The Weeknd has always had pretty thinly veiled references to drugs in his music, but his latest admission about drug use is downright troubling, and it's sending a poor message to his many fans.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 26-year-old musician discussed the way he's tackled writer's block, and it involves using illicit substances. He said, "When I had nothing to do but make music, it was very heavy. Drugs were a crutch for me. There were songs on my first record that were seven minutes long, rambling — whatever thoughts I was having when I was under the influence at the time. I can’t see myself doing that now."
He denies having a substance-abuse problem, though he says that in his younger years, he spent much of the little income he had on alcohol and illegal drugs, saying that it was a "dark time" in his life.
When asked if he ever sought treatment or therapy for drug use, he said, "No. Definitely not. I think that’s more when you’re privileged, you know? Going to a therapist is not something you do when you’re growing up as a street kid in Toronto. Sorry, bro."
He added that he had some run-ins with the law during that time, but that he "escaped" from a lot of bad things that could have happened. "A lot of people don’t get that second chance. But around that age, you usually get one second chance after a slap on the wrist. And you either take the experience and think, This is it, final straw, or you don’t. And the next move after that? It’s your entire life. You become who you become because of the next move you make."
The Weeknd's admission to using drugs as a tool to write his music is reflected in his most recent albums, as well. He said, "I’ll be completely honest with you. The past couple of albums, I do get back to that. Even on this new album. You have writer’s block. And sometimes you’re like, I can’t do this sober."
He cited stress as his reason for using "that little jump" when making music, but here's the thing: This is an awful message to send to his fans, many of whom are young and may look up to him as a role model. The implications of his cavalier attitude about drug use could be far-reaching and potentially damaging, and he should take his fans into consideration when discussing these issues, as well as send messages that don't romanticize addiction.
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