The Weeknd's Super Bowl performance has got people talking... And not for the right reasons...
It seems as though his appearance has left people complaining...
LET’S GO !!!!!!
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) February 7, 2021
Keep scrolling for all the tea.
You're not gonna want to miss this one ladies and gentlemen...
Now, if you didn't know, The Weeknd (also known as Abel Tesfaye) is an R&B sensation.
The star broke into the music scene in 2011 with his mixtape, House of Balloons.
Even in the early days, he managed to work with some pretty high profile artists including Drake and Wiz Khalifa, while still finding his feet within the industry.
His musical success skyrocketed with his 2015 album, Beauty Behind the Madness.
The album brought us the global hit single "Can't Feel My Face," which has drawn in comparison to the likes of Michael Jackson, hit no 1 on the Billboard chart, and went on to rank as the best song of the year.
His follow-up album, Starboy, also enjoyed critical success.
In late November 2016, the Weeknd released his third album, Starboy, featuring star-studded guest appearances from the likes of Lana Del Rey, Future, and Kendrick Lamar. There's absolutely no denying that the star is a hitmaker!But he has also been in the public eye for his turbulent love life.
But it didn't take long for their relationship to hit a rocky patch.
The same year they made it official, they reportedly took a break due to their busy schedules and opted to celebrate Christmas separately. Yikes.It was the first of many hurdles for the famous pair...
The pair had an awkward post-breakup reunion on the Victoria's Secret runway stage.
This time, the split was serious...
Throughout 2018, the couple were rumored to be back on.
And in true post-breakup style, The Weekend showcased a drastic makeover last year.
But the star was looking notably different...
And with an appearance change up...
Always comes new music. And we were right, because he soon dropped After Hours shortly after teasing it on his socials.
However, it seems as though he's going through something currently...
Because his appearance has drastically changed over the past few months.
At the time of the new look's debut, he explained his bizarre outfit choice.
"Blinding Lights" [is about] how you want to see someone at night, and you’re intoxicated, and you’re driving to this person, and you’re just blinded by streetlights," he told Esquire."But nothing could stop you from trying to go see that person, because you’re so lonely. I don’t want to ever promote drunk driving, but that’s what the dark undertone is."
But while a lot of us hoped it would just be an "aesthetic" he was using to promote an important social issue, it seemed to have gone on for a surprisingly long time.
Because then we were graced with his new "post-surgery" look in his latest music video "Save Your Tears."
And we weren't on board with it...
Many were speculating whether or not this is real surgery or if it's just prosthetics...
Either way, it's pretty grotesque if you ask me.Here is a wild close-up.
Let's just say we were all left speechless seeing him like this.
But after all the backlash, the singer came out to explain the thought process behind his new face in an interview with Jem Aswad at Variety.
She asks the singer: "What does this mean/symbolizes?" to which he replied: "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."
She then asks: "What can we take from the fact that you seem to be intentionally making your face increasingly unattractive while promoting your biggest album?"
"I suppose you could take that being attractive isn't important to me but a compelling narrative is."
"Sometimes you appear in photos or on TV and videos in character, sometimes not. Why?" She continues.
"Why not play with the character and the artist and let those lines blur and move around?"
So there we have it, he's playing a character in a continuous storyline...
So upon receiving that confirmation, we were so excited to see what he was going to do at today's big event...
Since it was announced that the singer would be playing the half-time show at the Super Bowl, we've all been speculating what is in store for us.
Leading up to the big night, we already had some spoilers about the anticipated performance.
In an interview, the show's producer, Jesse Collins said this ahead of today's big game: "It's all happening in that stadium, in that moment," Collins told Entertainment Tonight. "We're not bouncing off to another stadium and then cutting in, like some people have had to do (before). We are fortunate enough in this situation that we are able to do a live, live show."
He continued:
"It's gotta be about entertainment from a truthful perspective. Get away from the massive sets, all the hoopla, the flying this and that. And get to the core of what makes an artist special."
He also added this:
"We started creating this thing back in September, and the message of it really worked out. The world worked out for the message that The Weeknd wants to communicate in this performance… It's definitely a very special show."
Special is definitely correct.
But not exactly for the best reasons...
Some people couldn't help but complain about the performance...
That would be cool if they turned his mic on. #TheWeeknd #SuperBowl
— Mercedes Martinez (@MercedesLV) February 8, 2021
I can’t even hear the weeknd
— McTapia (@rockierage117) February 8, 2021
Someone get the Weeknd another mic this sounds like the one on my earbuds
— Neil Al Bazi (@NeilJosephN1) February 8, 2021
Is the music too loud or does The Weeknd's mic need turning up? #PepsiHalftime #SuperBowl
— Jonathan Lansana (@tvgenius05) February 8, 2021
Thank you @theweeknd for an amazing show!!!! #SuperBowl #PepsiHalftime I do wish the sound was clearer, but still it was amazing!
— Hollie Ann (@hollieann921) February 8, 2021
Get the weeknd off looool and his shit mic 🤣
— Alex (@King_Alejandro7) February 8, 2021
I like the Weeknd, but this is shite, you cant hear his Mic at all 😂
— AR (@NottsJuventino) February 8, 2021
I’m about to get on Spotify and play The Weeknd because his mic ain’t doing shit
— nalani (@naylaniee) February 8, 2021
Multi-million dollar half time production and they can't get Weeknd's mic output mixed properly for the TV feed #superbowl #HalfTimeShow
— Chris McClure (@chrisjmcclure) February 8, 2021
The Weeknd decided to give the best performance he's ever given and the Super Bowl sound team were like 'What if we make it so no one can hear him?'
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) February 8, 2021
I actually enjoyed that performance but that sound quality tho?????? Y’all gotta treat my boy @theweeknd better than that! #SuperBowl #HalfTimeShow
— MICHELLE OBAMAS BANG (@DiBleckLioness) February 8, 2021
Here's a little snippet of his performance:
🔥🔥🔥 @TheWeeknd #PepsiHalftime #SBLV pic.twitter.com/QCFlAPcion
— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2021
Stay tuned for regular updates on the Super Bowl...