Nearly two years after the conclusion of the first and only season of The Idol, The Weeknd can finally understand where the negative reviews were coming from.
The singer, born Abel Tesfaye, admitted to The Guardian that the criticism towards the short-lived HBO series “makes a lot of sense.”
The Weeknd revealed The Idol was originally supposed to be a movie before the pandemic altered those plans. “Pandemic happened, theatres are not a thing any more at the time, television is the new god,” he said.
The changes did not end there. What was going to be a short miniseries became five episodes, followed by a cancellation. Looking back, Tesfaye just wanted to tell a complete story.
“People cared about it, for sure,” he said. “But I think it got to a point where everyone was trying to get to the finish line. You can’t force something, you’ve just got to let it be whatever it is, even if it’s half-baked.”
Rolling Stone senior investigations reporter Cheyenne Roundtree reported prior to the announcement of a release date that production on The Idol had become a “shitshow.”
Amy Seimetz was originally announced as the show’s director, but co-creator Sam Levinson reportedly took the reins, completely overhauling a “nearly finished” version of the series. The change of plans reportedly cost the network between $54 million and $75 million.
In an interview with Variety published in January, Tesfaye reflected on the negative reviews, and seemed to be at peace with the negativity that comes with someone putting their art out there for the world.
“Believe it or not, none of [the criticism] felt personal,” he said. “Of course, it gets to you—I’m not saying I wasn’t affected by it; I’m saying I didn’t take it personally. Like, nobody’s out to get you, you know? I love reading criticism, even if some of it didn’t feel constructive. I’m not expecting everybody to love ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ either. Some people might hate it, but that’s not why I’m doing this. I’m doing it because I’m an artist; it’s how I feel, and this is what I want to say.”
Speaking with The Guardian, Tesfaye understands that the same applies as an actor, saying, “You’ve got to pay your dues. But boy, did I pay my dues.”
