The Weeknd has spoken in a new interview about his next music project, saying that the upcoming record is “the album I’ve always wanted to make”.

The Canadian artist, AKA Abel Tesfaye, has been teasing his next album over the past few weeks and shared a preview of a new song overnight, before declaring: “Fuck it … IT STARTS TONIGHT.”

A new GQ interview with The Weeknd has arrived today (August 2), with the profile describing the new album as “a project packed with party records… Quincy Jones meets Giorgio Moroder meets the best-night-of-your-fucking-life party records”.

“It’s the album I’ve always wanted to make,” The Weeknd told GQ about the record, which, the publication notes, wasn’t finished at the time of the interview.

The Weeknd also reflected on his first studio album ‘Kiss Land’, which came out in 2013, saying: “If it wasn’t for ‘Kiss Land’, I wouldn’t have been able to make this new album. That song that you just heard? That’s ‘Kiss Land’, man.

“It’s just me understanding how to use ‘Kiss Land’ now, in my craft. But it’s definitely my most honest record. I was the most naked. Most vulnerable. And it is what it is.”

Speculation about The Weeknd’s new album started back in May after the artist declared during an appearance at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards that his ‘After Hours’ era was over.

“I just want to say: the ‘After Hours’ are done and the dawn is coming,” he said during an acceptance speech.