On this special, Big Game™ Sunday, everybody's workin' for The Weeknd. Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd, landed the coveted spot of Super Bowl LV's halftime performer. Even if the halftime show is impossibly fast, it remains the biggest stage in the world for a music artist. Produced in part by Jay-Z and Roc Nation, this year's show wasn't the star-studded adrenaline rush of year's past. Instead, the Weeknd teased the performance saying that the elimination of featured acts was because there "isn't any room to fit it in the narrative and the story" he wanted to tell.
Over the past year, The Weeknd's whole vibe has been folded into this obscure narrative, kicked off by the release of "Blinding Lights." A lot of cars and speeding and face bandages. The story continued at Super Bowl LV, with The Weeknd appearing out of a giant multi-tier choir of androids. (Yeah, read that again for clarity.) There were close up shots. Bedazzled guitarists. Bandage-faced back up dancers. And when you combine that together, you get a Super Bowl halftime performance of epic proportions, with a nod to performances past.
Social media took note, too. Coming off last year, The Weeknd had some very big heels to fill. Last year's double-billing featured Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in the spotlight and offered up more than a couple big social media moments. But this isn't about last year. The Weeknd's complete demand of the field with his army of red blazer-ed mask men was as mesmerizing as it was entertaining. And don't overlook one important face: it truly was live.
Tonight was about Abel and his one-man show. These are the best social media reactions to The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime performance.
Justin Kirkland is a Brooklyn-based writer who covers culture, food, and the South. Along with Esquire, his work has appeared in NYLON, Vulture, and USA Today.
