Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty
The Weeknd hit the big stage during the halftime show for Super Bowl LV, and it was obvious that the affair wasn’t put together cheaply. After revealing last month that he spent $7 million of his own cash to fund the lavish performance, the results prove that he did indeed spend a grip while reportedly not being paid a dime from the NFL.
Last Friday (Feb. 5), The Weeknd shared a trailer for his upcoming Super Bowl LV Halftime Show performance in a quirky video featuring the Canadian crooner having a posh lunch on a football field. Suddenly, footballs rained down from the sky as the clip rolled on, signifying that viewers were definitely going to get a visual treat.
Sunday pic.twitter.com/U4TCfPmnJy
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) February 5, 2021
The artist born Abel Tesfaye took viewers through several moods, tempos, and set changes while pulling from his vast catalog of songs, including his fourth studio album After Hours released in 2020. While it wasn’t all a low-energy affair, The Weeknd’s performance was somewhat all over the place and that was what he intended according to previous reports.
In an interview with Variety last week, The Weeknd vaguely described some of the recent images of his bandaged face, playing into the battered character he plays on the After Hours album. Despite year-end accolades and critical acclaim, the album was snubbed in the 2021 Grammy Awards nominations tally.
Pouring all of that supposed angst into his performance, The Weekend left all on the field, literally and otherwise, but did tone down some of the darker themes from the album for the family-friendly event.
The Weeknd was clearly pleased with his showing, tweeting, “still buzzing from last night. i couldn’t stop smiling the whole performance. thank you @pepsi @NFL @RocNation for believing in me to bring a fresh new take on the halftime show. XO we did it!”
still buzzing from last night. i couldn’t stop smiling the whole performance. thank you @pepsi @NFL @RocNation for believing in me to bring a fresh new take on the halftime show. XO we did it ! ❤️
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) February 8, 2021
Check out The Weekend’s full performance below.
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Photo: Getty
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