The Weeknd did an interview that appeared in GQ magazine and talked about his stage persona.
He separates his real name, Abel Tesfaye, with the performer that he is.
He says that early on in his career, the lines were blurry between the two. As he “developed as a man” it became more clear to him that Abel was someone he goes home to every night. And The Weeknd is someone he goes to work as.