We had no doubts that The Weeknd's Super Bowl halftime show performance [1] would be nothing short of epic, but he took things one step further: it was historic. When the 30-year-old singer took the stage at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, on Sunday, he not only became the first-ever Canadian to headline solo [2], but he was also the first performer to not include any special guests [3] in his performance. The reason for that? There simply wasn't enough time to fit it in with the narrative he wanted to tell.
After a year of sporting a heavily bruised and bandaged face [4], The Weeknd finally appeared as himself, though he still paid homage to his After Hours character by sporting his signature red suit [5]. The R&B crooner delivered arguably one of the best performances the Super Bowl has ever seen, which included a medley of his biggest hits, such as "Starboy," "Earned It," and "Blinding Lights."
His performance also featured bandaged lookalike dancers, which many compared to Jordan Peele's 2019 film Us [6]. Although he didn't reveal the exact reason for including them, The Weeknd previously told Variety the bandages represent "the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity [7] and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons."
The Weeknd's Super Bowl performance comes just days after he announced his 2022 After Hours world tour [9] and the release of his compilation album, The Highlights [10]. Clearly, The Weeknd's 2021 is already off to an exciting start. Relive his history-making Super Bowl halftime show performance above!