Super Bowl Weeknd
Super Bowl Weeknd
By Amira Shehadeh
The man in the red suit with the vintage sunglasses is more than a performer. When I think of Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, I think of an artist who has established himself over the past decade as one of the most prominent and influential voices in not just R&B but also the entire music industry. When the world found out in November that he would be headlining the 55th Super Bowl Half-Time Performance, I knew we would be in for a groundbreaking, innovative, creative, and unforgettable show. Leading up to the Super Bowl, I have been following halftime performance news and especially listening to his press conference a few days before the game. While reading his recent Billboard article published in their January issue, I was incredibly shocked to learn that he spent $7 million of his own money towards his performance to “make this halftime show be what he envisioned.”
In the Billboard article, it described the performance would only be about 12-13 minutes long. Unlike Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 14-minute halftime show for Super Bowl LIV, this one is expected to be just a few minutes shorter. With theories going around that the $7 million out-of-pocket contributions were meant to secure more stage time, an approximated extra 12 minutes to capture a more cinematic experience, I am interested to see if the NFL will allow that to happen on Sunday. While I am really looking forward to the game, my eyes are going to be on halftime, and I’m inquisitive to see if we are actually going to get a 24-minute-long show.
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye performing at the 55th Super Bowl Halftime Show
Tampa, Florida
We now know that the performance was only about 13 minutes long, so obviously, his $7 million investment did not go towards the extra set time. But he used that money to bring a true Weeknd show atmosphere to the Raymond James Stadium. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how exceptional his performance was. This show encompassed everything Abel Tesfaye embodies: originality, passion, dedication, and trueness to craft. The lighting, set design, pyrotechnics, sound engineering, absolutely every element and detail that went into this performance was clearly done to make this halftime show be everything it possibly could, especially in the midst of a pandemic. I think the XO Team (The Weeknd’s self-made record label) put every element of a world-class performance into this 13-minute set, and the world seemed to agree.
In past years, when Lady Gaga jumped off the roof of the NRG Stadium, or Diana Ross arriving at her performance in a helicopter, The Weeknd brought what seemed to be an After Hours-themed world to the stage. The performance started with the camera on The Weeknd, sitting in the same kind of car he used in his Vegas-themed Blinding Lights music video. The set design referenced the current era of his career and was filled with lights and intricate structures. We then see the camera pan to his incredible choir, which serenaded the audience with a goosebump-triggering rendition of Call Out My Name. The most chilling part of this entrance was when the stands seemed to open, and The Weeknd was surrounded by lighting and smoke as he opened with Starboy. His choir reflected his own energy, which I thought was a really cool touch to accompany his powerful stage presence. He followed by performing The Hills, which included an incredibly unique amount of fireworks, smoke, special effects, pyrotechnics, and choreographed lighting. Following The Hills, The Weeknd put an After Hours touch on Can’t Feel My Face. He delivered a powerful, charismatic performance of I Feel it Coming from the stands. I think his creative director La Mar Taylor put a lot into consideration on making this performance as safe and engaging as possible.
Performing from the stands seemed to be a measure used to limit the physical time on the field, as he had a lot of backup dancers and choir members. This meant that there would be limited potential COVID exposure. However, to close out his set, The Weeknd and his background dancers, dressed in the classic After Hour’s red suit and black pants, was what I think is one of the best closing sets of all time. The choreographed dancers pumped up the energy as The Weeknd paid tribute to his first and decade-old album Trilogy when he sang the House of Balloons' chorus. The seamless transition to Blinding Lights was the most amazing part of the whole performance. His powerful voice echoed throughout the entire stadium as the camera focused on him closing out the song with fireworks ablaze and lights flooding the venue. In true Weeknd fashion, it was an engaging performance that pushed the boundaries and doing so all during a public health crisis.
Even though I did not get to witness the Chiefs pull off another Super Bowl victory, in my eyes, The Weeknd won the super bowl. He reminded me again why I’ve been a fan of his for the past 5 years. I look up to this artist not only as a musician but also as living proof that if you work hard, stay committed to your values, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t, you really can achieve anything you set your mind to. He truly brought his best self out to the Raymond James Stadium and left many us with a one of a kind, world-class performance unlike any other. I am excited to see how he continues this momentum on his upcoming After Hours World Tour next year!
The Weeknd after finishing his halftime performance with his hit song ‘Blinding Lights’.