The Weeknd says he's "been more inspired and creative during the pandemic" than when he's on tour

After Hours, The Weeknd's latest album, landed in March when the world began shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since then he's aired his frustrations after being snubbed from the Grammy nominations, collaborated with Oneohtrix Point Never, Ariana Grande, Calvin Harris and more.

Earlier this month Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, spoke about his creativity during the coronavirus pandemic in a recent discussion with tmrw magazine. Tesfaye said, "I have been more inspired and creative during the pandemic than I might normally be on the road."

He also revealed that the events of 2020 have made him thankful for what he has, "The pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the tensions of the [US] election have mostly created a sense of gratitude for what I have and closeness with the people near me."

Tesfaye also reflected on his journey so far, "I was laser focused then and I'm laser focused right now. This has been the story of my 20's. I feel like I spent the last 10 years creating a sound and most of my career I’ve either been running away from it or duplicating it. After Hours was the perfect piece of art for me to show my tenure in the industry."