraid to be a real man.
