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The Weeknd: I Want to Be the World's Biggest Pop Star

"Earned It" singer talks dreams of new album and following Michael Jackson's footsteps in New York Times interview.

The Weeknd wants to be the biggest pop star “in the world,” according to a New York Times interview. It’s rare that the publicly reclusive singer even speaks with the press, but in the NYT, he gives us a peak into the kind of artist he hopes to become.

‘‘I felt I had to change who I was,” he says of the upcoming album, Beauty Behind the Madness. The 25-year-old is eyeing a Michael Jackson-style domination in pop music. "These kids, you know, they don’t have a Michael Jackson,’’ he said. ‘‘They don’t have a Prince. They don’t have a Whitney [Houston]. Who else is there? Who else can really do it at this point?’’

The King of Pop’s influence is dripping all over The Weeknd’s new music, and to good results. With “Earned It,” “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” the Canadian artists has found a footing on radio that eluded him previously.

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As a complete effort, Beauty Behind the Madness has more levels of emotion than his old work. ‘‘It’s about me being who I am and stepping out of my comfort zone to try to feel something else besides what I’ve been feeling the past four years, ups and downs," he said. “In my past albums, there were never ups."

Outside of music, The Weeknd’s personal life is different, thanks to rumors that he’s dating 18-year-old model Bella Hadid. When asked if he was in love with Hadid, he responded, "I don’t know, to be honest with you. I don’t think so. Maybe. It’s no, it’s yes, it’s maybe."

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(Photo: Sonia Recchia/Getty Images)

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