The Weeknd finally revealed why he wore a full face of bandages in recent photos and at the AMA’s. 

As we all know, the bandages were related to a shocking storyline within the After Hours album in which we encounter a drug fueled, euphoric character somewhere in the midst of a quintessential Las Vegas strip. It all takes place in a single night. 

The album rose to fame thanks in part to the hit single, “Blinding Lights”. The synth – pop track was Spotify’s most streamed track of 2020 with more than 1 billion plays since its release in late November. 

The After Hours series features a character played by Abel Tesfaye who sports a red and black suit throughout a series of interrelated videos depicting a journey into the unknown. The storyline seemingly culminated in a face – bandaged Tesfaye who also made an appearance at the AMAs.

Flash forward to earlier this January during which the Weeknd finally took off his bandages to expose a radical face surgery. The obscure reveal left many shocked and confused as to what it meant and whether it was real or not. Photos posted on his social media made their way around the internet with little to no details about what he was planning next.

“The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrities and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated,” he said in a recent interview with Variety. He then explains that the evolution of his character’s bandaged-look reveals “heightened levels of danger and absurdity as his tale goes on.” 

Earlier this Tuesday the Weeknd also made an appearance in a Super Bowl ad, seemingly back to his normal self. Many are unsure of whether or not the elements and theme of the After Hours storyline will be featured in this upcoming performance given the album’s huge success. However, Tesfaye has been known to switch into and out of the character, blurring the lines between music artist and his fictional persona, so the exact answer to that remains unknown. 

When asked about whether or not he was currently in character, the Weeknd replied: “I don’t know, I’d have to ask him.”