Two years after HBO’s The Idol sparked backlash, Abel Tesfaye—better known as The Weeknd—is finally breaking his silence. In a new interview, Tesfaye admitted that critics' harsh takes on the show “make a lot of sense.”

Starring alongside Lily-Rose Depp, Tesfaye served as both actor and executive producer, but revealed he held back creatively to avoid being labeled “difficult” in Hollywood. “The worst thing you can be called in Hollywood is difficult,” he said. “And boy, did I pay my dues.”

The Weeknd now concedes the show lacked structure: “It could have been great if it had a beginning, middle, and end. It just ended on middle.”

After the rocky experience, Tesfaye says directing Hurry Up Tomorrow, which hit theaters last month, brought healing—and joy. Playing a version of himself, he says, “I got to say: cut! And that’s a wrap.”