The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV Halftime performance will be one to remember.
The singer delivered an explosive show tonight at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, where he performed hits like from “The Hills” to “Blinding Lights.” Born Abel Tesfaye, the superstar shone in a custom Givenchy look, featuring a bright ruby jacket like the one he’s worn throughout his After Hours album era.
He started out the set with a choir-backed rendition of “Call Out My Name,” and quickly transitioned into his 2016 hit “Starboy” and then his Beauty Behind the Madness single, “The Hills.” During the bouncy “I Can’t Feel My Face,” he strutted through a lit-up, mirrored funhouse set with a crowd of bandaged lookalikes.
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For his Daft Punk collab, “I Feel It Coming,” Tesfaye serenaded the camera as fireworks flew into the sky behind him. The singer also performed his recent single, “Save Your Tears” and his Fifty Shades of Grey track, “Earned It.”
Rather than performing in the center of the stadium like past performers, Tesfaye sang from a theatrical-like stage that was integrated in the stands. But for the big finish, he took the field for his latest hit, “Blinding Lights,” accompanied by an army of dancers wearing matching red jackets and face bandages. As fireworks rained down above, it made for an epic ending.
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With tonight’s set, The Weeknd joins a star-studded list of Super Bowl Halftime performers, most recently including Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020), Maroon 5 with Big Boi and Travis Scott (2019), Justin Timberlake (2018), Lady Gaga (2017), and Coldplay with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars (2016).
Unlike other recent Super Bowl headliners, the chart-topping artist didn’t featuring any special guests in his set. “There wasn’t any room to fit it in the narrative and the story I was telling in the performance. So, there’s no special guests, no,” Tesfaye explained last week, per People.
Recently, The Weeknd has been making headlines for his commitment to an occasionally gory aesthetic, achieved through cosmetic bruises and face bandages. The nightmare-inducing look debuted with the release of his “Blinding Lights” music video. He has since also appeared sufficiently bloodied and bruised during appearances at Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Saturday Night Live, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the American Music Awards.
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“The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated,” he told Variety this month. “It’s all a progression and we watch The Character’s storyline hit heightened levels of danger and absurdity as his tale goes on.”
He further explained that his new appearance is all in the endeavor of telling a good story. “I suppose you could take that being attractive isn’t important to me,” the singer said, “but a compelling narrative is.”
This story has been updated.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US.
